Jackie Robinson’s debut box office ’47 sold for a record $480K; Michael Jordan ’84 premiere ticket earns $468K

The record for the most expensive collectible sports ticket was set twice with the Heritage Auction early Sunday.

Also, a ticket from Jackie Robinson’s 1947 debut against the Brooklyn Dodgers and a full ticket from Michael Jordan’s 1984 debut against the Chicago Bulls, both of which were scored by the PSA (Professional Sports Authenticator) , which sold for $480,000 and $468,000, respectively.

The previous record for most expensive collectible sports ticket was $264,000, the ticket stub from Jordan’s NBA debut – the same game, albeit a check ticket – is now the third most expensive collectible sports ticket ever.

Mike Cole, Quinnipiac University’s director of operations admissions, was a freshman at Northwestern University in 1984. A lifelong Bullets fan, his father surprised him with two tickets to attend. Bulls-Bullets match in October.

“I’ve only been in school for a month or two,” Cole said. “I’m not surprised or disappointed that no one can come with me.”

Cole put away the unused ticket; It is currently the only known full ticket from Jordan’s debut, according to Heritage. Over the decades, moving and shrinking in size, it has gone from box to box, a totem from the olden days when his deceased father was searching for him from afar.

“That was the first time I watched the Bulls game,” Cole said, recalling his father, a DC attorney. “Many years after his death and he still provides for me.”

“He’s 18 years old, in a new city and no one is taking him to the game,” said Chris Ivy, director of sports auctions at Heritage Auctions. “[In his pocket]it turns from an old memory [into] a lottery ticket. “

Cole joked that he “wouldn’t buy a Lamborghini”, the day before his financial fortunes changed irrevocably.

“I’ve been saving for 55 years,” says Cole. “Our needs are met – we’re lucky to that extent – but we can get on some planes. I have family in Hawaii and Barcelona that I’ve never visited.”

While tokens and memorabilia have boomed during the COVID-19 pandemic, the rise in popularity of tickets and change has been from past sporting events.

“Tickets are making waves in popularity as we’ve seen before with vintage photography, [especially with this] Ivy said.

He added: “Thousands of people go down to their basements and look at the items. We have to answer them all before things like this appear.”