—by Sherrilynn "Sheba" Rawson

The game-day ticket exchange is our contribution to keeping match tickets available and reasonably priced for as many people as possible. It’s something I’m proud to be able to take part in as a 107IST member, and is near and dear to my heart. Donated tickets at the exchange not only give reasonably priced access to games, they also support 107IST efforts in mission-critical areas like tifo and community outreach. If you’re new to the ticket exchange, or if you have questions, hopefully this FAQ will help.

What is the Game-Day Ticket Exchange?
It’s a place you can go to buy, sell, or donate tickets at face value or less on the day of the match.

Where is it?
At the Timbers Army Fanladen, two blocks away from the stadium, 1633 SW Alder Street (at the corner of SW 17th and Alder).

When is it?
We almost always open the Fanladen for the game-day ticket exchange 3.5 hours before the scheduled start of a match, unless it’s a weekday match. Then it opens as soon as a volunteer can get off work and hustle to the Fanladen.

How much are tickets?
Face value or less. If you’re buying a donated ticket, the price will be the same as it would cost a season ticket holder for that ticket. The most common ticket people donate and buy is of course a TA/GA (general admission) ticket in the north end of the stadium. For 2019, that ticket will sell for $31 or less during the regular season in the game day ticket exchange.

Note that the face value of tickets purchased as single game tickets is higher, and the price of so-called “premium” match single game tickets is higher still. But if you’re buying a donated TA/GA ticket or a TA/GA ticket from a season ticket holder, that ticket should cost you no more than $31 at the game day ticket exchange.

Can I buy tickets from the game-day ticket exchange in advance of game day?
No. There are other ways to get tickets before match day. If you know ahead of time that you want to attend a match, it’s always better to try other avenues first to secure your tickets, rather than trusting to the luck of the draw on game day. Hit up your circle of friends, check the Timbers Army Ticket Exchange on Facebook, post something on the #RCTID hashtag on Twitter (and check for responses regularly). And if you want more than one ticket, don’t be afraid to buy them one at a time as they become available. I know somebody who managed to acquire enough tickets for their entire wedding party that way.

Can I email or phone in my request for tickets?
No. Aside from the fact that the Fanladen doesn’t have a land line, the purpose of the ticket exchange is to provide last-minute, in-person opportunities to exchange tickets. You must actually show up and be present if you want to purchase a ticket from the exchange on game day.

How do I donate a ticket?
You can either drop off an extra ticket at the Fanladen or you can email extra tickets to ticketdonation@107ist.org. And yes, you can send them there straight from the SeatGeek app, or if you already have a PDF of the ticket you're donating you can send it to the same email address.

I’ve used the game-day ticket exchange before, but it's been awhile. Anything else I need to know?
Yes. We are keeping two important changes this year:
(1) We’re limiting requests to four tickets per person.
(2) we’re keeping track of whether the person requesting the ticket is a 107IST member.

In the first case, we’re responding to a small number of people who have taken to using the ticket exchange not as an occasional last-minute ticket source but as their regular go-to for several tickets for themselves and a large group of friends. If you have a bunch of people who all know they want to attend the game, they can either use other methods to line up as many tickets as possible ahead of time from other sources; or at the very least they can show up on match day and wait at the game-day exchange like everybody else.

In the second case, while we certainly want to facilitate reasonable ticket prices for all, we also recognize that the actual Fanladen space for the ticket exchange, as well as the computer, printer, Internet, and of course the game-day volunteers, are all there thanks to the 107 Independent Supporters Trust. Without member dollars and member volunteers, the game-day ticket exchange simply wouldn’t exist. We don’t know what demand for tickets will be this year, but if we need to give priority to the people who are making the ticket exchange possible, we will.

I have a question/comment that you didn’t address. Who should I talk to?
Feel free to leave additional questions in the comments below, or email sherrilynn.rawson@107ist.org

See you on game day!