If you’ve ever tried to buy tickets to a sporting event online, you know it can be a real headache. With literally dozens of online sites to choose from, each with their own pricing structures, fees, and ticket availabilities, the process of simply finding a seat in front of your favorite team can easily become a chore.

The other options are not much better. For college-level events, those not associated with the college are often left out in the cold when it comes to tickets. The "big name" ticket outlets are often swamped with calls the second tickets go on sale, with inventory quickly running out. Scalpers and street sellers, meanwhile, make their living off of giving you a raw deal. They may have the tickets no one else does, but you’re not going to enjoy their prices.

Enter one of the newest concepts in ticket sales: the reserve site. Websites like TicketReserve.com and FirstDibz.com have exploded in recent years by offering a new and unique way to purchase tickets. The process plays out in much the same manner as the stock market. A fan buys a reserve ticket based on the idea that their favorite team is going to make it to the post-season. So you’re not buying "super bowl tickets", you’re buying face-value tickets IF your team goes to the super bowl.

The rates for these pre-orders fluctuate based on the team’s popularity, and the high-stakes, stock-market feel has lots of buyer switching over to these new sites. The idea is not without risk, though. Thought your team was going to make it to the big game, but they choked at the last second? Those pre-orders you have aren’t worth much anymore. Many of the sites offer ways to sell and transfer pre-orders, though, so you’re not completely out of luck.

Overall this new arena of ticket buying and selling is something we haven’t seen in a long time: a fresh idea. While it may not revolutionize the industry, and while it may have flaws of its own, the idea is new, relatively untapped and a great way to have some fun buying tickets. At the end of the day, if you get to see your favorite team play, that’s all that matters.