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Page 22 The Antique Shoppe November, 2017
Sports Tickets
By Jeff Figler
Lets face it, all of us have gone to an event, whether it be a sporting event, a
play, or even a movie. When we get to our seats, or possibly when we get home,
we throw away the ticket stubs.
Sounds familiar? Of course it does.
Why should you keep the tickets, other than to remind you of who you went
with, and when. But to keep ticket stubs just to be keeping them, what’s the
point?
Well, not so fast. Yes, it is true that in all but very rare circumstances, that ticket
stubs, and even full tickets have no significance. Absolutely none. However,
there are some unique situation when keeping the ticket stub might pay off. It’s
rare, but it does happen. Usually with sporting events.
I’ll give you an example. Take the basketball game that Wilt Chamberlain To give you some idea how much ticket collectors will pay for a treasured
scored his record 100 points. Well, if you have a ticket item, consider the following.
for that March 4, 1962 game, played in Hershey, Remember when Muhammad Ali used his birth
Pennsylvania, you can sell it for a cool $1000-$2000. If name of Cassius Clay? Okay, now do you remember
you have the entire ticket it would be worth a lot more. his epic heavyweight championship fights with Sonny
But granted, who thinks of keeping their tickets, Liston? Well, a ticket stub from his first fight with
unless of course, you had gone to the game and knew Liston went for almost $600.
that it had historical significance. A ticket stub from the Brooklyn Dodgers game of
Lets go back a bit and trace the evolution of collecting September 24, 1957 went for $1150. You might be
sporting tickets. asking yourself why that ticket would be sold for so
As the sports memorabilia craze exploded, collectors much. Well, it was a ticket from the last game at Ebbets
began thinking of the various items that could be linked Field, before the Dodgers moved West.
to a major sporting event. Of course, there are balls, A ticket from Game 1 of the 1919 World Series went
bats, caps, jerseys, and even scorecards. Well, if there for $1200. That was the WSeries that was associated
are scorecards then why not tickets? Bingo. with the infamous Black Sox scandal.
However, the significant games and events must Three full tickets to different games of the 1924
truly be historical. There could be championship World Series were sold for $3250.
games, or ones in which milestones were reached, or A ticket stub from Game 4 of the 1918 World Series
ones in which records were broken. That’s why the went for almost $24,000. The fact that Babe Ruth
ticket to the Wilt Chamberlain record setting game in set the World Series record for the most consecutive
Hershey is so valuable. scoreless innings increased the value of the stub.
Of course, the ticket must be in demand. For Signed ticket stubs can be very valuable. A 1923
example, a ticket to a game in which a pitcher threw a World Series Game 6 ticket stub was sold for almost
no-hitter might be in demand in local area in which the $72,000 because it was signed by Babe Ruth.
game was played, but probably not anywhere else. But Finally, a ticket stub from July 4, 1939 signed by Lou
take a ticket for a Super Bowl, or a World Series game, Gehrig went for $95,600. That was Lou Gehrig Day at
or even to the last game of Stan Musical or Derek Jeter. Yankee Stadium at which he delivered his “Luckiest
Now those tickets are worth some money. If Musial or Man Alive” speech.
Jeter had signed those tickets then they would be worth One time I had a caller on one of my radio show who
even more. wanted to know if a ticket stub from a game that was
There are some collectors who do collect tickets of never played was worth anything. To better explain,
games that they have an interest in, even if they are not valuable. For example, teams will print tickets to, lets say, World Series games that they never play in.
there are some collectors who collect tickets of games of opening games of a No, those tickets are not worth anything. There are good mementos of possible
particular team, or games in which players hit for the cycle, or even games in better days.
which baseball managers made their debut. Use your imagination.
