Move Over Trading Cards, Ticket Stubs Are the Ultimate Collectors Items for Sports Fans

It’s not a surprise that the recent flood of interest in the trading card space has shone a light on and brought increased visibility to other collectible niches. One particular category of collectibles that we find especially compelling is the ticket stub.

The ticket stub, which in this case we might refer to as the trading card’s sibling, is an arguably under-appreciated piece of sports memorabilia that also shows massive potential as an asset positioned against the trading card and other relatives.

In 2015 the most exceptional ticket stubs were fetching numbers as high as $90,000. Today you can find dozens of stubs listed in the six figure range listed on eBay and other marketplaces and auction sites. We don’t see this losing momentum anytime soon.

We interviewed, veteran watch collector and good friend of WAX Insurance, Vasu Kulkarni who recently started keeping tabs on the market for ticket stubs as collateral from the trading card boom. For Kulkarni, collecting stubs rewards a level of satisfaction where trading cards fall short.

He explains that the memories linked to ticket stubs make them all the more special. The fact that stubs aren’t printed en masse for speculating collectors, which means supply is organic and more limited, is also appreciated by Kulkarni.

“Ultimately my belief is that for all the greatest moments in sports dating back to the early 1900s, there may be 5 stubs, 10 stubs, maybe a hundred stubs out there that are still in good condition. To me that becomes so much more interesting to collect than trading cards”

-Vasu Kulkarni

Ticket stubs are certainly an overlooked category and in a way, are the epitome of sports memorabilia. Like other relics and souvenirs from sporting events, they symbolize a historical moment injected with passion and fanaticism. But, what makes them special is their existence as formal documentation of the event or moment they are linked to.

Today, ticket stubs are getting harder to come by. Smartphones and electronic barcodes have become the norm in event ticketing, and the pandemic may as well serve as a marker for ticket stub obsolescence. Going forward, the increasingly limited supply of physical ticket stubs will be ‘preserved’ or unadulterated. In short, stubs are finite and won’t be printed in excess in order to meet demand, unlike their trading card counterparts.

Whether you’re a collector looking for a new obsession or someone who is looking to diversify your portfolio with an interesting alternative asset class, ticket stubs have shown to be a promising and rewarding solution for both.

And, we haven’t forgotten that all of the above also applies to stubs from other types of entertainment events like concerts, movie premieres, plays, etc.

Kulkarni is one of the rare few who has happened to keep most of his ticket stubs from countless sporting events he’s attended. He’s also hunted down stubs from some of the greatest moments in sports. Today his collection is pushing 300 - keep reading to check out some of our favorites from the collection! Make sure to check out his interview on WAX TV as well.

Thrilla in Manilla | October 1, 1975

Thrilla in Manila was the 1975 Heavyweight Championship and the 3rd and final match match of one of boxing’s greatest rivalries: Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Frazier. The highly anticipated match attracted a live audience of over 1 billion people. Because the fight took place in Quezon City just outside of Manila, it was held at 10am local time to accommodate a worldwide audience. The time of day posed a major challenge on both fighters as humidity permeated through the air and the sweltering sun heated the arena to unbearable temperatures. Ali persevered and ultimately ended up beating Frazier with a technical knockout. Many consider this the most memorable day in sports history.

The Flu Game | June 11, 1997

Game 5 of the 1997 NBA Finals was given the name “The Flu Game” after Michael Jordan exhibited intense flu-like symptoms throughout its entirety. With their star player on the court practically out of commission, the Chicago Bulls fell 16 points behind Utah Jazz in the first quarter. As he panted and sweat profusely on the court, the audience and camera crew struggled to focus on the game itself. After a brief hiatus on the bench where he downed fluids and floundered around in his seat, Jordan got back in the game and unleashed the beast. Still in visible pain, Jordan pushed through and ended up playing an incredible game scoring 38 points to lead the Bulls to a 90–88 victory against the Jazz. “I almost played myself into passing out just to win a basketball game,” admitted Jordan in an interview following the event. Rumors regarding the cause of Jordan’s episode were thrown around, but in 2013 his former personal trainer told Truehoop TV that he was suffering from food poison from bad pizza.

Kobe’s 81 Point Game | January 22, 2006

On January 22, 2006 one of the NBA’s most beloved players, Kobe Bryant, scored 81 points in a single game for the Lakers against the Toronto Raptors. To this day, Bryant holds the record for the second highest amount of points scored in a single game, second to Wilt Chamberlain’s record from 1962. This ticket stub symbolizes one of the many incredible moments that have contributed to Kobe Bryant’s legacy.

Ferris Bueller Cubs Game | September 24, 1985

The backstory behind this ticket stub doesn’t have much to do with a memorable moment in sports but it is definitely an interesting one that many can appreciate. Remember that guy who convinced his friend to let him take his dad’s prized 1961 Ferrari 250 GT for a spin around Chicago? Yup, we’re talking about Ferris Bueller. In one of the most memorable scenes from the cinematic masterpiece that is “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,” Bueller and his partner in crime Cameron Frye attend a Cubs game at Wrigley Field where they’re seen joking around in the stands and basking in the glory of their day of ditching. This scene is kicked off by a shot of a TV playing the game in a pizza parlor that Principal Rooney goes to while trying to track them down. Fans of the film and the Cubs used this scene to identify that it was from a game that took place on June 5th, 1985, and technically they were not wrong. However, the parts of the scene that were actually shot in the stadium were during a game on September 24th, 1985.

Thanks for reading! — WAX Insurance