Some devout New York City fooball fans are working hard to score a seat at the Super Bowl this weekend.
While some are just opening their wallets, others are getting creative in their bids to witness history by getting inside MetLife Stadium to see the Seattle Seahawks take on the Denver Broncos in the first-ever New York-area Super Bowl.
Elliot Golnar, a 30-year-old project management consultant, would rather barter for tickets than buy them. He is willing to exchange a weekend stay in his midtown west high-rise apartment for two or three tickets.
“I’ve never been this close to the Super Bowl before so I feel like I have to go,” he said.
Although his Craigslist ad says he’ll consider paying up to $750 per ticket, the Broncos fan confessed he would probably fork over $1,000 for each one.
According to ticket listing aggregator TiqIQ, the current average list price of a ticket on the resale market is $3,007.77. That’s a drop from last week when the average price was $3,476.49.
Currently the most expensive seat is in the Lower Club 140, costing a cool $25,700.
Manhattan eye surgeon Dr. Emil Chynn was even more creative with his Craigslist ad. The doctor, who has made headlines before for his unusual online stunts, is offering his top laser eye surgery procedure, valued at $7,000, in return for two tickets.
Chynn is confident some people will give up their tickets because of the freezing weather.
Chynn said he took his staff to see the Mets play in Game 7 of the 2006 National League Championship Series after a similar trade. He received eight tickets, a value of about $10,000, in exchange for surgery on two people,
Another medical professional, David Ostreicher of Levittown, Long Island, is offering two Invisalign packages for two tickets.
The packages are valued at $8,000 each and include teeth whitening, the 53-year-old orthodontist said.
Ostreicher said he isn’t willing to hand over cash for the tickets.
“Not at the prices they’re going for,” he said. “This is my final offer.”
Seahawks fan Holly Harlow, who works at a consulting firm and lives in the West Village, is searching for two to four lower level seats. She turned to Craigslist, offerring $1,500 apiece.
Harlow said she and her husband are from Seattle and want a chance to root for their home team.
She considers the admittedly hefty price tag reasonable since she woudn’t have to pay the usual costs for a trip to the game, including flight and hotel.
“This is a once-in-a lifetime opportunity,” said Harlow, 30. “It would be silly not to go.”
