How to display concert tickets, wristbands and photos
Six ways to get them out of the drawer, what each one is good and bad at, and how to keep the tickets from fading.
Ticket stubs and wristbands are the best proof you were there. Most of them end up in a drawer or a shoebox. Here are six ways to put them on display, from the cheapest to the most protected, with an honest take on each.
1. Pin them to a tier list tapestry
Hang a tier list on the wall and pin every ticket in the row it deserves. The best night goes in S, the show with the bad sound goes in F. It turns a pile of stubs into an opinion, and you can move a pin any time.
- Good at: big collections, wristbands (they hang from a pin), adding new stuff every week
- Not great at: protecting a ticket you never want touched. A pin makes a small hole, so pin through a corner or the edge.
2. A shadow box or frame
Frames keep tickets flat, clean and out of the dust. A shadow box has depth, so a wristband or a guitar pick fits too.
- Good at: one or two shows that really matter
- Not great at: growing collections. Every new ticket means opening the frame or buying another one.
3. A ticket album or scrapbook
- Good at: protection, and keeping notes next to each ticket
- Not great at: actually seeing them. It lives on a shelf.
4. A pinboard
- Good at: quick and easy, and pins are reusable
- Not great at: looking like anything other than an office. There's no order to it.
5. String and clips
- Good at: cheap, works with photos too
- Not great at: heavy wristbands, and the line sags as you add more
6. Tape on the wall
- Good at: costs almost nothing
- Not great at: staying up, and tape can pull paint off when it comes down
Side by side
| Method | Holds a lot | Wristbands | Easy to add to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tier list tapestry | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Shadow box | No | Yes | No |
| Album | Yes | Some | Yes |
| Pinboard | Some | Yes | Yes |
| String and clips | Some | No | Yes |
| Tape | Some | No | Yes |
How to keep ticket stubs from fading
- Keep them out of direct sun. Many printed tickets are thermal paper, which fades with light and heat. A wall that never gets direct sun is the best spot.
- Take a photo of each ticket the night you get it, so the details survive even if the ink doesn't.
- Mobile tickets? Screenshot them and print the screenshot small, or pin up the wristband or the setlist instead.
- Pin through the corner, not the middle, so the artist and date stay readable.
Ready to rank every show you've been to? The Tier Board is a tier list tapestry made for exactly this. The 36 x 26 in rows hold about 10 concert tickets two high, and the XL 60 x 50 in holds about 30 per row.