Phonecards On-Line - Written by Alan H. Cohen

May 25, 1997


Issue 80


Phonecards On-Line is written and distributed by Alan Cohen


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News and Views

Publisher’s Note

This issue of POL marks two milestones: 1: Issue number 80 of this weekly newsletter. 2: The mailing list went over 2000 subscribers. With the current rate of growth, it should reach 3000 well before the end of 1997.

Charity Auction Update

Less than two weeks to go before the big event. All 20 Card Mall phonecards have now either been sent our or are spoken for. Look for a lot of cards to be available for auction - It might be a couple of hundred lots, this is how generous everyone has been. The auction will start being cataloged this week, check at The Card Mall (http://www.cardmall.com) for the on-line link to the auction page, which will have the entire catalog there eventually. If you still want to donate, there is time! Please contact my via e-mail or phone (888) 783-MALL or (818) 881-9109.

Phonecard Collector Club

The following come from Linda Brunn and Del Daniels, two Southern California collectors who are interested in starting a Southern California Collector’s Club. Since I am local, I plan on joining. Anyone else in the area, please join us!

Dear Collector;

You are cordially invited to attend the first meeting of our Phonecard Collector's Club and learn more about this interesting and popular hobby. The meeting will be held in Moreno Valley and you will be joined by other collectors in our area. We are looking forward to a fun evening.

The club coordinators are Del Daniel, Tennis Coach at Canyon Springs High School in Moreno Valley an avid Phonecard Collector, and Linda Brunn an Administrative Assistant and Phonecard Collector also of Moreno Valley.

It is our mission to promote Phonecard Collecting and inform others of the rewards of collecting, and to create an organization where collectors can meet and share information. There will be phonecards on display for viewing from our private collections and we will have valuable information available for our guests, such as how to get started in the hobby, and where to find collector phonecards for sale at reasonable prices. However, it is not our intent to sell phonecards to our club members.

Please let us know if you are interested in attending our meeting and learning more about our club by replying to this e-mail message. Please include the following information in your reply:

We will contact you when we have set a date, time, and place for the initial meeting. In the meantime please take a few minutes to check out the following web sites where you can view scans of phonecards and learn more about phonecard collecting.

If you have any questions, please contact Linda at: (909) 243-8570. Please feel free to print this message, or forward it to anyone you think may be interested in joining our organization. However, we ask that they confirm their interest in attending either by e-mail or by calling the phone number above.

We hope that you enjoy the links we have included in this message, and we look forward to seeing you at our first meeting.

Sincerely,

Del Daniel & Linda Brunn
Club Coordinators

STS Honors Wuerffel With First Heisman Trophy Phone Card

KNOXVILLE - Strategic Telecom Systems, a Knoxville, Tenn. Based marketer and distributor of advanced telecommunication products, has joined with college football to honor former University of Florida quarterback Danny Wuerffel with the first collectible telephone card honoring a Heisman Trophy winner.

The prepaid long distance card, collegiately licensed and produced by STS in partnership with Cable and Wireless, Inc. (CWI), features Wuerffel in exciting football action in a famed lithograph created by artist Daniel Moore. As a first-of-its-kind card, it is certain to become a prized item in the increasingly lucrative collector's market.

The limited edition card made its debut at the recent STS National Convention in Atlanta attended by nearly 3,000 of the company's top salespeople.

It was created through the efforts of several of STS' independent sales representatives including Gary Fleming of Ocala, Fla., who spearheaded the effort to gain necessary approvals from Wuerffel and the Collegiate Licensing Company, agent for the NCAA. Information on buying the cards is available from Fleming at (352) 690-7993.

One hundred cards autographed by both Moore and Wuerffel are available at $125. Another 400 cards featuring only Wuerffel's signature will be sold for $100. The remaining 4,500 cards are being sold for $30.

Wuerffel, who led the Florida Gators to a 12-1 record and their first national championship last year, set 47 school, conference or NCAA records in his college career. He was drafted by the NFL's New Orleans Saints.

New Japanese Phonecard Technology

TOKYO, May 23 (Kyodo) - Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp. (NTT) will introduce a new type of prepaid phone cards in 1999 in an effort to reduce forgery, an economic daily reported Friday.

Japan's telecommunications giant will use the cards for a new design of public telephone to be introduced at the same time, the Nihon Keizai Shimbun said.

It will abolish the current prepaid cards once the replacement of pay phones has been completed, the economic daily said.

Under the system, a user would need only to hold the card close to a phone and calls would be allowed once the phone has checked the data and verified the card's genuineness, it said.

NTT plans eventually to produce permanent cards instead of disposal types by allowing users to have the data rewritten at NTT's offices, the paper said.

1997 Hale-Bopp Comet/John A. Kirby Transplant Fund

St. Johns, Michigan, USA, Released June 1, 1997

**THEME OF CARD: "MIRACLES happen to those who BELIEVE." This is John's "motto," his source of optimism and strength. It also somewhat describes the occurrence of Hale-Bopp. This card was created as a fundraiser for John and Betty Kirby by their children.

**STORY BEHIND THE CARD: In 1979, John Kirby was struck with a still undiagnosed illness. Doctors told his wife and children that he would not survive the night. God had other plans, however. After 89 days in the hospital John returned home to his family to start a very long and slow recovery process. Complete recovery wasn't part of the plan either though. Although the illness didn't claim his life, it did leave behind many physiological problems. The primary culprit that threatened his well being was kidney damage.

