What was the "postcard system?"

peacefrompaul

ral wrote:

Zod wrote:

If they could plan far enough in advance, maybe there would be advantages to the postcard system?

Like what? I can't think of a single advantage to having fans mail in requests with money orders. In fact, I'd say there are only disadvantages vs ordering online and on top of that it would also create a ton of extra work for the TC with sorting/processing orders by hand.

We'd be *gasp* creating jobs.

Zod

ral wrote:

Zod wrote:

If they could plan far enough in advance, maybe there would be advantages to the postcard system?

Like what? I can't think of a single advantage to having fans mail in requests with money orders. In fact, I'd say there are only disadvantages vs ordering online and on top of that it would also create a ton of extra work for the TC with sorting/processing orders by hand.

Mainly I was thinking of having a tiered system, where everyone could pick the show they want to attend the most. They could manually allocate tickets based on first preference. Then once everyone has a pair to a show they want to attend to do. They start filling peoples other selections.

I generally think everyone should be able to get a pair of tickets to one show, before people can buy tickets to multiple shows. Especially when TM keeps getting stingier on how many tickets they allow fan clubs to hold back. I think its cool we can buy tickets to multiple shows, but not at the expense of a member not getting to see any shows.

You're right though, surely there could be an easier way to use the internet to create the same result with a much smaller workload.

Poncier

Better Dan wrote:

Zod wrote:

Better Dan wrote:

I could be remembering wrong, but I don't think this was the case with the 03 postcard system (although it was for prior years).

03 was already done online (I think the Binaural tour was the last to use snail mail, and the last to restrict to one pair of tickets per show):

03 was still the snail mail postcard system, but the first year the the orders appeared in the online order history.

This is correct.

In 1998, tix were mailed out in advance...I believe your seats were allocated based on when your order form arrived in Seattle...starting in 2000 they went to will call, 2000 and 2003 had the block seniority system and starting in 2006 (maybe 2005 Canadian tour, not certain didn't go to Canada) they did away with the block system and went to predetermined seating by seniority, eliminating the need to wait in line for the 10c tix window to open.

Lizard

All Those Yesterdays wrote:

The good old days...

:thumbup:

mcgruff10

I was actually one of the lucky ones who got bumped from the 2nd msg show and ended up 1st row in holmdel. awesome stuff.
and 2003 was definitely money orders and index cards; we did not buy these shows on line.

you could get fan club tickets to as many shows as you wanted. i think i saw pj 13 times this tour and won house of blues tickets through 92.3 krock in new york. it was an amazing tour.

Better Dan

mcgruff10 wrote:

I was actually one of the lucky ones who got bumped from the 2nd msg show and ended up 1st row in holmdel. awesome stuff.
and 2003 was definitely money orders and index cards; we did not buy these shows on line.

you could get fan club tickets to as many shows as you wanted. i think i saw pj 13 times this tour and won house of blues tickets through 92.3 krock in new york. it was an amazing tour.

Is that the HOB show that was streamed over Real Player? I remember watching that live and eventually burning a copy to DVD.

mcgruff10

yeah that was the one. there couldn't have been more than 1200 people at that show. one of my absolute favorite shows ever; wish there was a poster from this night.

mauichick

All Those Yesterdays wrote:

The good old days...

+1 and i never used a courier..usps worked just fine. + it gave fans time to plan instead of spur of the moment decisions

demetrios

My first 10club ticketing postcard in the mail was for the '96 tour. Dates were on a small thin white sheet of paper. So wanted to do Toronto & Maine. But it was my first year / month @ University. I couldn't do them. So I went ahead and bought a PJ green Beanie & some stickers.

Biggest thing I hated about ordering though the mail was using money orders. Going to the bank & getting charged 3 something dollars every transaction. And boy every few weeks there were many money order transaction for Pearl Jam goodies. *drools

abhijeet

Postcard system? Welcome to the last century.

Sounds like pre-order in a different guise. It's not that hard to implement a pre-order system using the internet.

eyesnoeyes

This thread takes me back to that Riot Act tour and doing the swing of shows from Vancouver down to San Diego - one of my favorite PJ memories. I remember being so keyed up when I was getting my Money Orders together for those shows and thinking 'how ridiculous is it to be doing this?'... but that was many shows ago now, and that run of shows was a blast from one end to the other. I remember the GIGANTIC line for 10C tickets at LA (Irvine) 1 that year and finally getting up to the window and receiving my tix for night one and a FREE set of lawn tickets for night 2 - what a killer gesture that was.

