The Economy And Collectible Credit Piece Prices

There are several fundamental things to keep in mind when determining the impact of the economy on our credit card collecting hobby.

The size of the hobby

First, consider the hobby’s size. Unlike several large hobbies, where a 10% decline in the number of collectors can translate into thousands and even tens-of-thousands of lost buyers, we have no such problem.

If this hobby were to experience a 10% drop in the number of collectors, it would probably prove to be a relative non-event. Remember, the collectors that drop-away here are usually the new ones that are just “checking-out” the hobby. The dedicated collectors usually stay around, and that’s what counts.

Growth rate of dedicated collectors

The second thing to keep in mind is because of this hobby’s size, most of the “big” buying is done by a few dozen collectors, and those people are constantly being added to. 

Since we continue to add new collectors on a regular basis, some of those novices become dedicated collectors. So, the number of dedicated collectors is constantly growing, not in leaps-and-bounds but in a good slow steady growth.

The way to understand the importance of slow and steady growth is by relating it to the St. Louis Cardinals NFL Visa price increases.

It took two years for eight Mint cards to sell. Obviously, not a runaway growth. But when you look at the numbers, an item that initially was free or had a low cost of $6.25 per card you start dealing with mind boggling percentage gains when considering the recent price of $250.00.

But remember, a slow steady growth in that one card’s popularity equates to one of the hottest items ANY collectible field will probably see this decade.

So, a slow and steady growth with the addition of new dedicated collectors on a regular basis translates into a strong and growing hobby with rising prices.

Quality of collectors

The third thing to keep in mind is the quality of the people in this hobby. This is mainly an adult hobby. The adults we attract are mainly credit-worthy. That’s why they’re often attracted and have an interest in credit cards.

When you’re dealing with a group of adults who are credit-worthy, and generally highly credit worthy since the nature of this hobby is to amass as many new accounts as possible, then you’re dealing with people who probably have lots of money or at least have access to it through credit lines.

It’s not unusual to talk to collectors who have 20 to 50 current bank card accounts. Credit lines of $5,000.00 to $25,000.00 per account is common. As you can see, many collectors have large sums of money available to them. It’s just the nature of the hobby.

Number of buyers

The next thing to keep in mind is that many “high” priced pieces have only one or two buyers for them at a time. Basically, all this hobby needs is a handful of buyers at any one time. That will cover most of the major specialization fields our hobby offers.

In other words, there are always buyers, not great numbers of them, but we don’t need large numbers since credit pieces are scarce, particularly the high priced ones.

Again, think about the St. Louis card. Just a few buyers over a period of time and you have a prized piece in strong hands. Examples of other areas in our hobby can be given, maybe not as dramatic, but still this is just to illustrate what adult collectors with money, whose numbers are being added to on a regular basis can accomplish.

Market supply and demand

One last important point to be made about our hobby’s strength is since we’re dealing with collectors with money, there doesn’t seem to be much selling pressure. The pieces are bought, locked into collections and most of these buyers have no intention of selling those pieces in the next 20 years.

A hobby with a growing number of collectors that have money and no intention of selling is the basis of a very strong collectible that could have an extremely bright future. At this time, the bad economic health of this country appears to have little impact on collectible credit piece prices.

Copyright 1991, Greg Tunks

Contact Us


Got questions about your credit cards?

Wondering if your cards are valuable?

Looking to sell, trade, or donate your cards?

Send us a message

acc_512

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