C) Will common or definitive cards be included; d) what is your preference for cards, that is do you want cards on a particular theme or from a
D) What is your preference for cards, that is, do you want cards on a
particular theme or from particular country or, conversely, do you not want cards on a particular theme or from a particular country;
E) What will you do if either of you is not happy with the exchange - exchanges should be fair to both people and one person should not try to make a 'profit' at the expense of the other.
Cards can be bought from dealers and, as with everything else, there are good and bad dealers. Take some time to find a dealer you are comfort able doing business with. Talk to other collec tors and get their opinions but do not rely totally on them as they may be looking for something different in a dealer than you are. When you think you have found a dealer you are happy with, request his price list and check it against other dealers prices - check his method of payment and his policy on retuming cards you are not satified with. Does he send replacement cards immediately without argument or is he reluctant to replace crads? Does he charge your credit card OR cash your cheques immediately he receives your order or does he wait until he has posted your cards (a 'good' dealer should only charge your card OR cash your cheque when he has posted your order, after all, why should he have both your money and your cards?). All this checking may all sound like a lot of trouble but a little research now may save you a lot of trouble later on.
When cards are issued in sets, always collect or build up the complete set. A set of cards is usually worth more than the total of the individual cards in the set. There will probably be a 'key' card in most sets. This is the card which is most difficult to obtain and is usually, but not always, the highest denomination card in the set. Always get the 'key' card!
One final comment on obtaining used cards - always obtain the finest quality available to you. It is pointless buying or exchanging damaged cards as they are of little or no value. Always get the best you can afford!
Storage - now that you have all these cards, you will want to store and display them properly and, inevitably, there are several things you
should be aware of here, the most important of which is the material used.
The most popular way of storing and displaying cards seems to be in plastic sleeves which are then kept in a file or folder. It is very important to ensure that the plastic used to make these sleeves does not contain a solvent or plasticiser (which are used to give flexibility).Over a period of time, the solvent OR plasticiser migrates of leaches out of the plastic and into any object inside the sleeve. The solvent can cause damage to both the cards itself and to the dyes used for printing the card. If you want an example of what can happen, look at old colour photographs which have been stored in albums with flexible plastic windows. The following points will help you recognise if a plastic sleeve contains solvent or plasticiser:
A) the sleeves will most probably be flexible;
B) the sides of the sleeve may be stuck together;
C) over time, the plastic will become brittle as the plasticiser leaches out.
Several companies are now producing albums and plastic leaves for the storage and display of telephone cards but check carefully that the plastic used does not contain the dreaded solvent OR plasticiser. Business card holders are not considered suitable for storage as the plastics used in their construction most probably will contain a solvent or plasticiser.
It has been suggested by a Food Chemist in New Zealand that the best materials to use for long term storage are tissue paper and aluminium foil. Wrap the cards first in good quality tissue paper and then in aluminium foil.
Paper based albums are probably the most suitable for both storage and display providing that they do not have flexible plastic windows which contain solvent or plasticiser. I do not know whether there is any risk in ordinary paper or cardboard in these albums made with acid-free cardboard and paper are available, they should be used in preference to other albums.
I hope these hints and tips are of some use to some people and I wish you all happy collecting!
Lifted from International Phonecard Exhibition Program, 7-9 May 1993
