At the time I started a website based solely on collectible ticket stubs back in 2007, nobody knew that ticket stubs had any value. Five years later the ticket stub market has grown, but there is still a lack of information for ticket stub collectors. This article outlines the basic of what makes a ticket stub collectible. This is mainly targeted towards sporting event ticket stubs, but more of the principles also apply to concert tickets as well.
-Scarcity= Age & Attendance
Every sports ticket stub is somewhat scarce due to the small amount of fans that can attend a single event. The smaller the attendance doesn’t always increase the value of the ticket stub, but it does help. How rare a ticket stub usually is a combination of age, attendance, and factors that may limit the amount of surviving ticket stubs; such as weather conditions (many rainy games have a decreased amount of stubs that survived the storm), if the event was significant at the time, and other external factors. Many ticket stubs over 80 years old have a significant value simply because of their age and the number of tickets left from that game.
-Condition
Similar to baseball cards, a ticket stub’s value can greatly depend on the condition. A crease, rip, or writing on the ticket can significantly diminish a stubs value. Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA) is known for grading the condition of baseball cards on a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being the best condition possible for a baseball card. Several years ago, PSA started grading ticket stubs as well. Like baseball cards, the higher the grade, the more sought after the ticket stub is.
-Type of Ticket
Have you ever seen a print out of an e-ticket posted on someone’s wall? Most likely not. E-tickets and secondary tickets such as Ticketmaster tickets are dreaded and completely undesirable for ticket stub collectors. Box office tickets with artwork are the most desirable tickets from an event. Although a Ticketmaster ticket may have sentimental value after you have attended an event, the collectible value is very low.
-First or Last
A first or last can be a first home run, last game ever played, first game in a new stadium, etc. These milestone achievements can have a significant effect on the value of a ticket.
-Record Breaking
Record breaking ticket stubs are possibly the most collected ticket stubs. Examples include Hank Aaron’s 715 career home run to break Babe Ruth’s all time MLB record. According to this ticket listed on Ticket Stub Collection, one of the tickets from that very game went for $1,000.
-Postseason Event (Playoffs, Championship Etc.):
Unless something special happens in a regular season game, playoff tickets are more valuable than tickets from regular season games. Making the playoffs is celebrated by the teams themselves and by fans. Often fans will collect the full playoff series of tickets to display, making each ticket more valuable. Championship games, like World Series, Super Bowls, NBA Finals, and others, are by almost always the most valuable and the most collected. Starting a collection of a sport’s championship games could be expensive, but would also be valuable.
-All-Star Games:
There are many collectors that attempt to collect every all star game from their favorite sport. MLB All-Star game ticket stub collectors spend thousands of dollars acquiring there collection. As you would imagine, the older the game, the harder it is to find the ticket.
-Upsets
Who doesn’t love an underdog? A monumental upset has an instant draw to ticket stub collectors. Huge upset tickets can be worth big money if coupled with a significant event (Ex. Giants Upset New England Patriots in Super Bowl).
-Autographed
Autographs can increase the value of a ticket stub. Due to the high occurrence of fake autographs you may need a certificate of authenticity (COA) and even then many potential buyers will be skeptical of COA’s. Fake autographs have severly lowered the value of autographed memorabilia due to skeptic collectors.
-Artwork
Believe it or not the artistic style of the ticket can improve the ticket value. Fancier stubs are becoming more popular with certain teams in professional sports. The Detroit Tigers have my favorite ticket stubs as they have teamed up with Topps to have baseball card style tickets that make them much more collectable for sports fans. A stub that catches the eye or a ticket that has a very original design is much more desirable and therefore can carry a higher value.
-Valuable combinations:
Age+ Condition+ Significance of Event+ Upset+ High Rarity=Big Money!
Other things that may increase the value of a ticket include: Finishes (Comebacks and Last second plays), Awkward/memorable moments, historically bad performances, and anything else out of the ordinary that someone would want for their collection.
Conclusion
Most tickets are more valuable to the person who experienced the event first hand than anyone else. There are occasions where something great happens, and the ticket stub is forever a part of that event. Although some people may just see it as a piece of paper, it is a sign of that event and a printed memory. Hold on to your tickets.
Michael Luchies is a ticket stub expert and has owned and operated several ticket stub websites and blogs in the past 5-10 years. Michael was a speaker at the 2007 Ticket Summit in a session about ticket stub value. Michael has been published in Tuff Stuff magazine and other online publications.
Sources
Professional Sports Authenticator
Ticket Stub Collection
