Two Ticket Stubs Shatter Previous Record Sales Figures
Record setting sports cards sales have been dominating the headlines over the past year. So it stood to reason that ticket stubs from significant sports moments wouldn’t be far behind.
Heritage Auctions announced early Sunday that the previous record for the most expensive sports ticket was broken not once but twice. The previous record holder was a checked ticket stub (ripped to enter the facility) from Michael Jordan’s NBA debut which sold for $264,000.
That mark was first broken by a full ticket stub to that same game (the only known copy in existence), which was confirmed as authentic by PSA, selling for $468,000. The jaw dropping figure didn’t hold onto the number 1 position for long though, as shortly thereafter a PSA 2 ticket to Jackie Robinson’s 1947 debut with the Brooklyn Dodgers sold for $480,000 to establish a new record.
Director of sports auctions at Heritage Auctions Chris Ivy stated “Tickets are riding a popularity wave like we’ve seen before with vintage photography…Thousands of people go down to their basement and come across items. We’ve gotta answer all of them before something like this comes along.”
Robinson famously broke the MLB colour barrier on April 15th, 1947 as his Dodgers scored a 5-3 victory over the Braves. The timing of the sale was set to coincide with the conclusion of Black History Month as February begins to wind down.
Meanwhile, anything Michael Jordan related will always be a hot ticket item. Not only has the pandemic fuelled a resurgence in the sports collectibles market, but prominent events like the NBA 75th anniversary festivities, and The Last Dance documentary are exposing a new generation of fans to the exploits of “His Airness”.
Jordan’s debut in 1984 saw him score 16pts, and add 6 rebounds along with 7 assists in the Bulls 106-93 victory over Washington.
Mike Cole, the previous owner of the Jordan ticket, said he doesn’t plan on making any splashy purchases with the proceeds of the sale.
-Kyle Skinner
Twitter: @JKyleSkinner