Why Market Manipulation & Hobby Hype Hurts Everyone

There are ways to identify the difference between a true market movement and manipulated price action in a collectible. In a true movement of prices, meaning when a collectible is in an up-trend, look for prices to move up across the board. All prices should move-up in value; not necessarily at the same rate though. 

For a collectible to be considered in a strong market, all the pieces should move up in price: the low, middle, and high-condition pieces, whether they’re common or rare. The percentage gains in the different categories won’t be the same, but all prices should move forward. 

What does a manipulated market look like?

To identify a manipulated collectible market, look for only one segment of the market to move forward. In the most common cases of collectible manipulation, only the quality pieces advance. Everything else remains stagnant.

The reason is most market manipulation comes from dealers moving the market. Quality pieces are generally the easiest to sell. When dealers are manipulating a market it’s important for them to have pieces that are highly liquid. This allows them to get in and out of the market quickly.

Since it’s dealers manipulating the market, they’re only able to move one segment. Generally, the segment that’s moved up is the quality pieces since there are fewer of them, which makes them easier to manipulate. Quality pieces are also the ones dealers are able to generate the most profits on.

The high-priced quality segment is generally manipulated since record prices bring front page news in collectible publications. This helps keep the market “hot.”

Occasionally, hobby publications will help with the manipulation by running articles to support the premise of a hot market. These articles are often based on a surface truth, such as a reporting of an important story where a correction doesn’t follow to set the facts straight. 

What to watch out for

When only high-priced and quality pieces are moving forward, be careful; it’s generally a classic case of market manipulation. It’s often identifiable by a quick upward movement in prices followed by a quick severe price drop since there’s no true support.

Hobbies that use manipulation to move prices are increasingly coming under the scrutiny of the Federal government. Much like stocks and commodities, which are regulated and watched for artificial price movements, the Federal government is now keeping close track on the antique and collectible market looking for signs of manipulation. Indictments have already taken place in some of the manipulated areas of the antique field.

Artificial price movements hurt everyone. When the government comes into one area and places regulations to clean it up, often the new rules will apply to everyone, even those not involved with the fleecing of the public. 

Hobbies that allow dealer manipulation of their markets, which is sometimes supported by hype in publications, are fooling no one. The government is watching and prepared to step-in. It’s time to stop before everyone is penalized by the amateurish manipulation antics of a few.

Copyright 1989 by Greg Tunks

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Frequently asked questions

You can find out the value of old credit cards by checking how much similar cards sell for. There are several ways to do this.

The simplest way to determine the value of old credit cards is to ask an experienced collector. If you submit an inquiry via our contact form, we can connect you with an expert who can assist you and point out if there is anything rare or unusual in your collection.

Alternatively, you can become a member of the American Credit Card Collectors Society. Membership in our credit card collecting club provides access to resources and knowledgeable members who can help. Benefits of membership include access to a gallery containing thousands of cards with historical pricing information, and access to our entire collection of newsletters, from 1994 through the present day.

You can look at recent sales on auction sites, however, there are some considerations to keep in mind when doing this. Firstly, it’s important to look at selling prices, rather than asking prices. Selling prices are the prices people actually paid, while asking prices can be very different. Secondly, historical sales on some sites are only saved for 3 months, so you may not find something that exactly matches what you have. Thirdly, it is sometimes possible to see rare or unusual cards sell for lower prices than they should have because people do not understand their worth, the ads don't do justice to the card, they're listed in the wrong category, or any combination thereof.

There are always people in our club who are actively buying cards. Collectors tend to focus on a niche, like gas cards or retail cards, or they might focus on a slightly broader area, like bank cards or travel and entertainment cards. Many of the rarest or most unusual cards will exchange hands in private sales. Please contact us if you are thinking of selling your collection.

You can also sell your old credit cards on online marketplaces. You will get the highest price if you sell each of your cards individually, although this approach requires the most effort. At the opposite end of the effort scale would be selling all cards as a job lot, an approach which typically results in the lowest price on a per-card basis. Halfway between these two approaches would be to group cards into different categories and to sell these individual groups, e.g., BankAmericard, Master Charge, oil and gas, retail, and so on.

To join the club, visit the membership section and complete the registration form. You can pay by check or PayPal. We offer annual or lifetime memberships. If you have any questions please contact us via the form on our website.

Credit cards are more worthwhile collecting if they are rare, in good condition, have historical significance, or are associated with famous personalities or events. Valuable modern cards might include those that are difficult to obtain, such as American Express Centurion (a.k.a. ‘black’) cards, while older credit cards might include early independent bank cards, American Express, Diners Club, or BankAmericard (Visa) cards from the 50s/early 60s, or Master Charge (MasterCard) cards from the late 60s. Rare or unusual cards can also be sought after, such as those issued in small numbers, like small independent department stores or gas stations, or cards with appealing aesthetics.

Consulting with other collectors or experts in the club can provide valuable insights. Contact us for more information via the form on our website.

We do not offer an appraisal service in a traditional sense (such services are normally a paid service) but we can connect you with an expert who should be able to assist for free and point out anything rare or unusual in your collection. The simplest way to do this is to submit an inquiry via our contact form.

The American Credit Card Collectors Society accepts donations and is most grateful for any we receive. When donations happen, we strive to find good homes for cards where they will be looked after, matching cards with collectors who will appreciate them. The club may charge members a nominal fee for donated cards, and the proceeds are offset against the running costs of our club. We are a non-profit organization. Running costs include expenses like our convention and website hosting. Donations are most popular for people getting out of the hobby, or when someone has inherited a collection and doesn’t know what to do with it.

If you wish to donate your collection, please contact us via the contact form above.

American Credit Card Collectors Society