'I'm having trouble accepting that I'll probably lose some money'

"I'll probably lose some money in the end."

Dear Dollar Signs,

I wanted to surprise my sister with concert tickets so I went out and bought them for the two of us, but it turns out she can't make it on the day I picked. None of my friends like the artist and now I'm stuck with an extra ticket that cost me $126.

I'm having trouble selling it on StubHub because I waited a while to list it and had to mark up the cost in order to have a chance of making back what I paid. I'm having trouble accepting that I'll probably lose some money in the end.

At what point should I bite the bullet and just accept less than what I shelled out?

The Best Sister

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Dear Sister,

You are the best sister. You are also unlikely to recoup that cost, especially if you sell it on a ticketing platform like StubHub (STUB) or Live Nation's $(LYV)$ Ticketmaster. I know this is unhelpful now, but your strategy of waiting to list it might not have been the right one.

A "majority" of ticket prices for concerts decrease after you buy them, says Keith Pagello, founder of ticket-tracking platform TicketData.

"Sell it as soon as you can," he says. "More often than not, ticket prices for concerts go down as the event approaches."

Look at what others are selling tickets for on StubHub and match that price, he suggests. Even if you see that one seller marked up their ticket price considerably, don't assume they are going to be able to sell it. At this point, you shouldn't expect the break even.

"A lot of people feel that if the ticket was $200, they should be able to sell it for $200," he says. "Most of the time you will sell it for less than you pay for it."

If you aren't especially excited to see the show, consider selling your ticket, too. More than 85% of people going to concerts buy two or more tickets, according to TicketData.

"A pair generally commands a higher price," Pagello says.

Remember, StubHub and Ticketmaster do charge fees. For both platforms, the fee depends on the ticket price. The higher the selling price, the higher the percentage-based service fee is. Like I said, I would see how much others are selling this ticket for and match that price or sell it for a bit less, just to ensure you get at least some money back.

Concert tickets, specifically, are hard to resell for a higher price whereas tickets to sporting events fluctuate a bit more based on how recently a team won or whether they were part of an upset, both of which can drive up prices.

Unless a piece of news all of a sudden makes this artist more desirable or controversial (or both), the price to see them won't suddenly shoot up.

Instead of listing your ticket on an online platform, try tapping your personal network through social media. A friend or family member, or even someone who follows you online, is far more likely to pay you the full price of the ticket, especially if you explain that it was supposed to be a thoughtful gift.

Next time, I would check if the person is free before purchasing a ticket that is more than $100. Or, be sure you have a friend on deck who is willing to attend should the other person cancel. Gifts are fun, but only if the other person is able to enjoy them.