Paying a high price for disco fever

   I found out about the new ticket policy for the World's Largest Disco just like everyone else did, when I got a letter from event organizers outlining the new pricing plan.

   For purposes of full disclosure, it should be noted that I'm a huge disco fan. I've gone at least seven times, starting when I was a student at the University at Buffalo.

   My closet is filled with a garish plaid suit, an ugly salmon sport jacket, red polyester pants and an unfortunate white, leather belt.

   I think the disco is one of the great events in Buffalo, and my friends and I look forward to it every year.

   So I probably had the same reaction as a lot of people when I got the note about the new policy. Unlike previous years, where tickets started at a lower price and rose as you got closer to the day of the event, tickets now will start at a high price and go down the longer you wait to buy them.

   Organizers say it's the only way to raise more money for charity -- all proceeds go to Camp Good Days and Special Times -- since they can't sell more than the 7,000 tickets they now offer to the public.

   The disco sells out earlier and earlier every year, so in a sense it's a case of limited supply versus surging demand. If you want to make sure you have a ticket to the event, you'll pay a premium -- $50 per ticket instead of $35 -- for that privilege.

   But a number of disco fans I interviewed say they feel the new pricing plan is unfair to the very people who have loyally bought tickets all these years.

   It will be interesting to see whether people agree to pay the full $50 price, when tickets go on pre-sale today, or if they're going to wait on the chance there will be some left at the lower prices.

   What do you think of the new pricing plan? Are you planning to pay $50 per ticket? Is the
disco, and the good cause it supports, worth that price? Will you take a chance and wait until
they hit $45, $40 or $35 per ticket?

   -- Stephen T. Watson

Comments

[BobbyCat]

I smell a conspiracy here. Maybe the email with 'special pricing' went only to Steve Watson. Maybe they didn't want him to show up again with his ugly Salmon coat, red polyester pants and unfortunate white belt.

I didn't get no email.

[stevewatson]

BobbyCat, this is Steve Watson. Thanks for leaving a comment. Just to clarify, I got the email and letter because I've ordered tickets to the disco in the past. Everyone else who's ordered tickets from the disco in the past also got the letter. That's why we're all on the mailing list. If you had ordered tickets in the past, you'd be on the mailing list too. I hope this clears things up for you, and everyone else.

[Shannon]

I also received the letter, I was just as disappointed as the previous poster. All of my friends, some of which live out of town, attend this event every year. I am all for raising a lot of money for the cause, however, I think that they would have been better off maybe raising the price of the ticket a couple of dollars from last years pre-sale price. People would have paid it without even questioning it.
This tactic of getting the money early, and leaving those who want a cheaper ticket left hoping they can get one, is awful.
I will wait until Wednesday to get the $35 ticket, which is probably what most of the loyal Disco-goers will also do.

[dumb, dumb and dumber]

This reminds me of the grocery store dilemma. The more money you pay to buy groceries only entitles you to spend more time waiting to check out in the longer lines. If, however, you pay only a little money to the store, they let you go through the quicker check out line. In other words your "more" money is valued less than the "little" money the store will get from those who will not increase their income. Life sure got stupid.
.

[CuJO]

Good to see the rep of being a city of good neighbors doesn't apply to charity.

ITS $15!!!!! Give up buying 2 beers for self-gratification and support its cause.

This is the reason all the churches close, everyone is cheap in WNY