Talking Milestone Tickets, Stubs
A quick Q&A with Lenny Steren of Mookie’s Tickets about the value of MLB All-Star, World Series and milestone game tickets and stubs.
Lenny Steren specializes in collectible sports tickets and stubs from vintage to modern era games.
He’s the head man for PSA’s ticket grading operation as well.
How popular are vintage All-Star game tickets compared to World Series tickets/stubs?
LS: All-Star game full tickets and stubs are very popular among collectors as they are even harder to get than World Series tickets. There’s only one All-Star game per year but there are 4 to 7 World Series game tickets to collect, depending on the length of the Series. Even though the All-Star Game started in 1933 and the Fall Classic has been around longer, I feel a pristine All-Star Game ticket from a now-demolished stadium or certain city is more collectible.
I assume the 1933 stub is the Holy Grail of All-Star games? What are some of the other tickets that are on the want lists of many collectors and why?
LS: Regarding rare baseball tickets, extreme demand remains strong for 1919 World Series tickets because of the Black Sox gambling scandal. Babe Ruth regular season home run tickets, Mickey Mantle World Series and even regular season home run tickets, no-hitters, Hall of Famer MLB debuts and last game played tickets are all very popular. As long as there are ticket collectors, there will always be a new player or theme to collect.
For a collector just starting to collect top quality tickets from more modern baseball milestones, what should you look for in searching for a high quality ticket that would grade well?
It’s hard to say as many collectors have different tastes and different collecting goals. You have to avoid spend a fortune if you’re just starting out. The popular tickets of today might be a bust in a year or so after some negative press. In other words, where are all those McGwire, Sosa, & Palmeiro milestone collectors now? They are collecting tickets of other rising stars like Prince Fielder, Josh Hamilton, and Ryan Braun. Those that would grade well would be nrmt to mint debut and 1st homer full tix of young stars from the current time.
What’s your own personal favorite and which stub/ticket, regardless of value?
I’m a huge diehard Mets fan & collector. I have all five game tickets of the 1969 Mets World Series championship and also all seven games of the 1986 World Series win over the Red Sox. They aren’t worth a fortune but they represnet my greatest memories for my Amazing Mets.
