Twenty years ago, concert tickets represented reasonably priced entertainment. Yes, prices have risen for everything in the past twenty years, but the prices of concert tickets have risen much faster compared to the . Tickets that once cost $10-$15 now regularly sell for ten times that much or more if the concert is by a major artist. For a few artists, the very best ticket price for premium seats can be $500 or more! 

Why have concert tickets come to be so pricey? Here are several reasons:

Concerts are now a main source of income. Record companies and performers once viewed concerts as "loss leaders." It might cost millions for a performer to tour, however the ticket costs were kept to an budget friendly minimum. The record company might generate losses from the tour, but earn money overall when those ticket buyers went to their record store the next day to buy the new album from the artist they just saw. With sales of music declining in the past ten years, both the artist and the record company are now viewing concert tours as a principal generator of income, both from tickets and from sales of supplementary merchandise including tour programs and T-shirts.

Ticket scalpers have driven up prices. The laws of supply and demand have generally affected concert ticket prices. Tickets to sold-out shows have often been sold in a secondary marketplace for more than the face value of the ticket, and in several cases, scalpers were receiving hundreds of dollars for tickets that might have had an original price of under $20. The artists and record companies saw this occurring and thought, "If individuals are willing to pay $200 for a ticket, why aren't they getting them from us?" Now the performers themselves charge premium prices, especially for the best seats. Obviously, scalpers still charge a premium for sold-out shows, but in the end, there is a limit to how much the public is willing to pay.

Service charges have increased. In the 1970's a typical service charge for a ticket might have been 25 or 50 cents. Now it isn't unusual for the ticket agencies to include on a service charge of $10 or more for tickets to popular events. Selling tickets has turned into a multibillion dollar business, and everyone involved now want their portion of the income.

How can members of the public get great prices on concert tickets? The ideal advice is to be persistent. You can purchase tickets to sold out shows on Craigslist, or eBay, or from any one of a number of ticket brokers on the internet. Purchasing from Craigslist or eBay sellers can be risky, as you may not be able to determine if the tickets are real or fake or if the seller actually has them in their possession. Then again, online brokers might charge a premium for tickets. The tradeoff in buying from a web-based broker is that they have huge selections, providing you with access to a large number of concerts on several dates at several venues. You also know that the tickets you want are actually available and that you can buy them safely with your credit card without risking losing your money.

Buying concert tickets isn't as cheap as it once was, but thanks to online ticket brokers, it is fast and simple. You don't have to wait in line in the cold any longer. 

Two good places to purchase theater, concert, sports, or Las Vegas tickets online are DiscountTicketsStore.com and OnlineTicketsShop.net. Both sites provide a fast, easy-to-use search interface that makes it simple to find good theater tickets in seconds. Both sites are also safe and secure.