The market for graded sports tickets has experienced a major growth spurt over the last few years, especially S
uper Bowl tickets. SCP Auctions opened some eyes last spring when the company sold a complete run of full, unused tickets to games 1-50 for over $100,000.
That high-grade collection apparently caught the eyes of consignors.
SCP’s newly launched Winter Auction includes the largest and most comprehensive Super Bowl ticket collection ever to come to public auction: 46 lots with a total of 1,564 full, unused tickets 
from 31 different games. SCP officials believe the value of those colorful ducats to be at least $250,000.
Company President David Kohler believes PSA’s move to authenticate and grade tickets has created a much stronger market for tickets and stubs of all kinds.
“Without question. It’s brought a structure to that element of collecting,” he said. “Now all collectors can have confidence in buying tickets in all sports including the biggest sporting event, the Super Bowl.”
A little over a year ago, SCP Auctions also sold a rare full ticket to the first baseball All-Star Game in 1933, graded PSA 2, for $33,378. Despite the low technical grade, that sale remains a benchmark for individual full tickets.
“Having the knowledge that a ticket is authentic and unique is paramount,” said Kohler. “Collectors can now build their ticket collection with a price guide and population report provided by PSA. Over the last few years there has been tremendous interest and price appreciation across all ticket categories.”
Among those being offered in the company’s auction is a full ticket to Super Bowl III graded PSA 6. After just a few days of launch, the high bid soared to over $20,000. A Super Bowl I ticket for the inaugural game between the Packers and Chiefs, rated PSA 3, is also up for grabs.
There are also numerous bulk lots of unused tickets from games that have taken place in later years. Those were printed as normal, but remained unused because the seats were used for overflow media seating. One lot includes 165 unused tickets to Super Bowl XXXII, all signed at a later date through a signing arrangement with ga
me MVP John Elway.
Several lots are presented with one PSA-graded example (Near Mint 7 to Gem Mint 10) backed by up to 49 ungraded
examples in similar condition. There are 50 ticket lots from Super Bowl games played in 1994, 1997,1999,2001,2003,2005 and 2008.
Auction officials believe the 1,463 ungraded tickets fall in the NM 7 to MINT 9 range. They guarantee PSA will encapsulate any ticket in the auction.
Super Bowl tickets often included color variations based on seating sections and whether they’re team collectors or chasing tickets from every game, some hobbyists do try to track down the different variations.
The auction continues through January 21, two weeks before Super Bowl 51 in Houston.
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