Why do you collect Starbucks cards?  For fun or an investment?  Did you already collect cards, gift cards, room keys, slot cards, etc.? I am “a crazy card collector.”  My favorite collection is cards!  I tell friends & family, “Don’t buy me gifts…just save me your cards.”  “I LOVE CARDZ!”
    Card collecting to me is like “ball card collecting.”  Each one is to me like a mini piece of advertising!  I have collected advertising for over 20 years now & PaCRat has it organized too.  I store my cards like one might store teams or sports.
    Did you get to collect Starbucks cards from the first public release? Did you start later & have to catch up?  Either way, it is a very fun collection … it just gets a little more expensive the later you get into it as there are more cards to catch up on.
    The 1st Starbucks cards came out in winter 2001 & I was so excited.  I was living in Viva La$ Vega$ & my card collection was definitely growing because of all the casinos.  Starbucks introduced two designs at the same time, starting with the 6005# - 1 Brown Cup Card & 1 Silver Winter Snowflakes.  I did not know that the brown cup would be known in the future as the “core card” & would be released with numerous different serial #’s into the future.  The Silver Winter Snow card was it folks…technically the first ‘design’ card released to the public & sure to be of value.  Oh yeah…it had a matching red stamps really cool & rare hard to find envelope!
    But, before the next new card designs came out (spring summer cup, whitman, etc.) … they released a white / light envelope for your card with a red heart on it in time for Valentines 2002.  It is really, really rare.
    In the 'old days', 2002 -2004, cards were pretty easy to keep up with because they had a few designs each year & always had the standard brown cup core card.   Core cards too are a nice addition to ones collection as there are so many different versions with different starting numbers on the back...something to pay attention to.
    Then came Starbucks cards in other countries.  Canada had some of their own versions & others they shared with the U.S.  I bought Japan, then Taiwan, Germany, Greece, Australia … and that is where I had to stop & evaluate my collection.  Collecting Starbucks cards can become very expensive & add up.  So, figure out where you want to go with your collection.  There are so many designs if you really explore all your options.


Starbucks Card Collecting Tips: 101

• Try to collect cards for the fun of it, the enjoyment of collecting & not for their future value.  We do not know what their value will be…but, they have sure proven to be desirable & collectible today.  I have found it interesting that of all the cards I collect, they hold the most value…there is nothing that even compares to them.
• Where are you going to collect cards from?  If Starbucks is included in your card collection or is your only card collection … continue reading.
• Foreign Cards?  Are you going to collect from just the United States or other countries as well?
• What countries?  Canada, Japan, Taiwan, Germany, Greece, Australia, Spain, Thailand?
• Are you going to collect new cards, swiped a few times, or used?
• Is the delicate pin coating in tact? Mint condition, scuffed, or even exposing the hidden pin number below? 
  
• When purchasing cards, notice the card condition in the description listing.  If the seller does not mention & you want to know...click the ...'Ask Seller A Question' button. Please note, different sellers describe things differently.  I describe them almost like a baseball card, some think mint condition means...it looks really good. 
  
• Are you going to collect the envelopes / sleeves / holders / folders that match the card?
• Are you going to collect the promotional flyers that either had a picture of the card on it or promoted an actual event with prizes for registering your card during that period?
• Are you going to collect all the designs?  Some of the designs?
• Holiday Cards?  Good amount, limited & reasonably priced.
• Rare Cards?  ie: Whitman, Toucan, Snowflake.  There are very few of these cards around compared to those newer ones which people would get just to save once they learned these cards were collectible & had a value.
• Really Rare Cards?  Very few & quite expensive.
• Limited Cards?  Very manageable. Reasonably priced.  Come out for a short time or season.  Usually gone long before the season is over.
• Different versions or starting numbers of the same card? ie: core cards, spring summer bugs, pike place, store credit.
• Partner ?  Very few choices.  ie: Double Shot, Partners, Test Card.
• Extra Cards?  Will you get one or more than one of some so that you can trade them or sell them?
• Get a list or compile a list of all the cards available.  This will help you to see how many & what cards are really available & what you have from that list.
• Be patient ...whatever you are looking for will show up on ebay.  Find good key words to search for what you are looking for & add it to your favorite search list.

     It is those rare ones that will always hold a value no matter how many people figure out that there is a marketplace for Starbucks cards, as there are just not that many of them to begin with & very few people got and saved them.
(09/05/06)