artelergy is not a newly discovered disease. It's nothing but the simple pleasure of a pioneering hobby: collecting phonecards. It's what philately is to postage stamps. Cartelergy is one of today's fastest growing hobbies. Clubs have formed around the world and publications solely on phonecards have come up.
Phonecards are plastic cards, similar to a credit card in size but only thinner, which can be used to make local or interntional calls without operator assistance. The cards have a stored value (say, $100 worth of telephone time). When the "money" in the card runs out, the card is ejected, and another card is needed to continue.
Phonecards do away with the problem of carrying exact change, and for telecommunication providers, improve security. Vandal-prone coinphones are being phased out in favour of tamper-proof cardphones.
Pre-paid phonecards started in Italy in 1976. The card went to Hong Kong in 1984, China (1985), Singapore and Indonesia (1988), and Australia (1990). Recently, Fiji and Solomon Islands joined the club.
Betty Wai, HK Telecom's product manager of payphone services, said only 30 cardphones were originally installed.
"In our trial run in 1984, cardphones were mainly installed in our premises which were principally aimed for long-distance callers. Today, however, we have more than one thousand units positioned throught Hong Kong to serve the needs of the general public. To make our services even more convenient, we have provided most 7-eleven and Circle-K stores with cardphones. Phonecards in these places are sold over the counter 24 hours a day," says Wai.
The HK Telecom established the Phonecard Collector's Club in February, 1990. There are no dues, and today, there are about 5,000 registered local members and about 800 from overseas. Members receive updates on new issues and a mail order in three categories: Definitives, Commercial, and Limited Editions.
Definitives are issued for ordinary use and placed on sale in all outlets. Printed in great quantities, they remain on sale for long time. Interesting subjects featured so far are Hong Kong sceneries and various cultural events and objects.
The Commercial issues denote phonecards that are used to promote products and services. The first of these advertising cards were issued in May, 1990, with the logos of 7-Eleven and Circle-K printed on the back.
Limited Editions, as the name suggests, are produced in lesser quantities and often packaged for collectors. They commemorate events and personalities. Subjects include The Rugby Sevens, Mid-Autumn Festival, Dragon Boat Races, Christmas, and the Chinese New Year.
In 1992, Year of the Monkey, the first of the Zodiac Collection was issued. This series will culminate in the Year of the Ram, year 2003. As tribute to a retiring popstar, three phonecards issued feature Leslie Chung in concert.
Used phonecards trade anywhere from 15 to 30 per cent of their face value depending on denomination, condition, quantities printed and availability. Limited Editions sell for what the market will bear. The cards issued to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival last September (only 10,000 printed), with a face value of HK$50 is now traded at HK$150.
Cartelergy is not a newly discovered disease. It's nothing but the simple pleasure of a pioneering hobby: collecting phonecards. It's what philately is to postage stamps. Cartelergy is one of today's fastest growing hobbies. Clubs have formed around the world and publications solely on phonecards have come up.
