So after all those years, are my Callcards valuable?...


Author: Nick RankinCreated: Saturday, November 24th 2012, 3:55 pm Modified: Monday, November 29th 2021, 1:05 pm

So after all those years, are my Callcards valuable?...

A question I have been asked quite a bit lately is this. Unfortunately in the majority of cases I get asked, the answer is no. Telecom Eireann (and Eircom) released different kinds of cards throughout the years, with a mix of trial, definitive, private and general release cards. In this short guide I am going to provide very broad but useful information and tables you can use to find out if the cards you have are valuable or not.

callcardsvalue

When a Limited Edition is not limited at all!

Many people have the Garth Brooks, Diana Ross,Tina Turner, Aladdin and Blink (Wonder what happened to them?) Callcards in their collection. Printed quite prominently on the front of each of these cards is “Limited Edition”. Unfortunately these particular cards are far from being a “limited edition”, but rather the term limited edition was used to signify Telecom Eireann’s partnership with EMI music to produce “band” cards, and market them as a collector’s item for the fans.

All the cards mentioned above in mint condition should be worth a few euro, but used would not be worth much if anything. Please refer to the Card List to see how many of the particular card was made.

Of course just to confuse us all Telecom Eireann did bring out a card with Limited Edition stated which was in fact limited! The 1050 Cable & Wireless card only had 10, 000 made, and is considerably rarer than the above.

Sure that card looks lovely, marks a special event, has a nice design, it must be valuable?

Ironically enough it would be the plainer, boring Callcards that tend to be the more valuable. All of the Disney Callcards (with the exception of 1261 Tarzan Special) are general releases with massive amounts produced. Phonecards that were made to commemorate Clinton’s historic visit, The Foxford Woolen Mills, the 1994 World Cup or Gay Byrnes last Late Late Show cards are all very common.

The earlier the Callcard the more valuable they are…

Early Callcards

Older Callcards, particularly the earlier trial Callcards and some  very early cards (the Rock of Cashel, All-Ireland Hurling and Football, the Shamrock, Limerick Treaty) are rare and fetch quite a bit these days, particularly in good condition. Depending on the card of course, some trial cards would fetch into the hundreds (the IMI cards).

An interesting point to make here is that not all Callcards came wrapped. Not one of the trial cards was issued in a plastic wrapper and many of the early cards (the Rock of Cashel, All-Ireland Hurling and Football, the Shamrock, Limerick Treaty) never came wrapped.

So how does one find out if the card is mint? For the Dublin or Limerick trials, that would be impossible, however a card reader may be used to check unwrapped callcards for units. These readers are quite difficult to come by.

 
 
 

callcards value

Some examples of valuable early cards (and how they sold recently)

Callcard Price Range Mint/Used
Cork FITCE  €60-90 MINT/Used
Irish Management Institute (IMI) Ireland's Europe 20 units  €180-250 MINT/Used
Irish Management Institute (IMI) Ireland's Europe 50 units  €350-500 MINT/Used
Irish Management Institute (IMI) New Ways for the Nineties  €20-25 MINT
Black Back Cottage (Train Trial)  €35-55 MINT/Used
Royal Hospital Kilmainham  €40-60 MINT
Rock of Cashel  €15-28 MINT
All Ireland Football/Hurling  €15-30 MINT
Shamrock (La Le Padraig)  €10-20 MINT
The Limerick Treaty  €10-20 MINT
 

Cards I am commonly asked about regarding value

Callcard Price Range Mint/Used
Garth Brooks  €1-3 MINT
Gay Byrne (Late Late Show)  €1-3 MINT
Boyzone  €1-2 MINT
Diana Ross  €1-3 MINT
Cottage (certain variations more valuable than others)  €1-5 MINT
Tina Turner  €1-3 MINT
Niamh from Tir Na Nog  €1-2 MINT
Irish Horse Racing (certain variations more valuable than others)  €1-5 MINT
Blink (EMI Music)  €1-2 MINT
Aladdin  €1-2 MINT

This list will be updated as often as people contact me. Why don't you contact me for a collection appraisal?

For other Callcards, a more general value range can be viewed in the tables below. Feel free to use the Card List to cross check the table with your collection.

General Trial card releases table (5, 10, 20, 50, 100 Unit)

Unit

Price Range

5

€7-€50

10

€3-€12

20

€5-€15

50

€10-€24

100

€20-€50

 

 

Tip!: Mint Callcards

Mint Callcards (i.e: ones that are still in their plastic wrapper) will fetch more than a used card in the majority of cases. Remember that not all Callcards came wrapped, and a card reader would be necessary to show if a card is mint with units or not. There are some very rare exceptions to this rule.