ComeToTX

I really wish they would go back to only one set (or maybe 2) of 10C tickets per tour. Everyone would get better seats and the same folks wouldn't be up front every night.

And I say that as someone with a pretty good number.

Cob

The Grateful Dead used to do mail order, they actually still use the exact same system, you send a 3X5 index card, a #9 envelope with the shows you are ordering on the outside, a self addressed #9 envelope and a postal money order and their tickets used to be real cool looking!

http://www.epier.com/product.asp?1845658

drinkbigredinstead

ComeToTX wrote:

I really wish they would go back to only one set (or maybe 2) of 10C tickets per tour. Everyone would get better seats and the same folks wouldn't be up front every night.

And I say that as someone with a pretty good number.

Seniority should count for something, that being said I do feel front row should all be lottery based.

Zod

drinkbigredinstead wrote:

ComeToTX wrote:

I really wish they would go back to only one set (or maybe 2) of 10C tickets per tour. Everyone would get better seats and the same folks wouldn't be up front every night.

And I say that as someone with a pretty good number.

Seniority should count for something, that being said I do feel front row should all be lottery based.

They could still issue the seats based on senority, just limit it to 2 tix per tour?

I sort of agree with it. If they keep running out of tickets and people get shut out (regardless of senority) maybe they need to lower the demand. I can understand why they do unlimited shows. It helps fill the seats to the shows that might not sell as many tickets.

If they went to a lottery system, then I definitely think it should be limited to pair/show. They could also put them out there, and once everyone has a pair, they could sell the rest. This would mean announcing the whole tour at one time though

ScottandPearlJam

CONS ON INDEX CARDS.....NO ONE IS MENTIONING

Spelling errors
not knowing if you got the show untill weeks later thus missing out on other shows
not all mail arrives ontime/mail being lost/damaged
people over nighting mail trying to get in first
No way been down that road.,....although I was one of the people who took the holmdel show and got front row. TENCLUB sent out a letter saying they overbooked the MSG and if enough people didn't take the NJ show that they would randomly cancel peoples tickets.....that was BS. If i am not going to a show I want to know right away so i can go elsewhere.....not 2 months later.

scott

Cosmo

Here's how I remember 2003:
Mailed in a post card with the city and date (and your name address) with a Money Order (no personal checks) and a self-addressed stamped envelope.
The Notification came in the mail (self-addressed stamped envelope), but no tickets.
The tickets were picked up at the show and your seats were based by the block of numbers, according to your membership number. For example, member number 139285 was in the 13900 to 13999 block. If member number 139979 was in line ahead of 139285, he got the better seat.
That's why there were those insane ass lines outside the venues, waiting for the Ten/VHC window to open... to jockey for position within your block.
...
Personally... i wish they'd go way back and only let us buy ONE PAIR per tour. Yeah, it would only be one pair, but odds are your tickets would be a hell of a lot better (except for those extremely low numbers.
Example: In 1998, I got 3rd row with my membership. Last tour, I was 14th row with the same number.
It would make you have to buddy up with someone to get 2 shows, splitting the tickets instead of taking your wife who is going to complain and want to leave the show early.
We can fend for ourselves with the TicketMonster for the other shows and it would cut down on the whinning and bitching about the Ten/VHC's servers.

peacefrompaul

Cosmo wrote:

...splitting the tickets instead of taking your wife who is going to complain and want to leave the show early. ...

justam

I thought the postcard system was much less stressful and we could count on getting tickets instead of being disappointed.

The last years we lived in NY not ONCE could I get an NYC ticket through the website sale. People from the West Coast and all over could get tickets, but not me. It was frustrating!

covered in bliss

ComeToTX wrote:

I really wish they would go back to only one set (or maybe 2) of 10C tickets per tour. Everyone would get better seats and the same folks wouldn't be up front every night.

And I say that as someone with a pretty good number.

Two would be much better than one. I don't think it's people going to multiple shows that's the issue, it's the fact they aren't playing enough shows these days.