Phonecards are now available in more than 200 countries worldwide
Unused phonecards tend to be the most valuable. However, one phonecard, found discarded in a Scottish payphone, was sold for £850.
The most collectable phonecards are those which, like collectable stamps, feature interesting visuals. Commemorative phonecards are particularly popular.
Phonecard collecting has been christened `fusilately', from the nearest Latin word for plastic. In the US it's called Telegery.
Last year BT sold 30 million phonecards.
Around 1,800 different BT Phonecards have been produced.
There are more than four million collectors worldwide. In Japan there are now more people collecting phonecards than stamps.
The UK has an estimated 100,000 collectors.
A 1983 standard issue Taiwanese edition is the world's most expensive phonecard. It recently sold in Japan for £28,000.
Printing mistakes escalate the price of a card. One copy of an edition depicting a David Shepherd painting appeared without its border and signature. It has never been put up for sale and dealers say it is worth thousands of pounds.
BT's first 10 unit Phonecards sold for 1 in 1981. Today an unused one sells for £150.
There are five basic types of BT Phonecard:
1. The definitive basic green card which has changed nine times since
1981.
2. Branded cards which display the name and logo of the retailer (eg
Post Office, London Underground).
3. Special Cards produced by BT which commemorate times and events -
from Christmas to major sporting tournaments.
4. Advertising phonecards paid for by companies whose logo or message
is then reproduced on the front. These cards are sold in the shops
like any others.
5. Private promotional cards commissioned by organisations or
individuals, often in low quantities. They are generally given away to
customers and the press.
Phonecards Top Ten
News Release April, 1996
Phonecard collecting is set to become the UK's number one craze as `old cards' rocket in value as collector's items. The news follows the launch of BT's new `microchip' phonecards which will replace the existing phonecards which have been in use for 15 years. Rare edition BT Phonecards have already sold in the UK for up to £3,000. And there's even a name for collectors - fusilatelists.
Collectable cards which sell best are unused, preferably in `mint' condition. The phonecard `penny black' is a commemorative 100 unit card from the 1977 Muirfield golf tournament, which is now worth £3,000. One Taiwanese card recently went for £28,000 at auction in Japan.
There are already 100,000 phonecard collectors in the UK - and the number is set to soar, particularly among young people. The New BT Phonecards will stoke up interest in `old cards' and give beginners the chance to start collecting from scratch.
Steve Williams*, 47, one of Britain's most avid collectors, said: ``Some people will stop chasing new cards and try to complete their collections of the `originals'. ``But there'll also be newcomers who will see the introduction of the New BT Phonecards as a chance to launch their hobby. ``It's easy to see why phonecard collecting is becoming so popular. Cards are small, durable and visually striking. Every one is a miniature work of art.''
The relaunch represents the first change to the basic technology of the phonecard since `optical strip cards' were introduced in 1981. Over 1,800 different phonecards have been issued by BT since then including `definitive' green cards, commemorative editions, advertising cards launched by businesses and promotional sets designed to be given away.
The new look phonecards feature a tiny embedded gold-coloured microchip. They are inserted short side first like cashpoint cards - and are being phased in throughout the summer.
New payphones are being installed around the UK so the number that accept phonecards will jump by 44% to 62,000. And the number of multi-payment phones that take coins, BT Phonecards, credit cards and BT Chargecards will more than double to 25,000. This means BT customers will have a greater choice of ways to pay for calls. BT is monitoring usage of the old cards and keeping suitable payphones available until customers no longer need them.
*As well as being an avid collector, Steve Williams is the proprietor of South West Phonecards, England.