For any sports fan, whether a life-time fan or a new convert, no matter what sport, at some point, people often wonder how to get season tickets. The thought may occur at the end of a great season, or prior to a new season, or considered as a gift for someone special.

Season tickets are available for most of the primary sports; baseball, basketball, football, hockey, etc. And some season tickets are easier to get than others. Professional football, for example, has only 8 home games per season, whereas baseball has about ten times as many making it harder to get season tickets for football games.

The general popularity of the team is also a huge factor in determining the accessibility of season passes. For consistently good performing teams tickets are at a premium, but when disappointment is the usual outcome, tickets are all but given away.

For sports that offer numerous home games, special packages are usually available for weekend only games, ten games, family packages, one-time groups, etc. More often than not, when specific needs or dates are required a call to the sales department will suffice.

For heavily requested events, a wait-list is often offered which allows the patron to enter his name for a specific ticket package. The seats are then distributed on a first-come, first-serve basis. Some teams require a nonrefundable deposit at the time of the original inquiry and will try to accommodate all requests, others will have a sales representative contact the person either by e-mail or phone to confirm the reservations.

Not only do season ticket holders get passes to the home games, other amenities, including preferred parking, access to restricted areas, autograph signing sessions, and others, are included in the price. The more expensive the package, the better the perks. Some passes also provide the holder for the first opportunities to purchase playoff or championship tickets. Inclusions are normally listed in the specific team season ticket packages descriptions.

Incentives can also be offered for purchasing season tickets early. For example, the San Jose Sharks are offering tickets for the playoffs which are in progress for season pass purchasers for the next year's agenda. Any inclusions or incentives are offered at the discretion of the particular team so an offer by a Los Angeles team will more than likely not be offered by a New York team.

Once the decision to purchase season tickets or a multi-game package is made, consult the official website of that particular team. Seating charts and costs are available on theses sites for your convenience in choosing your tickets. For most sports, ticket distribution is provided by Ticketmaster and ticket order forms or waitlists are available online.

If you have any questions regarding the ticket package, call or e-mail the team's sales department before providing your credit card number. The sales representatives can give you specific details about the tickets that could influence your decision. If you have already given your payment information and find out afterwards that it's not what you wanted, it's too late.

To cut down on paper usage and delivery charges, most teams offer electronic ticketing so that you can print your own tickets. Some also offer electronic gift-giving so that tickets going to someone other than the purchaser can be accessed and issued by the recipient.

Current season ticket holders have first choice for the next season seats and options. They are given a specific time period to renew their tickets. When their requests have been confirmed the remaining tickets go on sale with priorities given to those requesting a full season package over those desiring a partial or limited number of games.

Situations may arise when a person is unable to use some particular tickets. That could be an unexpected business trip, an illness, prior commitment, or the like. Ticketmaster offers a solution to that dilemma by offering a chance to sell those tickets to others. This is called their "Ticket Exchange" program. To utilize this function, go to your team's official website and click on the "Ticket" tab and select the "ticket exchange" topic. The procedure for properly using this site to sell your tickets is explained there. This is a legal site, with the backing of a very reputable company, TicketMaster. Any fees and information about the re-issuing of the tickets are discussed there, as well.http://www.ticketmaster.com/

Some individuals and ticket brokers purchase season tickets for resale for a profit. The laws regarding selling a ticket for more than the face value vary from place to place. In Kentucky, for example, it is unlawful for a ticket to be sold for more than face value, but in Indiana, it's legal. Since the laws vary so much, sellers have found ways to get around the prohibitive rules.

Those looking to make a profit will usually have their office in a state that allows scalping and can sell the tickets legally at the inflated price. Others attach "fees", i.e. service fees, handling fees, processing fees, etc. to make a profit.

Individuals trying to profit from their tickets often will show up at the sold-out venue hawking the tickets to those without seats. In those venues where ticket gouging is prohibited by law take the risk of confiscation of the tickets or arrest. Some "offer" their tickets online at sale sites, like Craigslist or EBay.

If your intent is to profit from your purchase, be sure that you are completely aware of the laws in your area regarding resale of tickets. In some states, ticket brokers are required to have a general business license or in some cases, specific ticket broker licenses.

As more and more people are becoming aware of the huge number of scams perpetrated on the Internet, as a new broker your success rate may not live up to your expectations. Be prepared to offer validation information regarding your business. Becoming a member of the NATB, National Association of Ticket Brokers will lend credibility and legitimacy to your business.

The demand for your tickets will also determine your success as a broker. If the request for tickets is minimal, the chance of losing money is a real possibility.http://www.natb.org/index.cfm