What is a GSm card ?

It's a card from a Cellullar Network provider given to a customer to give him the ability to access his network. We distinghuish 2 types of cards : Cards with 'illimited time' , these are mostly combined with an contract and an invoicing system from the provider. The second type of cards are used for 'limited time', these are mostly sold at kiosks and must be reloaded with credits if these have been used up. It's mostly not possible to see the difference between those two type of cards. So for the moment we do not make any difference of these, except when they are identifiable..

What is a GSm Reload or Recharge card ?

Some Gsm cards have limited call time. The customer can buy a reload card also sold by the Network provider. This card has mostly an scratch off number which must be entered in a specific way into the phone. The credit is than updated at the Network providers computer. (Similar as an Remote card or Prepaid scratch off card) These cards have a collection value too. Wherever possible we will add them to our information.

Reload cards or Rechargable cards can be traded as 1:1 if it is a GSM reload card. They have sometimes different reload values. High values are sometimes difficult to find.

Known GSm contacts.

We have numbered each contact with xx , where xx is a number between 01 and 99. It is not always known who are the manufactures these cards. As soon as we have more complete information you will be advised.

Type of PLUG-IN systems.

The first GSm were big phones and the GSm card was easely placed into the phone. As phones became smaller and smaller , there was no more room for the card itself. The PLUG-IN-Chip (PIC) was made. You can easely break out the Chip from the card and press the chip only in the phone , this takes only about 2 square centimeters of room. You can find plenty of GSm cards without PIC's. These cards are USELESS and do not seems to me to include in collections, it is only a peace of plastic. Of course it's free to you to gather them (as I do) for the day you will find the correspondence PIC.

I suggest that DUMMY cards (plastic Gsm demonstration cards without an real chip , but a chip printed on the card) and GSM card without chip (PIC broken out) have the same trade-value. In no case Gsm without chip, even if it comes from PALAU islands does not have the value of a Gsm card with chip.

Replaced PIC's or broken-out PIC's are worth to collect. Of course the PIC must correspond to the GSm card it was originally placed. Tape the PIC with on the backside of the card carefully . The PIC must correspond to that card and has his complete collecting value.

Some PIC's have different writings on the backside of the CHIP. This is in the first place intended to know from which company the PIC is issued. Mostly the Gsm PIN is printed on the PIC too, on the front or on the back-side. We try to distinghuish them. They are referenced as follow : (PIC="text on the backside of the PIC")

Copyright © 2000 JanVanRossum
This Page was last revised on 30/07/00