HEAT Season Ticket Member, Andrew Goldberg, shows us his insane ticket collection. Nostalgia at its finest.
When and why did you start collecting ticket stubs?
I technically started in the late 80s when I was in high school living in the Chicago area. My father shared some season tickets with a couple of buddies, and I was lucky if I went to three or four games a year. I was lucky to see Michael Jordan play in his prime and I thought to myself, “Maybe one day people will be interested in ticket stubs from games he played in.” Just like people (at the time) were interested in Babe Ruth game tickets, I kept tickets from games I went to, put them in a picture album and didn't think about them for years. Fast forward to 2015 and I had a crazy idea to start collecting tickets from every game Jordan played in. Along the way, I've picked up some other cool tickets, like the 2006 NBA Finals clinching game for the HEAT's first championship!
Total number of ticket stubs you own.
For the Jordan collection, I now have 962 of the 1,264 games he played in. Overall, I have more than 5,000 ticket stubs.
How has the industry in ticket collecting evolved over the years?
Interest in collecting ticket stubs has increased greatly over the past several years. Collecting in general (cards and other sports items) has really taken off during the pandemic. The theory is that collectors have been stuck at home for months on end and have gone through their old collections that have been sitting around. New collectors have entered the market at a heightened rate during the pandemic as well.
What’s most valuable stub currently in your collection?
The market value for most tickets is a bit unclear because they are not as plentiful as cards. There aren't a lot of sales to compare to. However, I'm guessing by saying my October 19, 1984 Chicago Bulls vs Kansas City Kings ticket. It's a full, red season ticket holder version, and it's graded a "6" by Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA). It's the only full ticket from that game PSA has seen so far. Why is it special? It's Michael Jordan's true Chicago debut, his first preseason game at the Chicago Stadium in a Bulls uniform.
What’s your overall goal with the collection?
I'd like to complete all 1,264 Jordan games, and then find a partner venue (maybe the Basketball Hall of Fame) to present an exhibit for the public to see. It'd also be neat if Mr. Jordan himself was interested in seeing the collection and I got to meet him. In the meantime, it's a lot of fun to collect all sorts of fun games. If anyone is interested in helping me out with my collection, or just to chat about ticket stubs, I can be contacted at AndrewLouis_One@yahoo.com.
