Blog

Availability & Affordability of Credit Cards

Jessica Clifton2022-08-05T10:25:04+01:00

It's easy to forget the incredible opportunity before us. Scarce and rare older cards are common. When these cards can be found they're almost always still affordable. It's easy to believe that these days will last forever. Remember though, cards are affordable only because of the currently small number of...

How To Protect Your Credit Card Collection

Jessica Clifton2022-07-21T17:53:53+01:00

Storing your credit cards properly is crucial in the long-term preservation of these items in pristine condition. Most collectors and ordinary credit card owners use soft polyvinyl-type storage holders. There’s nothing surprising about that, since these storage materials are readily available. They come in different sizes and can be used...

Gasoline Credit Cards

Jessica Clifton2022-07-15T08:56:13+01:00

The first paper gasoline credit card was issued by Texaco in 1914. Most of the other major oil companies, such as Humble (Exxon), Standard of California (Chevron), and Shell started their credit card operations in the 1920s. Most gasoline companies did not issue cards during World War II. After...

Paper Credit Cards: The Overlooked Rarities

Jessica Clifton2022-07-07T09:42:53+01:00

Charge coins and plastic credit cards are the pieces that most collectors desire. But what about credit cards made from paper? Why aren't collectors interested in them? Is it because no one wants them, or is it because they're so rare that few collectors know they exist? Few collectors realize...

Grading Credit Cards

Jessica Clifton2022-07-01T07:43:15+01:00

I’ve written the following grading standards for credit cards so you can understand the way I'm thinking. The standards I've written are merely to get a flow of ideas started, they aren’t official, but I believe they will help all of us sing from the same hymn sheet, so...

A Brief History of Credit Cards

Jessica Clifton2022-06-24T10:42:12+01:00

It's all ARCO's fault. They canceled their credit program and abolished the use of credit cards. As I sat there with my trusty scissors in hand, as per their instructions for cutting up their now obsolete credit card, a little voice deep inside this obsessed collector said, "Why are...