 

 

General Release Cards (100, 000-1, 000,000)

Unit

Used Price Range

Mint Price Range

5

€1-€4

€2-€6

10

-

€1.50-€5

20

-

€2.50-€7

50

€.50-€3

€7.50-€11

100

€.50-€3

€17-€24

Special Release Cards (10, 000-99, 000) 

Unit

Used Price Range

Mint Price Range

5

€1-€15

€4-€20

10

€1-€12

€2-€16

20

€1-€12

€2.50-€7

50

€1-€11

€8.50-€16

100

€1.50-€15

€18-€40

 

Please note that prices listed here are guidelines. The callcard market is very changeable, and values of cards to go up and down.

You can also refer to the Card List to see how many of a particular callcard were made. If you want to contact me for help please click here or send an email to nick@irishcallcards.net. I will do my best to value your collection.

Has this guide helped you? I hope it did! If you would like to show your appreciation please click here for options.


Leave a comment...

Knopek Avatar
Knopek
Posted - 11 years ago

I joined adverts.ie last night after finding my collection after 15 years. I listed some cards and got an offer of 2 euro for the plus E1 free card. I have 1,000 cards and this is the only one of these and its used. How do I know if its the right price. Name on adverts is yvonnebb I have manx tt 90th annbiversary ones in a special folder form 1997 and also 98 ones in folder. I have to start somewhere, Great to find this site, Limeridk/clare area. List of cards on adverts.ie


Knopek Avatar
Knopek
Posted - 11 years ago

I have a thousand call cards from Ireland. Uk, isle of man, jersey, europe, middle east, carrivean japan etc. I put pics on adverts.ie yvonnebb is the name there. I got one offer of 2 euro for a plus one euro free eircom call card with a price of 7 euro on it. its used. In the thousand cards its the only one of these I have, How do I know if it is the correct price, I also have a nice collection of Manx tt racing 97 for the 90th anniversary in a special folder, Perfect but used. also manx tt 98 ones in folder, I only took these out last night after 15 years. So this is my first day, Great to find the site.


Nick Rankin Avatar
Nick Rankin (Administrator)
Posted - 11 years ago

Quoting Leo Malone
HI I HAVE OVER 100 CALLCARDS STILL IN THE WRAPPERS HOW CAN I SELL THEM

Hi Leo,

You can sell them on here if you like! Check out the Market tab on this website to ad a free advertisement. You can also use the likes of ebay or adverts.ie, I would recommend adverts. If you want an idea of value you can make a new post on our forum and attach photos of your cards to it, or feel free to email me nick@irishcallcards.net is my email :)

Nick


Leo Malone Avatar
Leo Malone
Posted - 11 years ago

HI I HAVE OVER 100 CALLCARDS STILL IN THE WRAPPERS HOW CAN I SELL THEM


Nick Rankin Avatar
Nick Rankin (Administrator)
Posted - 11 years ago

hi i used collect these bout 15 years ago and found my collection few weeks ago id like to sell my collection if icould find sumbody to valu it or be interested in it

Hi John,

Send me an email nick[at]irishcallcards[.]net with a list of callcards or even better photos of your collection, and I will be able to give you a general indication of price

Nick


john connolly Avatar
john connolly
Posted - 11 years ago

hi i used collect these bout 15 years ago and found my collection few weeks ago id like to sell my collection if icould find sumbody to valu it or be interested in it


Nick Rankin Avatar
Nick Rankin (Administrator)
Posted - 11 years ago

Quoting Limericks Life
My brother collected these way back in the day, this gave me a wonderful flashback of checking phone boxes with him.
I must ask him if he still has them.

Glad to hear Limericks Life :) . Was great fun going around all the phone boxes and the joy of finding even any old card. Sometimes you hit the jackpot and found a rare one or a good ole 100 unit one. Glad you like the site :)

Nick


Limericks Life Avatar
Limericks Life
Posted - 11 years ago

My brother collected these way back in the day, this gave me a wonderful flashback of checking phone boxes with him.
I must ask him if he still has them.


Nick Rankin Avatar
Nick Rankin (Administrator)
Posted - 11 years ago

Quoting chris mero
i have the cottage card just wondering how do i knw if its the lesser made one and if it is how much could it be worth?

Hi Chris, The lesser one made has a distinctive black back, as distinct from a blue navy back used by Telecom Eireann on many of their earlier Callcards. Another identifying factor is the chipset it used, Solaic S03 which is a different chip visually to all the other chips Telecom Eireann had used. You can see the blog post "CallCard Chipsets" to see a visual overview of the different kinds of chipsets Telecom used on their common and rarer Callcards,

Hope this helps

Nick


chris mero Avatar
chris mero
Posted - 11 years ago

i have the cottage card just wondering how do i knw if its the lesser made one and if it is how much could it be worth?


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