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Chris Davis

A SIMPLE printing error or a natural disaster can turn the humble phone card into a 'hot' investment item, says Cyrus Lam, vice chairman of International Telephone Cards Collecting (ITCC).

 In 1991, Hong Kong Telecom produced a limited edition phonecard in return for pledges of money for the China Relief fund; only 47 sets of two with a face value of $10 were printed.

   Just four years later the catalogue price for the two cards stands at $32,000.

  'The China Relief Fund cards are very rare,' Mr Lam said. 'They are the exception; there are no other cards in Hong Kong worth that amount.'  A printing error on the phone card celebrating the Tian Tan Buddha, a Hong Kong landmark on Lantau island brought several dubious overseas calls from people wanting to obtain the 1994 issue.

   During the printing in England the photograph of the buddha was reversed, turning the Buddhist symbol of peace into a swastika.

  'We had a few calls from Germany and even a call from Finland from people who did not sound like regular collectors,' Mr Lam said.

 A total of 20,000 cards were printed and 12,000 were sold to the public before the mistake was spotted and the sales stopped. A year after the issue, the cards are now worth $350, five times the face value.

 Compared with other countries, telephone cards are relatively new to Hong Kong. It was not until 1984 that Hong Kong Telecom issued the first Red Card series which was a simple design printed with the card's value.

   The following year a series of cards printed with pictures of Hong Kong landmarks was produced as souvenirs for tourists.

 'These were the first real collectibles from Hong Kong,' said Mr C F Wei, secretary of ITCC.

 'These cards are very nice to look at and they are increasing in value.'  One of the cards - Victoria Harbour at night - can be worth up to $800 in good condition.

 Hong Kong Telecom released its first Chinese New Year card in 1992; 100,000 Year of the Monkey cards with a face value of $100 were put on sale. A card in mint condition can now fetch up to $1,500.

 So many cards are now produced that it can be confusing for anyone wanting to start a collection.

 'It would be impossible to collect everything,' Mr Lam said. 'It is wise to be selective. You could choose to follow themes: maybe festivals, film or sports stars, even cartoon characters. Then there is the choice of collecting used cards or those with stored value. The stored value cards will always be worth more because they tend to be in a better condition.'  Visitors attending Money World Asia will have a chance to buy their own limited edition phonecard. ITCC has produced a telephone card with a design commissioned for the trade show.



Unusual errors boost the value of phonecards