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Vintage Concert Tickets Are Hot Commodities
Vintage concert tickets have become prized pieces of music memorabilia, particularly for iconic bands and shows that still enjoy legendary status.
Collectors acquire concert tickets to connect personally with artists they admire, for their historic and nostalgic value, and for their monetary potential. Some tickets can fetch tens of thousands of dollars, especially if the artists sign them.
Concert tickets from the 1960s and ’70s are in high demand, especially for bands who performed with original members, like the Rolling Stones with Brian Jones (1963–1969), The Who with Keith Moon (1964–1978), and Led Zeppelin with John Bonham (1968–1980). Collectors also seek tickets for landmark festivals from that era—including the Monterey Pop Festival (’67), Woodstock (’69), and the Isle of Wight Festival (’70)—as well as legendary rock promoter Bill Graham’s shows at the Fillmore in San Francisco and concerts at Knebworth House, Britain’s largest music venue.
Tickets that include an image of the artist or band on the front, the band’s logo, or a specific graphic associated with a particular tour are especially valuable. Though condition can help determine the value, some wear is expected as it’s rare to find tickets in mint condition.
Concert tickets have become an important part of the hobby, and WorthPoint Indices has tracked steady and dynamic growth in transactions and prices paid. From 2020 through 2023, total prices increased by a substantial 61.3 percent, while transactions grew by 14.1 percent; 2023 was the standout year, helped by several big-ticket sales (outlined below). Though the first half of 2024 is down by 11.6 percent with slightly more transactions compared to the first six months of 2023, it’s 63.8 percent ahead of the first six months of 2020 in prices paid and 14.5 percent more transactions, so it will be another strong year for concert tickets.
THE BEATLES RULE
When it comes to music memorabilia, perhaps no items are pursued by collectors more than those related to The Beatles, one of the most popular and influential bands in history. Fab Four collectibles also tend to fetch whopping sums, and concert tickets are no exception—collectors are willing to pay hefty prices for original and unused examples.
It’s no surprise, then, that seven of the top ten most valuable concert tickets recorded in WorthPoint’s Price Guide since 2020 belong to the band, including the top three that were all sold in 2023 by Gotta Have Rock and Roll auction house: An unused VIP ticket for their first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1964 that fetched $52,500 in December; the earliest-known signed concert ticket from 1962 that sold for $37,500 in September; and a rare and signed “Stowe School” ticket from 1963 that sold for $25,000 also in December.
The other four top-selling Beatles tickets were an unused Hollywood Bowl ticket from 1964 that sold for $14,999 in June 2022; a signed ticket for a 1963 concert in Sweden that sold for $13,750 in November 2023; a signed ticket for a 1963 concert in England that sold for $12,800 in May 2022; and a full ticket from their historic final concert at Candlestick Park in 1966 that fetched $11,779 in November 2022.
OTHER VALUABLE TICKETS
Rounding out the top ten are a pair of KISS tickets from 1973 owned by band member Gene Simmons that sold for $16,250 in April 2023; a Nirvana concert ticket (with a handwritten setlist) from 1991 that sold for $16,000 in November 2021; and a ticket stub (and program) from a 1967 concert for The Jimi Hendrix Experience and The Who that sold for $12,956 in November 2020.
While unused and intact tickets are generally worth more than stubs, stubs can also be valuable if they show the band’s name, the concert date, and the venue. Signatures can also add worth; for example, a ticket stub for a 1991 Nirvana concert signed by all three members sold for $10,240 in May 2022.
Transactions recorded in WorthPoint’s database since 2020 show that collectors are interested in concert tickets from a wide range of musicians and genres. Other top-selling tickets include one from Elvis Presley’s last concert in 1977 that sold for $9,999 in December 2022; a ticket stub from the Motown’s 25th-anniversary concert in 1983, where Michael Jackson debuted his signature rhinestone glove and moonwalk, that sold for $9,600 in October 2022; a ticket stub from Lynyrd Skynyrd’s final performance in 1977 that sold for $8,500 in February 2023; a lot of seventy-five unused tickets from a 1989 Metallica show that fetched $7,500 in March 2023; and a Tupac Shakur-signed ticket stub from a concert in the 1990s that sold for $7,000 in January 2023.
Other tickets coveted by collectors are unused examples from the culturally significant three-day Woodstock Music Festival in 1969. Though the festival was eventually free of charge, tickets were initially printed for each day of the concert, as well as a three-day ticket for the whole event, which is especially valuable. This single three-day graded ticket sold for $1,968 in May 2020, while this lot of 100 tickets sold for $2,100 in January 2021.
WORTHPOINT RESOURCES & REFERENCES
ARTICLES
For more information, check out WorthPoint’s Blog for articles featuring information on collecting concert tickets, including:
DICTIONARY
In addition to the articles below, the WorthPoint Dictionary has more than fifty articles identifying and valuing various collectibles from specific artists and bands, including The Beatles, Nirvana, and Tupac Shakur.
MARKS
Marks and symbols on concert tickets are typically specific to the event venue or musical performers. Concert tickets may otherwise be identified by the date of the concert or autographs by musical artists.
LIBRARY
Among its thousands of reference works from leading publishers and institutional archives, the WorthPoint Library includes a reference and value guide to Beatles memorabilia, including concert tickets.
Stay tuned for more index trends in the future, brought to you by WorthPoint Indices.
Adina K. Francis has been a writer and editor in the antiques and collectibles field for more than 20 years. She has a bit of an obsession with the Victorians and thinks that dogs are one of life’s greatest gifts.
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