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Dave Youhanaie is the founder of Dave Buys Ticket Stubs (DBTS) and a nationally recognized vintage ticket dealer and ticket historian dedicated to preserving the physical artifacts of sports, music, and popular culture.
What began as a personal passion for collecting ticket stubs grew into one of the largest vintage ticket operations in the country. Today, Youhanaie has bought, sold, researched, and evaluated hundreds of thousands of tickets spanning more than a century of history, from everyday games and concerts to artifacts connected to some of the most significant moments in sports and entertainment.
His expertise lies not simply in identifying old tickets, but in understanding the history behind them. A seemingly ordinary ticket can document a Hall of Famer’s debut, a record-breaking performance, a championship, a legendary concert, or an event whose significance wasn’t apparent until years later. Youhanaie’s research focuses on connecting these physical artifacts to the moments and stories that give them meaning.
Through DBTS, Youhanaie works with collectors, families, estates, and lifelong season-ticket holders across the United States, purchasing collections ranging from a handful of tickets discovered in an attic to historically significant pieces valued in the tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars. His business sells more than 500 vintage tickets in a typical week, giving him an unusually broad, real-time perspective on collector demand and the evolving ticket market.
Youhanaie is also an advocate for preserving physical tickets at a time when digital ticketing has made the traditional paper ticket increasingly obsolete. Through the company’s #SaveTheStubs mission, he encourages people to look twice before discarding old tickets, scrapbooks, and collections that may represent irreplaceable pieces of cultural history.
Based in the Chicago area and a lifelong sports fan, Youhanaie is particularly passionate about the stories that exist at the intersection of history, collecting, and nostalgia. Whether researching an overlooked ticket from an ordinary regular-season game or handling an artifact connected to an iconic moment, his philosophy remains simple: every ticket tells a story—and some of the best stories are hiding in plain sight.
What inspired you to build “Dave Buys Ticket Stubs”?
I’ve always loved history and collecting. I’ve kept ticket stubs from every game I’ve attended, and during the pandemic I started collecting Super Bowl tickets. Once I completed that collection, I moved on to World Series tickets, All-Star Game tickets, NBA Finals tickets, and no-hitter tickets.
I became fascinated by the stories connected to these old pieces of paper. At the same time, it broke my heart to see people throwing old ticket stubs away every day.
That’s when I realized there could be a way to preserve these pieces of history while also helping people get cash for collections they no longer wanted. I started a service that allowed people to sell their old ticket stubs instead of throwing them away.
What challenges did you overcome at the beginning of your journey?
The biggest challenge was convincing people that a vintage ticket stub buying service was legitimate. No one had really heard of this type of service before, so I had to earn people’s trust and show them that their tickets would be handled properly.
After about a year, I had developed a strong customer base and a working system. Then my business partner and I went our separate ways, and I had to essentially start over.
That nearly ended the business, but I decided to keep going. Persistence allowed me to rebuild it into what it is today.
What is unique about your business?
Our business takes something many people think is worthless and turns it into something valuable.
People might have an old cigar box filled with ticket stubs and assume it’s just junk. But those tickets can contain incredible stories and, in some cases, significant monetary value.
We have a database containing more than 100,000 games and events, which allows us to research large collections efficiently and uncover the hidden stories that drive value.
I’m also excited to see more people from the sports card collecting world becoming interested in ticket stubs. There’s something special about holding a physical connection to a specific moment in history.
Is there anything you would have done differently when starting?
I would have believed in myself sooner.
I’ve learned that persistence pays off, but persistence is much easier when you’re connected to something that genuinely matters to you. Adversity is going to show up no matter which path you choose, so you need a reason strong enough to keep you moving when things become difficult.
If I could go back, I would have trusted my vision and started pursuing it sooner.
What advice would you give to someone trying to become an entrepreneur?
Take action.
You can read every book, make every plan, and visualize your goals all day, but if you don’t actually get up and do something, nothing changes.
I believe in moving toward my goals every single day, even if it’s only one small step. I’d also encourage people to cut out the noise and ruthlessly prioritize what matters most. We all have the same limited number of hours in a day, so spend them on the things that move you, your family, or your business forward.
What are the qualities of a good entrepreneur?
Persistence is probably the most important quality.
Entrepreneurship is hard, and eventually things become difficult enough that quitting becomes tempting. The people who succeed are often the ones who simply keep going.
But persistence requires passion. You have to care deeply enough about what you’re building that you would almost do it for free. When your work brings you joy and feels connected to your calling, it’s much easier to keep going when things stop being easy.
How do you define success?
My three greatest skills are positivity and energy, goal-setting, and time management.
I try to believe there’s a solution to almost every problem. When something doesn’t work, I learn from it, adjust, and keep moving. I also like setting clear goals and breaking big objectives into smaller steps.
For me, success means having the freedom to live life on my own terms while making a positive impact on the people around me. Business and financial success are important, but they’re not the finish line. Taking care of my family, controlling my time, enjoying the life I’m creating, and treating people well are what really matter.
What’s your favorite book or podcast, and why?
One podcast I’ve gotten tremendous value from is Coaching for Leaders with Dave Stachowiak.
I appreciate that it focuses on the human side of leadership rather than simply managing tasks or chasing results. It’s helped shape how I think about coaching, communication, feedback, and developing people.
One of the biggest lessons I’ve taken from it is that great leadership isn’t about having all the answers. It’s about creating an environment where other people can become better.
What is one strategy that has helped you grow your business or advance in your career?
One strategy that has helped me tremendously is assuming positive intent.
It takes confidence to believe that people generally aren’t trying to get you and are instead trying to do the right thing. Approaching employees, customers, and disagreements from a place of trust rather than suspicion has helped me build much stronger relationships.
I’ve also learned to treat failure as part of the process. Every failure teaches me something about what doesn’t work, which helps me refine my understanding of what does.
TL;DR by Youhanaie
I believe persistence is essential to success, but lasting persistence comes from doing work that genuinely brings you joy and meaning. Believe in yourself, take action every day, and keep moving forward even when things get difficult. Most importantly, focus on serving people and creating genuine value for them. Build your business around that principle, and growth tends to follow.
