So after all those years, are my Callcards valuable?...
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.
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…
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.
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.
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Leave a comment...
Reply - Hi , Can you tell me if a Aoife snd... (Jump to comment)

Nick Rankin (Administrator) Posted - 5 months ago
Hi Noreen, Afraid not, two of the most common cards ever produced unfortunately, Best regards, Nick

Shane Posted - 1 year ago
I have a collection of several hundred irish and about 100 foreign, loads still in wrappers. Also, a Lim Ed. Cambridge Telephones Michael Collins( 1 of 1500), ceasefire( 1500), plus several other lim ends of 700/ 1000. How could I get them appraised/ sell them?
Reply - I have a collection of several hund... (Jump to comment)

Nick Rankin (Administrator) Posted - 1 year ago
Hi Shane, Drop me an email nick@irishcallcards.net with some photos of your Callcard collection and I would be happy to assist, Nick
Reply - Hi Shane, Drop me an email nick@iri... (Jump to comment)

Shane Posted - 1 year ago
Thanks Nick, I sent on some photos.
Reply - Thanks Nick, I sent on some photos.... (Jump to comment)

Nick Rankin (Administrator) Posted - 1 year ago
Thanks Shane, I will review them and get back to you shortly! Nick

niamh allen Posted - 1 year ago
hi there
I have an Irish Horse Racing Call Card 10 Units
Call to say you care ( with a cute teddy on it ) 5 units
a thatch cottage by the sea 20 units
Are these worth anything
Thanks
Reply - hi there I have an Irish Horse Rac... (Jump to comment)

Nick Rankin (Administrator) Posted - 1 year ago
Hi Niamh, These are all extremely common Callcards unfortunately. Best regards, Nick

0877460078 Posted - 1 year ago
I have a Republic of Ireland 1994 World Cup 10 units call card. Is it worth anything
Reply - I have a Republic of Ireland 199... (Jump to comment)


Nick Rankin (Administrator) Posted - 2 years ago
Quoting John Jennings
Hi Nick Most of my cards are still in plastic wrapper i live in Ennis co clare is there anyway i could see you and you could have a look at them.are could i take pictures and send them to you
Cheers John.
Hi John,
You can email me photos of your collection: nick@irishcallcards.net and I can certainly advise if you have any particularly valuable callcards in it!
Best regards
Nick

John Jennings Posted - 2 years ago
Hi Nick Most of my cards are still in plastic wrapper i live in Ennis co clare is there anyway i could see you and you could have a look at them.are could i take pictures and send them to you
Cheers John.

Nick Rankin (Administrator) Posted - 4 years ago
Quoting Niamh
I have a collection of cards also, used and new, some bought from the collector's club. I have no idea of where to go to sell them or find out their worth. Any chance i can send pictures of them to someone to see their value?
Hi Niamh,
You can email photos to me nick@irishcallcards.net
Nick

Niamh Posted - 4 years ago
I have a collection of cards also, used and new, some bought from the collector's club. I have no idea of where to go to sell them or find out their worth. Any chance i can send pictures of them to someone to see their value?

Nick Rankin (Administrator) Posted - 4 years ago
Quoting Brenda MurrayFlynn
Morning,
I have the National Management Conference for leaders of irish business, New ways for the Nineties call card 50 units never used not in plastic is it worth anything? Its the one on the top left corner of above earlier call cards.
Hi Brenda,
It's a very nice card, although not that rare in comparison to the IMI "Irelands Europe" 50 unit card.
The nineties card mint can fetch around €30+ finding the right buyer.
Best regards,
Nick

Brenda MurrayFlynn Posted - 4 years ago
Morning,
I have the National Management Conference for leaders of irish business, New ways for the Nineties call card 50 units never used not in plastic is it worth anything? Its the one on the top left corner of above earlier call cards.

Nick Rankin (Administrator) Posted - 4 years ago
Quoting SUE MURRAY
HI,I HAVE EURO BASE,THE SOLUTION CALL CARD VALUE 10 UNITS. HAS INTERNATIONAL FREIGHT AND WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT ON IT.CAN YOU TELL ME IF ITS WORTH ANYTHING PLEASE. ITS STILL IN SEALED WRAPPER,CHEERS SUE
Hi Sue,
It's a nice card, but it's fairly common to find even mint. You could get €5~ for it, but it would be difficult to say in the current climate.
Nick

SUE MURRAY Posted - 4 years ago
HI,I HAVE EURO BASE,THE SOLUTION CALL CARD VALUE 10 UNITS. HAS INTERNATIONAL FREIGHT AND WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT ON IT.CAN YOU TELL ME IF ITS WORTH ANYTHING PLEASE. ITS STILL IN SEALED WRAPPER,CHEERS SUE

Nick Rankin (Administrator) Posted - 4 years ago
Quoting Leonardo
Hi all! Is there any value 20 years old foreign call cards from Brasil? I have more than 1000, some of them isn't common cards...
Hi Leonardo,
Thanks for getting in touch! :) Unfortunately I couldn't advise concerning Brazilian Phonecards. I only know about Irish Phonecards.
Nick

Leonardo Posted - 4 years ago
Hi all! Is there any value 20 years old foreign call cards from Brasil? I have more than 1000, some of them isn't common cards...

Nick Rankin (Administrator) Posted - 5 years ago
Quoting MarieG
Hi, I have found my mothers collection of call cards & am wondering if they could be worth anything. she has 3 folders full and quite a few still in the plastic wrappers. Is there anyway of sending you photos of them or that to see if there is any value in any of them?
Sure Marie, you can drop me a email to nick@irishcallcards.net and I'll be happy to advise.
Nick
Noreen Posted - 5 months ago
Hi , Can you tell me if a Aoife snd the children of Lir 20units or the Niamh from Tir na nOg 10 units are worth anything ? Both used . Thanks