Published: Monday, Dec. 12, 2011 – 3:09 am

Who wouldn’t want tickets to see their favorite major league team or the next Shakira concert stuffed into their holiday stocking or given as a holiday gift?

But there could be problems. For instance, if you use your credit card to buy the tickets, your gift recipient might not be able to claim them at the venue without you there to show ID and the credit card used to purchase them. Bummer.

“Tickets make great gifts this time of year,” said Christopher Grimm, spokesperson for the National Consumers League. “But consumers need to watch closely and make sure they know exactly what they are purchasing and from whom.”

The League offers these tips:

Go with reliable retailers: Forget Dan’s Tickets and Tupperware Extravaganza shop if you’ve never used the company before. Check a seller’s rating before you buy, with the Better Business Bureau or via consumer review sites such as at Yelp! Also find out whether the seller is a member of the National Association of Ticket Brokers.

Check guarantees: Vendor guarantees vary. Websites like Stub Hub and TicketsNow guarantee every ticket sold on their sites and will replace them or provide refunds to consumers if their tickets are invalid or the artist cancels. Craigslist and other ticket-selling sites do not have similar guarantees.

Read the fine print: Even if you bought the ticket, you may not be able to transfer it to someone else. Some concerts and sporting venues sell restricted tickets, such as Ticketmaster. They require buyers to present purchasing credit card and a valid ID at the venue. With such events, you typically are not given a ticket beforehand or the ticket you print out is worthless without ID from the purchaser.

Ticket Finder Search

• College Football
• College Basketball
• College Baseball
• Golf
• Tennis
• Boxing
• Auto Racing
• Soccer
• Other Sports

TOP 20 CONCERT TOURS

1. (1) Cirque du Soleil — “Michael Jackson: The Immortal”; $1,924,258; $116.04.

2. (2) Taylor Swift; $1,320,833; $69.53.

3. (4) Marc Anthony; $961,805; $84.29.

4. (5) Enrique Iglesias; $806,680; $69.00.

5. (7) Journey; $651,018; $58.05.

6. (6) Foo Fighters; $647,638; $47.97.

7. (8) Keith Urban; $591,247; $61.55.

8. (New) Caifanes; $530,209; $50.38.

9. (10) Katy Perry; $519,977; $45.17.

10. (9) Jason Aldean; $497,140; $36.39.

11. (11) Def Leppard / Heart ; $462,876; $57.22.

12. (14) Santana; $422,280; $69.91.

13. (13) Train / Maroon 5; $396,126; $42.71.

14. (15) Tiesto; $323,043; $48.38.

15. (New) Paul Simon; $267,685; $75.16.

16. (16) Jeff Dunham; $242,954; $45.91.

17. (17) “So You Think You Can Dance”; $206,626; $53.92.

18. (18) Widespread Panic; $172,259; $37.83.

19. (19) Ray LaMontagne; $164,002; $48.20.

20. (21) Rain — A Tribute To The Beatles; $159,431; $47.15.

When it comes to the most red-hot Sport Tickets out there you’re on the right web site. There are mountains of sporting events coming up each month, and ProSportsArena.com has the best path to take you into each one. With a lot sporting events coming about each year, there’s no shortage of events fans wish to get in to.

NHL – National Hockey League

When it comes to the most red-hot NBA Basketball Tickets out there you’re on the right web site. There are mountains of NBA Games coming up each month, and ProSportsArena has the best path to take you into each one. With a lot sporting events coming about each year, there’s no shortage of events fans wish to get in to.

NBA – National Basketball Association

When it comes to the most red-hot Sport Tickets out there you’re on the right web site. There are mountains of sporting events coming up each month, and ProSportsArena.com has the best path to take you into each one. With a lot sporting events coming about each year, there’s no shortage of events fans wish to get in to.

• MLB – Major League Baseball

I continue to see and hear both high school baseball players and their parents have a “I’ve got to play (NCAA) division 1 baseball” mentality. At the same time I see these players end up extremely unhappy because Division 1, wasn’t right for them.

When Junior College might be the better choice: 

1. You are not a great student in high school. Many 2.5-3.0 GPA high school students find the transition to a junior college is much easier.

2. You are a drafted player who wasn’t drafted high enough to sign, but would like to play professional baseball. The junior college route allows the added flexibility to either signing or being re-drafted after both the freshman and senior seasons.

3. You are a potential draft pick, not drafted out of high school who wants the additional 2 years of draft eligibility.

4. You have a dream of playing at a Clemson or a Arizona State, but your only offers are from lessor division 1 schools. By going to a junior college and proving yourself you may get the opportunity at the college you really wanted to play at.   The one thing that both the player and the parent needs to understand is that after 2 years at a junior college when you transfer to a division 1 college the final degree you receive says “Clemson” or “Arizona State”, and says nothing about the junior college.

Another issue may be dollars. Most division 1 schools (who have 11.7 scholarships for baseball) are forced to split the money between 30-35 players, leaving the player a large portion they are obligated to pay. With lower tuition costs and more scholarships (24) many times a junior college can offer 2 years free.

Two years free and then two years at 50% at a division 1 school is the equivalent of four years at 75%. That 25% per year can save you $20,000 or more.
Another reason to choose a JUCO is the potential for additional playing opportunity. As a Freshman you will also be competing against players more your own age.

While Junior College is a good option for many players it is not right for everyone. The 3.5 – 4.0 student who is able to attend a Duke or Notre Dame would be foolish to consider a junior college, as these top academic schools usually do not consider JUCO transfers.

Whatever the choice the one thing you need to remember is that it is the right choice.

TOP 20 CONCERT TOURS

1. (1) U2; $6,655,278; $94.32.

2. (2) Taylor Swift; $2,107,388; $73.50.

3. (3) Kenny Chesney; $2,095,277; $75.19.

4. (4) “Glee Live! In Concert!”; $1,457,416; $81.61.

5. (5) Sade; $1,338,550; $100.33.

6. (6) Phish; $1,035,786; $52.23.

7. (7) New Kids On The Block / Backstreet Boys; $842,387; $73.53.

8. (9) Rush; $688,049; $72.51.

9. (10) Rascal Flatts; $662,125; $35.20.

10. (11) Michael Buble; $566,789; $76.04.

11. (12) Motley Crue; $506,027; $55.89.

12. (13) “American Idols Live”; $495,297; $54.29.

13. (14) Katy Perry; $493,909; $42.37.

14. (15) Josh Groban; $433,929; $79.05.

15. (16) Keith Urban; $432,768; $53.03.

16. (17) Sugarland; $390,620; $51.77.

17. (18) Luis Miguel; $339,916; $89.97.

18. (19) 311 / Sublime With Rome; $289,533; $29.21.

19. (20) Chelsea Handler; $272,990; $70.10.

20. (21) Rain — A Tribute To The Beatles; $231,265; $63.43.