Sports fans are increasingly mourning the loss of paper tickets as stadiums across the United States move toward fully digital entry systems, with some collectors and designers working to preserve the tradition. The Los Angeles Dodgers recently announced they would stop printing paper tickets for season ticket holders, drawing criticism including from 81-year-old fan Errol Segal, who has used paper tickets for 50 years and does not own a smartphone, NBC News reported. Digital tickets became standard across the sports and entertainment industry during the 2010s, accelerated further by the COVID

Sports fans are increasingly mourning the loss of paper tickets as stadiums across the United States move toward fully digital entry systems, with some collectors and designers working to preserve the tradition.

The Los Angeles Dodgers recently announced they would stop printing paper tickets for season ticket holders, drawing criticism including from 81-year-old fan Errol Segal, who has used paper tickets for 50 years and does not own a smartphone, NBC News reported.

Digital tickets became standard across the sports and entertainment industry during the 2010s, accelerated further by the COVID-19 pandemic. While digital entry offers convenience and stronger buyer protections in the resale market, many fans say the shift has stripped away a tangible piece of the experience.

Josée Tellier, 50, from Quebec, Canada, still carries a ticket stub from her first-ever Montreal Expos game in 1986 — tucked inside a booklet next to a photo of her mother.

Josée Tellier’s Expos ticket from 1986, which she keeps with a photo of her mother. /NyTimes

"The ticket was the proof that you were there, that you felt the moment, that you saw that magic play," Tellier said.

In the collectibles market, rare paper tickets command significant prices. A 1947 stub from Jackie Robinson's debut sold in 2022 for $480,000, while a ticket from Michael Jordan's 1984 debut fetched $468,000 the same year.

Some stadiums still offer printed tickets on request, often at an additional cost. Paper tickets from Pittsburgh Pirates rookie Konnor Griffin's debut on April 3 are currently reselling for hundreds of dollars.

To fill the gap, several apps including Momento and Mementix have emerged, allowing fans to create digital scrapbooks of games and events they attended. Meanwhile, graphic designer Margaret Garrison has begun handcrafting custom paper ticket designs for teams including the Boston Bruins, posting her work on TikTok to widespread positive response.

“My husband and I were always going to games, and we’ve been to some really cool big games where we sat at the 50-yard line or glass-side at a hockey game,” said Garrison, who went on her first date with her husband at a Red Sox Opening Day game. “And I’m like, ‘All I have for this is a photo that I’m going to post on Instagram?’”

Margaret Garrison custom tickets

Margaret Garrison custom tickets. /NyTimes

"There is an absolute need, want and craving for physical commemorative tickets," Garrison said.

With the Expos long gone, Tellier now attends Montreal Canadiens games — QR code in hand. She once asked a stadium for a printed version of her ticket. They handed her an 8x11 sheet of paper with her digital ticket printed on it.

"I really wish we would go back to paper tickets," she said.

Additional reporting by NBC News.

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