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The Early History of the American Express Card

The American Express story begins with the history of the company that launched what we know as the modern credit card phenomenon—Diners Club. In 1950, Frank McNamara was entertaining dinner guests at a New York City restaurant. When it came time to pay the bill, Frank reached for his wallet,...

7 Credit Card Collecting Tips

I’m often asked by new and existing collectors alike if I have any tips for collecting old credit cards, so here are seven of the rules I collect by… 1. Have a specialization Specialization is the key to successful collecting. Plan a collection that can be completed. Completeness tends to increase...

Are Credit Cards Worth Saving?

"Modern credit cards will never be worth anything," says the collector (or skeptic). "I disagree," is my reply.  "Well, maybe in 20 years they might," is the collector's response. Modern credit cards not worthless Why do some collectors think modern credit cards will be worthless? After quizzing them, here's what I've discovered. It's...

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...

Availability & Affordability of Credit Cards

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...

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