Beginner’s Guide to Collecting Sports Tickets
Sports tickets and ticket stubs are often an overlooked aspect when collecting sports memorabilia. Documenting the game's place and time in history, tickets serve as relic that connects us with not only a particular sport, but the games and events that feature our favorite teams and athletes.
Technology is even on the side of collectors. The use of barcodes and scanners at gate entrances have allowed newer tickets to stay intact and consumers are left with a full piece of history and not just the stub many people had grown accustomed to through the years.
Ticket Collecting 101
The rise in popularity of ticket collecting has spawned several resources and services that cater to this specific niche. Tickets are now graded by PSA, one of the industries leading grading and preservation companies. eBay now has a section for tickets. There are even annual price guides and display products.
One of the best ticket collecting resources is a company called That's My Ticket. Not only does the company utilize your ticket to create memorable collectibles, the site also offers a library of articles on the very subject of ticket collecting.
Moments in History
As one might imagine, games and events of historical significance are most in demand. These might include championship games or ones in which records were broken or significant milestones were reached.
Ticket collecting can be catered specifically to the collector's interest and offer an endless list of possibilities. One might assemble a collection of opening game tickets from a favorite team, no-hitters, 500 home run games, milestone events, division-clinching games, team shutouts, rookie games, Super Bowls, NCAA Championship games, World Series, All-Star Games and more. The imagination is the only limitation upon which one can build an impressive ticket collection.
Sports Ticket Values
Recently completed auctions reveal a treasure trove the types of tickets that are available. They also show what people are willing to pay for them. These are just a few examples of sold ticket stubs.
- 1917 World Series New York Giants Game 6 (White Sox clinch the Championship), $1,500
- 1952 World Series Game 7 Ticket Stub Yankees vs. Dodgers (Yankees Win), $1,260
- 1919 World Series Ticket Game One (Black Sox Scandal), $1,200
- 1969 Super Bowl III Ticket- Yellow Variation PSA 5, $1,200
- Brooklyn Dodgers Sept 24th, 1957 (Last game at Ebbets Field), $1,150
It is amazing to think that these rare pieces of history still exist, but they do. Thanks to collectors, sentimentalists, hoarders and fans, these unique pieces of sports Americana can serve as the cornerstone or centerpiece of any ticket collection. As you can see the value of tickets of this vintage often command more money than trading cards from the same year regardless of their condition.
Essential Ticket Collecting Resources
Below is a list of links to various ticket collecting resources to get you started or help further educate you on the hobby of ticket collecting, ticket pricing, archival storage and supplies and more.
- Current eBay Ticket/Stub Auctions
- Completed eBay Ticket/Stub Auctions
- World Series Ticket/Stub Price Guide
- The 2011 Illustrated Ticket Stub Price Guide
- That's My Ticket Collecting Overview and Article Archive
So whether you're just starting out, or looking to add to your collection, there are many resources that can help you along the way. So remember, after you get into the venue, protect that ticket. You never know what might happen come game time.
 | Making purchases through affiliate links can earn the site a commission |
