The card collector
Until just a few years ago telecards were part of everyday life. Now they are collector’s items!
Telecards or calling cards were first introduced in Italy in 1976. This calling system, which was based on prepaid credit for use in telephone boxes, opened a new gateway in the field of communication during the 80s and 90s. But this, of course, was before the era of mobile telephony and the Internet. Even though these cards are rarely used nowadays doesn’t mean that their time is up. On the contrary, calling cards have taken on a completely different meaning – they’ve become collectors’ items!
Around the world, people seem to have taken a liking to the cards, collecting them from every possible country, setting up clubs and requesting rare ones at the staggering price of £900!
Before CYTA holds its sixth telecard exhibition on November 9, we spoke to one of Cyprus’ biggest telecard collectors.
Alecos Alexandrou, who has worked at CYTA for over 20 years, was one of the people responsible for introducing calling cards to Cyprus in the late 80s.
“Back then it was a necessity,” says Alexandrou. “After seeing how well telecards were doing abroad, we knew there was potential in Cyprus too since coinphones were the only form available.”
In 1987, CYTA installed the first 229 outdoor payphones that operated with magnetic telecards. “Although the first telecards to appear in Cyprus were magnetic, holographic ones, after a decade they were replaced by chip cards because they were more reliable and cost less to manufacture.”
However, it wasn’t long before companies around the world realised another potential these cards had, and this was exactly what awoke Alexandrou’ s and so many others’ interest. After all, so many other aspects of modern-day life eventually become ‘collectible’, why not telecards with their often attractive designs?
“When they began putting beautiful, attractive pictures with vibrant colours on either side of the cards, it was obvious that they would make a good collector’s item,” says Alexandrou.
The collector now owns over 10.000 different designs – around 30.000 if you count the ones he has twice. These are held and preserved carefully in special albums, which you can buy off the internet or at bookshops.
Alexandrou was lucky enough to be in such close proximity to the source of telecards in Cyprus and this is one of the reasons he also owns plenty of rare ones including the very first telecard published by CYTA and various test ones that never reached the public. However, it is thanks to the collectors’ club that people like Alexandrou have managed to add to their assortment.
“CYTA has a collector’s club, which boasts around 800 collectors and there are various other independent ones, which allow you to either exchange, buy or sell,” he says.
Despite people offering up to £900 for a rare telecard, Alexandrou is adamant about one thing and that is not spending a fortune on his hobby.
“I’m interested in enriching my collection but I will not sell or buy,” he says. “I am well aware that people will spend large amounts of money to obtain one card they do not have but that simply isn’t my interest. I will happily exchange but that’s as far as I go.”
Naturally, packaged calling cards or ones that are in pristine condition are worth a lot more than used ones and the same goes for special edition telecards such as the Mikis Theodorakis, Don Quixote, ozone layer and others CYTA has produced over the years.
“Thematic cards have become extremely popular,” says Alexandrou. “And we’ve even figured it to be a brilliant form of advertising too.”
CYTA once produced 60-70.000 cards a year. Today, that number has decreased to 15-20.000 simply because there is no longer the market for them.
“People now have mobile phones and even foreign workers who would buy telecards, now own mobiles too with a prepaid connection,” says Alexandrou. “We now cater for the few who still use telecards for whatever reason and of course, tourists.”
The sixth telecard exhibition will be held on November 9 until November 11 at the International Conference Centre in Nicosia. Friday from 17:00-21:00 and Saturday and Sunday from 10:00-21:00
