Star Trek: The Experience FINAL SHOW ticket auction!

[Dale]

Star Trek: The Experience is auctioning off five tickets on Ebay to their final show Monday night 9/1. I'll put in a link to the page but if that's not kosher with the mods, please feel free to edit it out.

Star Trek: The Experience Final Show auction - starting bid $500

Please note, this is a ticket to the final shows of Klingon Encounter and Borg Invasion 4D, the "rides," as opposed to the free-to-all final ceremony outside the Experience Monday night. I don't know if it'll be any different than the rides have been all along... whether they'll stick with the original script or do something extra or sepcial.

NOTE: I don't work there and don't stand to make any money from this auction, so there's no conflict of interest. I'm not trying to "ad spam" here. I thought it was newsworthy. If this breaks the rules, I apologize.

 

[exodus]

Thanks Dale, what a nice offer.

 

[phrog]

Wish like hell I had the money and a way to get out there with it.

Sad to see the Experience go.

 

[McFly59]

$500? I have watched Trek since april 67- love it- but this is disgusting to me.I dont mean any disrepect to anyone-but $500?
Some one is acting like a Ferengi.
Is anyone else affended by this? Why not do a contest-give a lil' back to us Trekkies.

 

[trekker670]

For the starting bid that is VERY high; I think starting it at $100, maybe $200, would have been fine. They could let the auction run it's course and chances are that it would go higher. It would have been nice for them to at least give some of the less wealthy have a chance.

 

[Anthony Sabre]

Sadly it's par for the course when it comes to Trek merchandise. I once tallied the money I spent on Trek books, DVDs, calendars and general memorabilia over a two year period. Final price tag wasn't too far shy of $2,000.00

 

[T'Bonz]

Well, they ensure VIPs attending are either VIPs or rich fans.

A raffle (with a mandatory minimum amount of tickets sold,) would have been nice for at least one or two of the tickets. That way, people who can't piss away $500 on things like this could have had a chance. Not I though, as I'd have had to pony up for an airline ticket and hotel room to boot.

I might have done it though...

 

[trekker670]

So how many of these tickets do we think are really going to sell at this price? Especially since they waited until 4 days before the event.

 

[Anthony Sabre]

Very good question. With a couple relatives in the airline industry I've actually got the means to get there. But the price, along with the time frame, puts it out of the question. I'd think most people have already made their plans for the holiday weekend. Maybe some people who live in or near Vegas?

 

[Dale]

I'd love to be there for the final shows/rides (which I imagine will be made special somehow) and for the after-party. If I had money falling out of my butt, I'd buy one, but sadly I live in the real world.

I will be there Sunday and Monday the 31st and 1st for the final time, and will attend the public closing ceremony after they finally chase me out of Quark's for the last time.

I have visited STTE two or three times a year since going on opening day. I would visit with my wife, or with my friends, or even (when my wife was working out of town for months at a time and I was living alone) on my own, and I always had a wonderful time. All you had to do was sit down at the bar and it was instant community... you knew you had Trek in common with everyone else there. All you had to do was go to one of the show/rides and you were fully immersed in an episode of Trek. All you had to do was strike up a conversation with one of the aliens on the promenade and you were suddenly living in the Trek universe.

To me, those characters and situations are as "canonical" as anything I ever saw on TV and more, because it was "real."

It was a place that felt like home, and I will truly miss it.

 

[SoloFriendly]

So, if there are 27 guests for the final VIP show, and 5 are bidding on tickets at e-Bay, who are the other 22 and did they have to pay for their tickets?
Curious.

 

[trekker670]

The other 22 are going to their most loyal fans and some of the higher-ups of STTE, CBS and/or the Hilton

 

[Mistral]

Hey, Dale-think we can get in before Monday? I'm leaving for Vegas at 2pm PST today-hoped to get into the Experience tomorrow-do you think that's viable?

 

[TGTheodore]

Actually, people have HAD their chance to buy tickets to the final show for MONTHS! At the regular price! The fact that they waited too long and are out of luck doesn't mean the $500 starting bid is unfair to them.

Also, putting the starting bid high is an old trick to make the item seem more desirable because it seems "worth more" when it actually isn't. Gets the disposable money folks more interested.

To those attending, I hope you have a great time ... and stay indoors, it's gonna be hot, even for Vegas!

--Ted

 

[Biggshow]

So, if there are 27 guests for the final VIP show, and 5 are bidding on tickets at e-Bay, who are the other 22 and did they have to pay for their tickets?
Curious.

I was lucky enough to be chosen as one of the 22 mostly because I worked there and have been a big supporter of the place, even to the point of starting the letter/e-mail writing campaign several months ago. I know one or two of the others as well, mostly locals who have helped out The Experience when they couldn't get official replacements for some of the uniform pieces or who have vowed to spend at least part of their day at The Experience until it closes.

I'm going to be a mess when 10pm rolls around.

 

[trekker670]

The general admission is NOT $500, it's for the VIP tickets which is the FINAL ride EVER, special seating during the ceremony AND admission to a special VIP only segment after the ceremony.

 

[Brian]

Actually, people have HAD their chance to buy tickets to the final show for MONTHS! At the regular price!

I don't think so. They could buy tickets that are good on September 1st, but not tickets for the final ride. Only 27 "VIPs" and fools parted from their money will be on the final ride.

An article at TrekMovie.com says:

On Monday the hours for Klingon Encounter and Borg Invasion rides will be different. The final ride for the general public will be at 8:00. These final public rides will also have a special price (yet to be determined). Then a special a special VIP group of 27 will take the absolute final ride of The Borg Invasion at 8:30 and the final Klingon Encounter at 9:00. This group will include Star Trek The Experience and Cedar Fair senior staff and the most loyal customers (including one guy who has ridden over 1000 times). You can also get in on this group yourself.

 

[SoloFriendly]

That's cool, then. I think the most loyal fans should be rewarded with being able to go on the very last ride.

 

[MattJC]

1000 times?
That's loyalty.

 

[Dale]

I mathed it out for myself the other day... 3 trips per year buying a ticket for each of the two or three days I visited STTE (not counting those for my wife or brother) means I have purchased somewhere between 75-95 tickets over the years and have probably experienced Klingon Encounter in nearly 500 times... about half that for Borg Invasion.

I even got a solo Klingon Encounter show once. The ride was still staying open late back then and there was no one in line but me that night. I offered to forget the whole thing, but they said to go on ahead, and it was great fun! They didn't skimp on the drama, either... everyone gave it just as much as they ever did!

** at this moment, bidding on the five "golden tickets" ranges from $500-$700 **