Which Concert Was This Ticket Stub From?

What to look for on the stub

Most concert tickets print the same few things. The band, the venue and the date are the ones that find the show.

Our drawing, not a real ticket. Layouts differ by seller and year.

1. The band. Usually the biggest words. An opening act may be listed under it with "with" or "special guest".
2. The venue and city. Many venues have been renamed since. Type the city into the finder, not the venue name.
3. The date. Often printed with the day of the week and the start time.
4. Section, row, seat and price. These don't help find the show, but they're a nice detail to keep.

The date is smudged or missing

Type the band and the city with a rough year. Then scan the list for the one night they played there. A band usually plays a city once per tour, so one city and one year often leave just one night.

Are old concert tickets worth money?

Most stubs are worth more to the person who was there than to a buyer. A few are worth a lot. What raises the price:

• An unused, whole ticket. Collectors call these "fulls". A collectibles insurer says unused tickets with the whole ticket intact are the most valuable kind.
• A famous show. First shows, last shows and historic nights sell for more.
• Condition. Fading, creases, tears and bent corners lower the price. One Beatles ticket in great condition sold for $16,000. A similar one with a slight tear sold for $1,842.
• Grading. PSA grades tickets on a scale of 1 to 10.

Since about 2003, most tickets are scanned instead of torn. That made old paper stubs harder to find.

How to check what yours might sell for

Search eBay for the band, the year and "ticket", then filter to sold items. eBay says completed listings show items sold in the past 90 days. Prices that sold are a better guide than asking prices.