The Texans say the 1,500 tickets that went on sale Wednesday morning were virtually sold out within 15 minutes. But tickets are being bought and sold still on the secondary market -- for less than you might expect.
Joe Tenorio showed us how he tried repeatedly Wednesday morning to get online and purchase Texans playoff tickets as soon as they became available on Ticketmaster.com.
"It was hopeful at first. I thought I had a chance," said Tenorio.
No matter how many times he tried, how many ways, the result was the same.
"All of a sudden, it says we're sorry, we're sold out," Tenorio told Eyewitness News.
Coming off three losses in their last four games, the Texans are trying to prove themselves Super Bowl worthy. To buy tickets now for the playoffs you must try the resale market.
"The cheapest I'm going to have is upstairs, about $120 each," said Kayla Ramsey with Midtown Premium Tickets.
Ramsey, as well as the Houston Ticket Store, says the market is just not demanding higher prices. They're selling for face value and up, about half as much as last year.
"I'm offering face only and they're accepting it with no problem. Bring it right in," Ramsey said.
That's something she says she has never seen before. Usually there's a lot more negotiation before a seller will agree to a price. Fans are fickle that way she tells us; an indication maybe of how much fan confidence is shaken by the team's faltering over the last few games.
Some fans she says have called, wanting to unload their tickets, so upset over the Texans performance of late. That said, she expects the Texans still to enjoy home field advantage on Saturday.
"They're coming around slowly but surely. I think the house will be packed Saturday," said Ramsey.
Nick Rinchiuso figures he should probably be at his sports bar making sure things run smoothly during Saturday's game. So a few days ago he put his five tickets on Stubhub.com, trying to get $500 each.
"If it sells, great. If not, that's OK," Rinchiuso said.
So far, he hasn't sold them. He sees other tickets in the same section going for almost half as much.
"I want a whole bunch of money or else I'll go to the game. Or my kids will enjoy the game. It's an important game!" he said.
Less confidence in the team is translating to a more affordable playoff experience for some.
If you want to buy tickets still you can do so through the NFL Ticket Exhange or a ticket broker. We've also found re-sellers on Craigslist selling tickets with prices ranging from $92 to just over $1,000 each, but be wary of potential scams.
Kickoff for Saturday's playoff game against the Cincinnati Bengals is set for 3:30 pm at Reliant Stadium.
