Burners eat big losses in desperate race to sell unwanted Burning Man tickets (opens in new tab)

(sfstandard.com)

19 pointsbrigham1y ago11 comments

11 comments

This article somehow ignores the interesting question of why these "experienced Burners", some who have been going for five to 20 years, not only decided to not go this year, but decided to do so after spending hundreds of dollars on non-refundable tickets. They did so with the full knowledge of last year's mud problems.

I'm certain that most of them were always going to sell their "extra" or "friend's" ticket online for profit, just not willing to admit it online.

adingus1y ago

Probably a good number are scalpers, but also some really disorganized people too. You can get stuck with extra theme camp tickets if you're not careful.

If you're part of a theme camp you normally buy as many tickets as youre allotted during the theme camp sale. This sale happens before the public one and the reason you buy as many as you can is because for the last 10 years getting a ticket in the public sale is a lottery. After the public sale you normally redistribute your extra tickets to people who want to camp with you.

The public sale this year was probably pretty easy to get tickets, so people might be stuck with theme camp tickets. Also, BM delayed mailing physical tickets this year to try and boost sales during their final OMG sale. BM did their best to try and screw people too.

prpl1y ago

Witnessing the hangover of the experience economy.

jmclnx1y ago

I still do not understand Burning Man, but I wonder why low ticket sales. Did something change.

Assuming that is somekind of illegal drug fest, could this be because drugs are not considered as bad now.

Or are law enforcement is showing up or was security is beefed up to prevent things not considered safe ?

jarsin1y ago

There was a big, muddy mess last year with many stranded with no way out. It was widely reported in the MSM because high profile stars were stranded too.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/9Khz-AnnKd8

fargle1y ago

ooof. finding out that market forces are real must really suck when you "don't have the disposable income to spare" but bought those, now, 50% worthless tickets anyhow.

xenospn1y ago

I thought it used to be free? When did that change?

umeshunni1y ago

It hasn't been free since 1993.

ceejayoz1y ago

> “It sucks, because I don’t have that disposable income to spare,” he said.

Why are you going to Burning Man?!

quantified1y ago

The demographic skews affluent to be sure, but it's an enormous gathering of highly creative and generous people. With a high preparation bar so it is primarily the highly motivated. Last year's rain cleared out the unmotivated who essentially paid others to pave the way, and those who remained were the happier for that fact.

bankcust083851y ago

s/going to Burning Man/living in SF/

Status, approval, escape, be around rich people, etc etc. More than a few people do things that don't make rational sense but perhaps they have a covert survival strategy I or no one else understands.

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