You might have to fake your way in

South Florida will be awash this weekend in Super Bowl parties hosted by the likes of Hugh Hefner, Leigh Steinberg and Roger Goodell. And, not surprisingly, the Internet is flooded with tickets that promise admittance to the galas.

Which raises the question as to whether the official Super Bowl XLI slogan should be “Caveat Emptor.”

Consider the NFL Commissioner’s Party Friday night, at Parrot Jungle Island, a tourist attraction that’s home to crocodiles, baby orangutans and the eponymous parrots. Tickets were advertised online Wednesday for as much as $1,320. But NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy cautioned that “the party is invite only and there is no price associated with the tickets. Fans who buy these tickets should be aware that there is a high likelihood they are counterfeit or do not exist.”

Similarly, a ticket to the annual Playboy party Saturday night at American Airlines Arena -- Hef promises a bedtime area filled with pillow-fighting models and a stiletto seduction bar -- was available online for $2,915. A Playboy spokeswoman said that the guest list is monitored and that “the resale of tickets is strictly prohibited.”

Meanwhile, the average Super Bowl XLI ticket price continued to drift downward Wednesday. “We’ve seen the low-end prices dip dramatically,” said Tickets.com spokeswoman Jennifer Swanson. “Tickets that two days ago were selling in the $3,500 to $3,700 range are now listed at $2,250.”

The best seats continue to command a premium at StubHub.com, “but there are lots of listings for the $2,500 range,” spokesman Sean Pate said. The average ticket price rose steadily for a week after the conference championship games, but has fallen by $100 since Monday to finish at $4,427 on Wednesday for $600 and $700 face value seats.

And in the what-have-I-got-to-lose department:

* Sarah Spain, a transplanted Bears fan who lives in Los Angeles, tried unsuccessfully on EBay to get into the game by serving as some guy’s date in Miami in exchange for a Super Bowl ticket. Then the Bears fan came to the attention of the Axe men’s deodorant spray brand, which was looking to hook up on its own Super Bowl connection. Axe gave Spain tickets for herself, two girlfriends and a guy to be chosen from 1,000 who responded to her MySpace.com posting.

* A 35-year-old pregnant woman who had offered to temporarily tattoo a corporate logo on her belly in exchange for two tickets will join her husband on the 50-yard line Sunday in Dolphin Stadium. She’ll be the one wearing the specially tailored Bears jersey that will let nearby fans and the occasional television camera see the Ubid.com logo on her stomach.

greg.johnson@latimes.com