Is Your Credit Card Collection Really Complete?

It’s wonderful to be involved in a hobby in its early stages. As you continually improve and enlarge your credit card collection, it’s easy to feel satisfied with your accomplishments. But are you really doing the best job possible?

Collecting additional credit-related items

Let me point out an area you may not be aware of. There are several credit-related items you can acquire to add fascination and value to your collection. The best part is that some of these non-credit additions are free.

Save the mailing envelope and contents

One important free addition to your credit card collection is saving the mailing envelope in which new credit cards arrive. You can open the envelope neatly with a letter opener.

Be sure to save all the papers inside the envelope. The original envelope and enclosures will help authenticate your cards and make your collection more complete. Mailing envelopes with their enclosed documents are on the top of the list of items that add value and interest to a credit card.

One note of caution: The papers in the envelope contain as much information as the card itself. As a matter of fact, they may contain more. They have your credit limit and sometimes your personal identification number necessary for cash withdrawals. Protect the papers as you would the card itself.

Collect credit card application forms

Another item to save is the credit application for a credit card. Applications are free and available in unlimited quantities. The credit application will complement the mint condition card, mailing envelope, and terms of agreement.

Credit applications of today are generally quite attractive. Some applications carry a colored photo or drawing of the card itself. Credit applications should make a welcome addition to any collection.

Let’s place everything written to now into perspective so the full significance can be grasped. An example would be if you had the opportunity to view a 1958 American Express card. Just the card itself is exciting. But then you notice the card was taken from the original mailing envelope pose marked Oct. 1, 1958. The thrill of examining the envelope and enclosed credit agreement is as exciting as viewing the card Itself!

For a final bit of excitement, you notice another piece of paper. It’s the first American Express credit application. Here’s American Express explaining why you should carry their $6 annual fee paperboard card.

Completing the set for your credit card collection

The credit card, mailing envelope with enclosures, and credit application make an interesting and historical set. The more supporting documents an item has, the more desirable and valuable it becomes. Besides, the idea of saving mailing envelopes, enclosures and applications doesn’t cost one cent to carry out. 

And there are even more items you can add to your collection that will be very exciting to own in the years ahead.

Collect the related promotional items

American Express, for example, has issued a wide variety of items made to look like their charge card. Items such as clocks, radios, luggage tags, and calculators have been sold. American Express is probably the most enthusiastic issuer of credit card-related items. Macy’s has also issued a key ring with a metal representation of their credit card attached. There’s even a Macy’s soap-on-a-rope in the image of a credit card!

Beach towels have been manufactured to look like credit cards. There are Harrods (London), Bloomingdale’s, and American Express credit card towels. Charge coin collectors should also watch for related items to acquire.

One collector mentioned to me that he had purchased a charge coin purse. He said:

It has six little sections to hold the coins, three on either side. The center section holds your ID card and swings to either side. Each section the coins are in, is covered with a celluloid window as is the center name plate holder. This is the first one I’ve seen so far.

Look for credit card-related publications

Another interesting credit card collecting area is the literature and publications from the hobby’s early stages. Anything that has to do with the development of the hobby in its early years should be saved; saved in the best condition possible.

Vantage point in “future” retrospect

When forming your well-rounded credit card collection, view the hobby as though you are in the future looking back. Picture a hobby with full time credit piece dealers. Imagine an annual National Credit Card Collectors’ Show with thousands of people attending. 

From this angle of vision, form your collection. What do you think these collectors will be interested in from our day and age? Is it something you would enjoy owning? That’s what you should consider collecting!

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