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The opportunity to see the Boston Red Sox win a World Series at home for the first time in a lifetime has turned Game 6 at Fenway Park into the most expensive local ticket in the city's history.
As of 10 a.m. ET Tuesday, the average list price on the resale market for a ticket to Wednesday night's game was $1,860, according to TiqIQ, a ticket tracking company.
Bleacher seats to the game, which could have been had for $300 last week, were selling for $1,100 on Tuesday.
On Monday night, someone who wanted two of the best seats in the house paid $24,000 on StubHub for a pair of tickets in the first row in a dugout box between home plate and one of the on-deck circles.
"There was this type of excitement in 2004 for the Red Sox home games because people thought it would never come again," said Jim Holzman of Ace Ticket, a Boston-based brokerage that has been in business for 33 years.
The Red Sox went on to win the World Series in 2004 and again in 2007, ending it on the road both times. The last time the Red Sox won it all in Boston was with a victory over the Chicago Cubs on Sept. 11, 1918.
"People want to see them win it here," Holzman said. "That's what has made this the biggest ticket we've ever seen. It's the Super Bowl except people don't have to pay $1,000 for a hotel and $2,000 for airfare."
Holzman said fans began buying tickets in earnest Monday night after the Red Sox scored in the top of the first inning during their 3-1 Game 5 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals.
"Prices were going up $50 an inning," Holzman said.
Bleacher seats that were $625 when the game started were at $900 by game's end. Field boxes to Game 6 that were selling for $1,400 were $1,900 by the time Red Sox pitcher Jon Lester walked off the mound in the eighth inning.
So how is the blue-collar fan going to be able to afford the steep prices?
"I think a lot of people are going to buy single tickets," Holzman said. "They'll say, 'It's too much for the wife and kids, I'm just going to buy one for myself and be there.'"
Inventory is already thinning out, according to Chris Matcovich, vice president of data for TiqIQ.
Matcovich says that as of Tuesday morning, there were around 3,000 tickets on the resale market, roughly half of what has been out there for previous World Series games on the day before a game. Fenway having so few seats (38,400) already helps to limit supply.
Of course, if the Red Sox don't win Wednesday night, watch out -- Game 7 prices don't figure to be any cheaper.
As of 10 a.m. ET Tuesday, the average list price on the resale market for a ticket to Wednesday night's game was $1,860, according to TiqIQ, a ticket tracking company.
Bleacher seats to the game, which could have been had for $300 last week, were selling for $1,100 on Tuesday.
On Monday night, someone who wanted two of the best seats in the house paid $24,000 on StubHub for a pair of tickets in the first row in a dugout box between home plate and one of the on-deck circles.
"There was this type of excitement in 2004 for the Red Sox home games because people thought it would never come again," said Jim Holzman of Ace Ticket, a Boston-based brokerage that has been in business for 33 years.
The Red Sox went on to win the World Series in 2004 and again in 2007, ending it on the road both times. The last time the Red Sox won it all in Boston was with a victory over the Chicago Cubs on Sept. 11, 1918.
"People want to see them win it here," Holzman said. "That's what has made this the biggest ticket we've ever seen. It's the Super Bowl except people don't have to pay $1,000 for a hotel and $2,000 for airfare."
Holzman said fans began buying tickets in earnest Monday night after the Red Sox scored in the top of the first inning during their 3-1 Game 5 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals.
"Prices were going up $50 an inning," Holzman said.
Bleacher seats that were $625 when the game started were at $900 by game's end. Field boxes to Game 6 that were selling for $1,400 were $1,900 by the time Red Sox pitcher Jon Lester walked off the mound in the eighth inning.
So how is the blue-collar fan going to be able to afford the steep prices?
"I think a lot of people are going to buy single tickets," Holzman said. "They'll say, 'It's too much for the wife and kids, I'm just going to buy one for myself and be there.'"
Inventory is already thinning out, according to Chris Matcovich, vice president of data for TiqIQ.
Matcovich says that as of Tuesday morning, there were around 3,000 tickets on the resale market, roughly half of what has been out there for previous World Series games on the day before a game. Fenway having so few seats (38,400) already helps to limit supply.
Of course, if the Red Sox don't win Wednesday night, watch out -- Game 7 prices don't figure to be any cheaper.
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