2010-11 STH renewal: Wow

Hope that percentage doesn’t hold true to the lower level, I don’t think I can swing that if it does.

/checking the mail immediately upon getting home.

All I know is they want me to drop $500 per seat just to get on the waiting list.

Pass.

33% increase in 412.

I think more than anything else, it’s a cost correction. They realized they weren’t asking enough for some seats and are fixing it going forward. I’ve heard from a few other STHers who noticed an increase, but nothing on the order of 137 percent. Let me know what you find out.

I can live with that.

The playoffs seats are pricier in the first round but not much different for later rounds.

~20% in 111.

Between 10 and 30 percent seems to be the prevailing amount, which does not strike me as unreasonable. More than double, however, from $523 this season to $1,244.50 next season, does.

I get it. The Caps identified an area where the margins weren’t big enough (granted: $12 bucks a game was/is a steal) and decided to correct the market. More power to them, that’s capitalism. They know and I know that if I balk and walk, someone else will gladly fill my seat. But let’s face it: 137 percent is not an increase; It’s a duplication. For that sort of treament, a guy might at least expect breakfast in the morning.

About 13% increase in 116. One seat went from $2680 to $3021.

Yea, I’m kind of amazed myself. I was expecting a small increase (In 07-08 I paid $16 a game, this year I paid $18 a game and next year they want $27 a game). I understand the team is doing well and prices are gonna go up because of it. However, when you don’t raise the gate prices, but raise STH prices it pisses me off.

I know everybody’s story is different and that it really doesn’t matter. But I found the customer service to be outstanding. Prices and benefits were fair and that’s why I became a STH. The Caps made a system that allowed me to become one. I’m 20, I became a STH at 18, worked part-time at Toys R Us to pay off my tickets, I’m also a full-time student. I made lousy money over the last two years ($8000 total), $1500 of that went to the Caps. Now I work at a golf course, and as you can imagine, I haven’t been working a lot lately (there’s two feet of snow on the ground). I would like to renew, but I just can’t, it’s impossible.

To top it all off, I’m not guaranteed playoff seats this year. I mean, I went to all the regular season games this year to miss out on the best part? That sucks the most and I think that “benefit” should be changed.

So, I guess it’s back to reality for me. I’ll make it to maybe 4 games now every year, unless I get a decent job after I get my associates. It sucks. But no matter what I say nothing is gonna change. So I guess I’m forced to go back to being a “non-loyal” fan, because I’m not a STH.

I’m not excited about paying 30% more next year. It only ends up being like $25 more a month with the power pay, which is tolerable. And we have to remember, the caps are far from the most expensive ticket in the NHL

0% increase from this year to next

we saw an increase of $7/ticket/game. BUT, it looked like the rate we’re getting on this year’s playoffs is an absolute steal. So, its a trade off.

I was a STH in 08-09. I thought i was moving out of the area over the summer last year so could not commit to 09-10 in February last year. They really hold you over a barrel to do this at this time of year (the renewal). Its almost like a timeshare. You cannot get out of it very easily. Quite frankly, they should really win a cup before they have a significant increase, IMO. Or at least win more than 1 series in 11 years. Yes, i love the team this year, but they made a HUGE mistake last year in not getting a “rental player” at the deadline. Im sure many of you die hards felt like i did in early March and were none too pleased and then only “hoped for the best” when the playoffs started. I just want to see a full committment to the whole 12 month process. Drafting? great job Star players?? great job Offseason additions (knuble) ?? great job…marketing?? great job…They need to realize that the contenders will go out and add those final pieces in 2 weeks. I just got the feeling that it was all about the regular season and filling those seats, and wanted to see a bigger committment at the deadline. Thats just me personally. Fans who are spending this kind of money should be allowed to wait til the season is over or at least may 1st to decide on what they want to do. I GET the business of the whole thing, but where else do you spend this kind of money on something and you have NO IDEA who will be on the team or what you will be getting next year? So yeah, i understand you have to expect a certain amount of uncertainty when you sign up, but this team has a very “heart-breaking” tradition and not a very successful track record in the playoffs still. I just wonder if there is another failure or first round upset if fans will feel the same way in a year or 2 about selling out this building every night. Clearly there are many bandwagon fans in the area right now. I personally would like to make sure Backstrom was locked up for 5-7 years before i made the committment. Anyway, overall Ted has done a great job with building the team but i still cannot help but wonder why nothing was done last year, and if something will be done THIS year. This team is , in its current state, beatable by a team who can play them each night and figure out how to stop them, and until they play better team defense. Lets hear from you guys, if the Caps were to lose to say the Lightning or the Bruins in the first round again, do you really feel the same about forking over this much money for ANOTHER season, with an INCREASE, just to start the whole process over again?? Going to a full season of games was pretty exhausting, even if it was fun. The metro SUCKED. And getting home at 11:30 on a Tuesday was kind of rough too..

Anyone understand where i am coming from or am i in the minority here?? I can take it :)

one other point. future STH’s should be aware that just because the Caps increase their prices at a certain percentage or rate does NOT mean that the resale public is going to pay at the same rate, so your profit is going to go down. some games, yes but overall, you will either have to cut your cost to a very slim profit or even a loss on several games, or go to more games. And being a lifelong fan, you know it does not take much for fans to jump OFF the bandwagon. Hopefully not with Ovie and Backstrom and Green here, but i do still wonder…..

25% in 414. Still the best deal in town and cheaper than dinner and a movie.

24% in LL Loge. $1913 per to $2380. Meh, gotta pay for success I reckon.

I don’t know what the new knife is gonna be in 109 and I don’t much care. I go to 30-35 games a year and my friends are increasingly willing to defray cost for the others (go figure). I thought about selling a 10-game package here at the Exchange, and I know “my” seats will be under some broker’s or lobbyist’s ass within a couple years. But as sure as Sergei Fedorov nearly deafened me last spring, the Caps are a hot ticket; naturally it’s going to burn a bit to hold on!

I’m curious if anyone has actually been put on the mythical STH waiting list. I’ve got a 10-game package this season and would like to upgrade for STH-status next season, but the more I read about price increases and waiting lists and the skies opening to rain down fire, the more anxious I get about it even being possible.

I finally got my renewal today, and they moved my seats for the playoffs only. Apparently, if you sit in sections 421 or 422 and you’re row L or higher, they are taking your seats and giving them to the media, since we’re right next to the press box. I’m super pissed. They moved me to 425, which is an end, which I hate. There is a reason, besides money, that I chose the seats that I did. I sat in the ends last season quite a few times, and I really didn’t like my view. Plus, we’re all spread out, so we won’t have all our normal STH friends around us. I sat in my current seats for last year’s playoffs, so I don’t know why we can’t sit in our seats again next year.

I’m pretty steamed right now. haha