When to Slab Tickets/Stubs?
 

Hi All-

Seems I have this question annually, as it seems I "Find" an Important Ticket / Stub (or in this case, stubs via auction) once a year.

Seems every time I ask "should I slab these," seems the consensus is typically "No," and it seemed with the auction of the last one I had (early Jordan ~ $1k end on eBay), this was completely valid/true.

I guess the question this time is for Ticket Stubs / Tickets WHEN is it the best move to grade them?

• Debut of a HOFer?
• Major Milestone such as 500 HR? (though I think I had one of those previously and talked out of it)
• World Series Games?
• High Grade? (Do these really matter? Grades for Tickets seem to be a toss-up in MOST cases)
• Low Pop with perceived demand?

Admittedly, I will probably sell this grouping raw given previous experience (and TAT) and you will probably see them here on B/S/T once in hand; was just wondering

As a relatively new collector of tickets, as with cards, I want ALL of my tickets slabbed. They are just worth more, and i like to know that someone has opined they are real; not that the TPGs are always right. And, for me and tickets, its pretty much PSA or bust; I know BVG slabs tickets but I am very down on their flips, I feel they are barely better than GAI.

I will buy raw tickets, but I will then have them slabbed. As with cards, If you care about value, slab them.

One side story - I was recently bidding on a ticket that was apparently from the Beatles first performance on the Ed Sullivan show. It was raw. PSA would not grade it because its not entirely clear/certain its real and/or from that show. I was willing to risk $X and someone was willing to risk one increment more than I, but the ticket sold for probably 25% what it would have gone for in a PDSA slab. This is true of alleged 1903 WS tickets and other tickets that lack the date and/or clear indicia that a certain ticket was for a certain event.

I'd rather have a slabbed ticket if there is a story to tell. The slab will tell it.

Slabbed tickets are worth more.

Even slabbed photos now seem to sell better.

I'm not a big fan of third party "authenticators" in general, and slabbing in particular.
If every flat in my collection were slabbed, the storage space required would be immense.
If I do happen to purchase a slabbed autograph, or photo, out come the pliers!
I have never purchased a slabbed ticket, but here is one of the most valuable items in my collection--a Lou Gehrig Appreciation Day stub. There is one appearing now in the Winter Heritage auction, and it is currently at $75,000. When I sell, I'll let the auction house slab it, if they desire.
At their expense.

Amen, David ;)

So we don't need a flip to tell us the story of the Lou Gehrig ticket? How would anyone know what they're buying or bidding on?

Are you serious? Does PSA have to do absolutely all your thinking for you?
It says "July 4, 1939." What collector of vintage Yankee memorabilia doesn't know what that date represents?
Somehow, I managed to know what it was when I bought it, without a "flip."

No, I was not being serious.

Uh, no.

My bad, then.

Well said. If I ever buy or win something slabbed, it comes right out.

The OP asked the forum when it's best to slab tickets...

My answer would be "never" based on the corruption, sleaze, over-pricing and monopolistic practices of the "slabbing companies". Unfortunately there are currently no good options for 3rd Party Grading. And more importantly, no need for it.

The majority of my ticket stubs are events I attended - and not worth anything except to me.

I have gotten a handful of tickets slabbed:

Michael Jordan's 69 point game (I attended this one)

Len Barker's perfect game

LeBron James last high school game.

Submitted these 3 to be graded through my local card shop had them identify me as the "ticket stub expert" lol.

I collect Cleveland Indians stubs - I've bought a few slabbed World Series stubs. But have replaced one of them with an unslabbed stub - just works better for my display. If I ever buy a 1954 World Series Game 1 stub I will want it slabbed.

To each his/her own regarding slabbing, or not. I'm kind of both. I will admit that I have way more items not slabbed, but on occasion I do have a ticket slabbed, if for no other reason than to ensure it doesn't get damaged due to age, etc.

Here is the latest ticket I sent in to have slabbed. Surprisingly, it came back as the highest graded by PSA - a 7. I wanted it to go along with my Cardinals items from that period (Gas House Gang), also pictured.

Sorry Leon, I know - posted too many photos - but this is the Cardinals!

Grading ticket stubs is even more ridiculous than slabbing.

I don’t like the look of vintage ephemera or other memorabilia entombed in slabs, but I can understand slabbing tickets from significant games if the owner wants to maximize value for a sale. I wouldn’t think slabbing tickets of games of no special significance would be worth the cost of doing so.

I agree with this take. The only reason I understand why someone would want to grade a ticket is for resale value. Everyone enjoys memorabilia in their own way, but the “grade” helps differentiate one copy vs. another in the market place. Now I could go into a tangent about grades given by the major grading companies and how inconsistent they are, but that is for another post…

Apologies for bringing up a tangent question, but could anyone recommend non-slabbed ways to store tickets? I have a dozen ticket in a Manila envelope and would like to protect them in a holder.

For full tickets and stubs, I like the “semi rigid card savers” made by companies such as Ultra Pro and BCW. They come in various sizes. The front and back of these sort of cling internally to hold the relatively thin stock of most tickets in a stable position. If desired, you could also fit a slip of paper with a printed label, nothing anything special about the game, into the holder. You can then also slide the individual card savers into the slots of binder sheets for storage or stack in boxes.

I use polyethylene pages--either 4-pocket or 9-pocket, depending upon ticket size.

Amazing pieces there - love that photo of the gang especially.