For the last 18 years, John and his family (Betty, Kathy, Dianna, John II and David) have lived with the reality that someday John would have to rely on dialysis or a kidney transplant. A year ago in March, their worst fears came true when John went into renal failure. After being flown to Mayo Clinic for evaluation, the diagnosis was "dialysis until a donor is found." John has been placed on a transplant list, but the waiting period could be as long as 3 years. In the meantime, family members and friends continue to be tested as possible matches, as doctors highly recommend that the transplant take place as soon as possible.

As with all major illnesses, medical expenses continue to build. To say "thank you" to their parents for always being there, the Kirby children opted to create this card. All proceeds of this fundraiser will help John and Betty Kirby offset some of the incurred expenses during this trying time in their lives.

The design depicts the 1997 Hale-Bopp Comet, and was graciously donated by Kansas photographer, Vic Winter. The photo features Hale-Bopp as it appeared on March 16, 1997. The comet rises above the tree line near the Marjorie Powell Allen Chapel located on a lake on the grounds of Powell Gardens near Kingsville, Missouri, USA. Additional photos by Vic can be viewed at http://www.icstars.com.

**Distribution:

Tom and Kathy Dobbels
John A. Kirby Transplant Fund
818 Allison Avenue
Manhattan, KS 66502-3216
(913) 537-8322 or (913) 532-4519
e-mail: kirby@vet.ksu.edu
Internet: www-personal.ksu.edu/~eddiet

New Coke Promotion

Coca Cola has a new promotion that just started, at least here on the west coast, that has random $20, 40, and $100 ATM Cash cards inside of 12 packs. Also, you can win one on bottle caps of 20oz Cokes.

They have the Coke logo along with Mastercard.

From: Steve Carll

Stern’s Promotion

Don't know how widespread the Stern's stores are but a commercial on NY radio this morning had a free 10 minute phonecard with any $30 purchase in the children's department. Offer runs only through Memorial Day apparently.

From: Andrew Henderson

Wal-Mart/Sony

I dropped by the local Wal-Mart to pick up some VHS blank tapes for recording and found that Sony has offered special three packs of tapes with a free 5 minute phonecard inside. The time is by sprint and the card is a paper one by Sony with a baseball image (quite nice) on it. The card doesn't expire until 11/30/97. The back says that I received image eight of 12 images. All the packages had a label quite visible on the shrinkwrap about the card and it was packaged neatly between two of the casette tapes. Inexpensive Sony tapes and a free phonecard--does it get any better?

From: Del Daniel

Walgreen’s Poloroid

I just recieved a free 30 min phone card inside a 2pack of Poloroid 600 film that I bought at walgreens Drug store. The card is plastic and pictures a child eating watermelon. It has the Poloroid and Walgreen's logos and says Phonecard Plus..rechargeable. Services by Smarttalk Teleservices...Long distance by AT&T.

From: Steve Wronker

Air Force Show

I went to the Air Force show at Andrews Air Force base this weekend and LCI was giving out free 30 minute pre-paid cards commemorating the Air Force's 50th Anniversary, if you signed up for their long distance. The card is royal blue, with silver (glittery) and white writing. It has the Air Force's 50th anniversary logo (an eagle with the number 50), and it says "U.S. Air Force 1947-1997 LCI International Official Partner USAF 50th Anniversary Celebration" It has a scratch off pin and is renewable. Perhaps if people called LCI and offered to change to their long distance, they could ask for the card.

From: Maria Rublee

Builder’s Square

I found this at Builder's Square. It's a form for a FREE 10-Minute Phone Card. "For Every Razor-Back Hand Tool Purchased, receive a FREE 10-minute phone card." They call it a Hog Callin' Card (they also have sweeps to win a Hog a/k/a Harley Davidson Motorcycle). There is a Limit to one phone card per Razor-Back tool purchased. Must enclose original sales receipt and a check or money order for $1.95 (handling chard PER PHONE CARD) made payable to Union Tools. Offer expires July 15, 1996. The 1996 must be a mistake as these were just put up in the store.

From: Laura Oppermann

Media Play

Just got an ad from Media Play Available 5/27- 5 min free phone card with purchase of movie "THE ROCK" with Sean connery. The phone card looks like the movie poster!

From: Debi Stultz

Ballatore

Get a free 10 minute phone card from Ballatore Gran Spumate Wine for 2 UPC + dated register tape 5/1-6/30/97. Mail to- Ballatore Offer, Box 13508 Dept 8510, Mascoutah IL 62224. FORM IS REQUIRED!! Limited to: AK,AZ,CA,DC,FL,GA,ID,IL,KS,LA,MD,MA,MI,MT, NV,NM,NY,ND,OK,RI,SC,VT,WV,WI.

From: Ginnie Katchur

Win Free Cards On-Line

Visit the following web sites to win free phonecards:

http://www.geocities.com/WallStreet/Floor/1001/form.html

http://www.att.com/ehs/GIVEAWAY/

From: Carolyn Thomas

Until Next Week,

Alan

Distribution

Phonecards On-Line is written and distributed by Alan Cohen. It is a weekly newsletter devoted to phonecards - Current news, viewpoints, and reviews of new issues. It is distributed free of charge, and available two ways.

1) On-Line on the World Wide Web. The address is: http://www.cardmall.com - All back issues are archived at the web site!

2) Direct e-mail. Send a message to: phoneline@cardmall.com

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