So, just a week away, I still haven't gotten my ticket(s) to Bonnaroo yet, which means the hunt is intensifying for a cheap way to see one of the best fests of the summer. Not only do I still need a ticket, but I was able to convince my brother Clint and my two friends Joel and Brian to come this year so I really need four or so.
Why do I need a ticket? Glad you asked.
I had initially planned on working for the Manchester staffing company Hamilton-Ryker processing entrants to the fest, just like last year, but they had far more applicants this year and I got the big shove. (read more)
Then I considered marching into the office of AC Entertainment, the company that's responsible for Bonnaroo (along with thousands of other shows and events around the country), and trying my luck as a volunteer. The application is open to anyone, and allows poor music-lovers the chance to help out at the fest in return for free entry. I was accepted as a volunteer, but the $250 deposit (in case you ditch your shift) turned me off. So what do I do now? Jump the Fence? Pay full price? Cry?
I say no, sir.
My friend Austin recently introduced me to this program called JBidWatcher that runs on your local computer, syncs with the eBay servers, and snipes auctions for you moments before they end. Here's a description of how it works:
"A Java-based application allowing you to monitor auctions you're not part of, submit bids, snipe (bid at the last moment), and otherwise track your auction-site experience. It includes adult-auction management, MANY currencies (pound, dollar (US, Canada, Australian, and New Taiwanese) and euro, presently), drag-and-drop of auction URLs, an original, unique and powerful 'multisniping' feature, a relatively nice UI, and is known to work cleanly under Linux, Windows, Solaris, and MacOSX from the same binary."
There have been plenty of sniping services offered in the past, but almost all required a fee or subscription to use. JBidWatcher is the first (to my knowledge) to put an actual program in your hands that performs such a wide variety of bid functions at no cost. Perhaps in the future we'll see new features such as inventory management, browsing, and seller profiles.
Anyways, here is where my adventure with this program has led me:
Right now I have it monitoring about ten different auctions at any given moment, with a maximum snipe of $150 per ticket. Hopefully I'll be able to get my four, plus some extras if anyone else still needs a ticket. Post a comment if that includes you!