Availability & Affordability of Credit Cards

It’s easy to forget the incredible opportunity before us. Scarce and rare older cards are common. When these cards can be found they’re almost always still affordable. It’s easy to believe that these days will last forever.

Remember though, cards are affordable only because of the currently small number of collectors. Even a few hundred serious new collectors entering the market as buyers can dry up the available supply. This would have a tendency to push prices through the ceiling.

Be aware that things are changing rapidly in the credit card collecting hobby. Faster than most collectors conceive. Let me point out some of these changes.

Why is the card collecting hobby market changing?

1. Publicity

First, consider that new collectors are entering the hobby daily. This is because of publicity. Publicity from numerous directions and sources.

Collecting credit cards is being embraced by the numismatists. Currently, the majority of CREDIT CARD COLLECTOR subscribers have a numismatic background. COIN WORLD regularly runs articles about CCC and credit card collecting.

The hobby is making progress into the field of collectibles, and news of the credit card collecting hobby is entering the mainstream business press.

2. Attitude of collectors

The second change is the attitude of the credit card collector. When I first saw credit card collecting articles the writers were apologetic for having such an “unusual” interest. Even one “professional” writer simply belittled the credit card collector. All of this has ended.

Credit card collecting has earned its place of recognition as a young and growing hobby. I’m now waiting to see the next phase. The evolution of the proud collector. That’s the self-satisfied and confident collector who shares his collecting experiences with others by saying, “I’ve collected cards for years. I started back in…”. The fascinating part is that there will be an intent listening audience!

3. The investor-collector

And third, a new phenomenon has appeared. It’s called the “credit card investor”. The investor I spoke to wasn’t interested in the “slow” accumulating approach more commonly called “collecting”. He wanted a collection of older cards and he wanted them now! I unfortunately (or fortunately) turned him off by telling him there weren’t any dealers in the hobby. He wouldn’t be able to get out his check book and buy an instant collection.

This matter of credit card investing is quite serious. The only thing keeping investors out of the hobby is the lack of dealers. Keep in mind that it’s only a matter of time before dealers will be appearing. To support the expenses of a dealer means that prices will have risen tremendously. By that time you may not be able to afford the pieces you desire.

Spend time and effort in the credit card collecting hobby to adapt

Begin immediately to search for the pieces you need. Sure, it takes effort, but specimens are affordable when they can be found.

You’re going to have to spend time and money to find the cards you want. You need to run ads in hobby publications and scour eBay. Remember, if you didn’t have to work for this opportunity it wouldn’t be here.

If this sounds like too much work, then fine. But don’t forget, others are doing it. It’s like Robert Furman once told me, “Credit card collecting will evolve, with or without you.”

Seize the opportunity while it lasts

The opportunity to find affordable rarities exists today, but it will take effort. It’s possible that if you don’t own the card soon, you may not be able to afford to own it. To paraphrase Benjamin Franklin, “Take care of your collection and your collection will take care of you.”

Copyright 1987 by Greg Tunks

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Frequently asked questions

You can find out the value of old credit cards by checking how much similar cards sell for. There are several ways to do this.

The simplest way to determine the value of old credit cards is to ask an experienced collector. If you submit an inquiry via our contact form, we can connect you with an expert who can assist you and point out if there is anything rare or unusual in your collection.

Alternatively, you can become a member of the American Credit Card Collectors Society. Membership in our credit card collecting club provides access to resources and knowledgeable members who can help. Benefits of membership include access to a gallery containing thousands of cards with historical pricing information, and access to our entire collection of newsletters, from 1994 through the present day.

You can look at recent sales on auction sites, however, there are some considerations to keep in mind when doing this. Firstly, it’s important to look at selling prices, rather than asking prices. Selling prices are the prices people actually paid, while asking prices can be very different. Secondly, historical sales on some sites are only saved for 3 months, so you may not find something that exactly matches what you have. Thirdly, it is sometimes possible to see rare or unusual cards sell for lower prices than they should have because people do not understand their worth, the ads don't do justice to the card, they're listed in the wrong category, or any combination thereof.

There are always people in our club who are actively buying cards. Collectors tend to focus on a niche, like gas cards or retail cards, or they might focus on a slightly broader area, like bank cards or travel and entertainment cards. Many of the rarest or most unusual cards will exchange hands in private sales. Please contact us if you are thinking of selling your collection.

You can also sell your old credit cards on online marketplaces. You will get the highest price if you sell each of your cards individually, although this approach requires the most effort. At the opposite end of the effort scale would be selling all cards as a job lot, an approach which typically results in the lowest price on a per-card basis. Halfway between these two approaches would be to group cards into different categories and to sell these individual groups, e.g., BankAmericard, Master Charge, oil and gas, retail, and so on.

To join the club, visit the membership section and complete the registration form. You can pay by check or PayPal. We offer annual or lifetime memberships. If you have any questions please contact us via the form on our website.

Credit cards are more worthwhile collecting if they are rare, in good condition, have historical significance, or are associated with famous personalities or events. Valuable modern cards might include those that are difficult to obtain, such as American Express Centurion (a.k.a. ‘black’) cards, while older credit cards might include early independent bank cards, American Express, Diners Club, or BankAmericard (Visa) cards from the 50s/early 60s, or Master Charge (MasterCard) cards from the late 60s. Rare or unusual cards can also be sought after, such as those issued in small numbers, like small independent department stores or gas stations, or cards with appealing aesthetics.

Consulting with other collectors or experts in the club can provide valuable insights. Contact us for more information via the form on our website.

We do not offer an appraisal service in a traditional sense (such services are normally a paid service) but we can connect you with an expert who should be able to assist for free and point out anything rare or unusual in your collection. The simplest way to do this is to submit an inquiry via our contact form.

The American Credit Card Collectors Society accepts donations and is most grateful for any we receive. When donations happen, we strive to find good homes for cards where they will be looked after, matching cards with collectors who will appreciate them. The club may charge members a nominal fee for donated cards, and the proceeds are offset against the running costs of our club. We are a non-profit organization. Running costs include expenses like our convention and website hosting. Donations are most popular for people getting out of the hobby, or when someone has inherited a collection and doesn’t know what to do with it.

If you wish to donate your collection, please contact us via the contact form above.

American Credit Card Collectors Society