Q: I have a ticket stub from April 1996 that says, βTop of the World at the World Trade Center.β Does it have any value?
A: Ordinarily, ticket stubs from observation decks, restaurants, et cetera have only sentimental value. But smart collectors know this stub might be more significant because on Sept. 11, 2001, New Yorkβs WTC twin towers collapsed when hijacked jet airliners attacked.
Important stubs, programs and similar memorabilia fall into the category of paper ephemera. Paper and delicate items from significant sites, ceremonies or catastrophes can be important because paper is impermanent. Hence the tag βephemeraβ for things that are enjoyed or that exist for only a short time.
In this case, the stub is of interest through association. Devastation from the 9/11 attacks was so total that very little complete material survived from the twin towers. That makes what does exist important to some. Museum exhibits about the World Trade Center disaster do include small remains, such as ornaments from the towers and fragments of paper. Pre-attack items fill a nostalgia bill.
To answer the readerβs query, yes, the stub could have value. She could offer it to auction houses for inclusion in a books/manuscripts/documents sale. Or she could post it on an online auction where a worldwide market could call the shots on value.
When we looked, eBay had more than 1,000 listings for 9/11 and World Trade Center memorabilia, from $60-plus for original blueprints for the towers to $7.99 for a Manhattan boat tour box of matches. We found only four sold items, including a pre-9/11 boat tour brochure for $4.99. Another set of blueprints sold for $116. From results, itβs clear that items offered now are not survivors of the actual event. Of course, itβs those that buyers most want.
Our reader could also donate the stub to one of the 9/11 museums. They may accept tower-related items. One museum is on the tower site and another is housed in the Smithsonian. For info on the latter, key ο»Ώamhistory.si.edu/september11/collection/about.asp
Q: My land deed from 1811 is signed by President Monroe and James Madison. Any info?
A: I assume that this reader also wants info on value. The date indicates that his deed is early. Thatβs good, because at that time presidents and cabinet officers (Madison was then Secretary of State) still signed deeds in person. After the 1830s, secretaries and sometimes family members signed.
Smart collectors know that primary value of a land deed is based on the autograph value of the signer(s).
The problem here is that Madison/Monroe signatures are not hot items. Low demand keeps prices down. Ben Franklin and George Washington are another story.
Most retail dealers offer Madison/Monroe signed land grants for $1,000-$1,500. Results at auction tend to be more realistic.
I suggest shopping the deed to auctions that sell Americana and historic manuscripts.
