Multi-Interest Credit Cards

While looking through my collection, I came across an American Torch Club card. This particular card expired in 1970. The front of the card says, “Sponsored by the American Oil Company and the Diners Club.” The card was valid at all Standard, American, and Esso stations. It’s also honored as a Diners Club card anywhere in the world.

Gas & entertainment card collectors

The American Torch Club card is a card of interest for two major collecting fields. The gas card specialist must have one. You’ll probably also want it if you’re a travel and entertainment card collector.

I immediately started looking through my collection for other cards with multiple interest potential. I didn’t find any as impressive as the American Torch Club card, but I did find others.

Special, uniquely collectible designs

Travelodge had a card with a photo of a little girl asleep, hugging a teddy bear. Bears are a big collecting field! Many teddy bear collectors treat their stuffed friends like children.

I know that some teddy bear owners have American Express Gold Cards in their bear’s name. What teddy bear collector wouldn’t love a credit card with a picture of a bear? Obviously, this isn’t as strong an overlap as the Torch Club card, but there’s still a secondary interest involved.

Cards for airlines, automobile rentals & hotels

I discovered another card that, on its front, gives equal billing to Pacific Southwest Airlines, Hertz, and Hyatt Hotels. The back of the card states, “For flying, driving or sleeping.” Here’s a card that must be had by three fields: airlines, automobile rentals, and hotels.

It’s interesting to think about a collection of multi-interest credit cards. The collection would probably be small, but it would contain some important cards.

Potential for various fields of credit card collecting

There’s a lot of potential in credit cards that must be had by more than one collecting field. Be careful not to trade a multi-interest card for a common card. When it has to be had by two or more fields, it should greatly increase in value!

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