Use the "All-In Pricing" filter on search sites so you aren't surprised by a $30 service fee at checkout.

Determined not to miss out, Alex turned his search into a tactical mission. He knew the first rule of the "cheap seats" game: While his friends panicked and paid triple-digit markups during the initial hype, Alex set price alerts on three different secondary marketplaces and waited.

Alex was the biggest fan of The Midnight Echo, but his bank account didn’t share his enthusiasm. When the band announced their final tour, tickets on the primary site vanished in seconds, only to reappear on resale sites for the price of a used sedan.