1950 ticket stub for Colts-Steelers preseason NFL game

(Warning: The following post contains a lot of math. And it was not vetted.)

Here's a very cool ticket stub for the NFL preseason game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Colts that was played at 2 p.m. on Sunday, August 13, 1950, at Memorial Stadium.

The face value of the ticket is $5, which translates to a hefty $44.78 in 2010 dollars (for a preseason game!), according to The Inflation Calculator.

But what's more interesting to me is how the total of $5 was arrived at. The price of the ticket itself is $4.14, but then 83 cents in federal tax and 3 cents in state tax are added on. If I'm doing my math correctly, that means that a 20% federal tax and a 0.725% state tax were levied on the preseason football ticket.

The reverse side of the ticket stub is also interesting...

Sixty-two years ago, you could get a season ticket for all six Baltimore Colts games -- against the Redskins, Browns, Eagles, Packers, Giants and Lions -- for just $21.60. That's just $3.60 per game! (I'm not sure, however, if the 20% federal tax has already been included in these prices.)

In 2012, you cannot go to a Baltimore Ravens game for $3.60.¹

Season tickets for the Baltimore Ravens' 10 games (eight regular-season games and two preseason games) range from $550 to $3,500 per seat. That would be a mere $55 to $350 per game, but...

THAT'S NOT ALL!

In order to purchase Baltimore Ravens season tickets, you must make a one-time purchase of a Personal Seat License (PSL).² The cost of the PSL ranges from $750 to $8,000.

So, in total, if it's your first time purchasing Baltimore Ravens season tickets, you would be paying between $1,300 and $9,250 -- or $130 to $925 per game.

Think of all the wonderful ephemera you could buy with that kind of dough!

Footnotes
1. And $3.60 won't even get you one gallon of gasoline this morning.
2. The Baltimore Ravens website states: "The purpose of the sale of PSLs is directly related to costs that the team incurred in its move to Baltimore. These costs included corporate and personnel relocation, team relocation expenses, NFL league fees associated with the move and upgrades to the existing practice facility. PSL revenues covered about half of these costs, with the Ravens contributing the balance. Currently, PSL funds are used to maintain M&T Bank Stadium as a first-rate facility that our fans will enjoy for many years to come."