Telephone Cards by Yves Arden

I hesitate to call Telephone Cards by Yves Arden an actual book. It is more like a booklet, or multi page brochure. The entire paperback volume is about 32 pages, and is stapled in the center. However, the title sells for less than $5 from most retailers, so you are essentially getting what you pay for.

When I first obtained the book, I had no idea what to expect. Major booksellers provide absolutely no information on what it is about, so I was essentially playing Russian Roulette with my $5. What it turned out to be was a brief overview of the telecard collecting industry, presented from a British point of view.

Telephone Cards was published in 1994, so some of the information is a bit dated. However, it does provide a nice overview of British phonecard collecting. At one time, during the mid 1990's, telecard collecting was hot here in the United States. However, the hobby today has few enthusiasts left. I have no idea if this is the case in Great Britain though.

The book starts out giving a brief history of prepaid phonecards, and goes on to update the reader on what companies in the U.K. currently issue cards, how they work, etc. A number of pictures are included in the book. Unfortunately, they are all rather poor black and white reproductions. The book was obviously meant to be sold cheaply, so you won't find any four color photos inside.

There is also a brief overview of other countries selling phonecards, though that info is probably outdated by now. There were some interesting pictures of these issues though. The material was interesting, despite its low quality layout. It can be read, in whole, in around 20 minutes.

If you are a phonecard collector, you will likely want this on your bookshelf. For $5, it really isn't that bad a deal. If you are not interested in phonecard collecting, it probably isn't worth your time (or money) though.

Amazon: $7.25
Barnes & Noble: $7.25
Powell's: $7.25