That has always been an interesting question with phonecards. As you know, condition is a major factor in the value of most collectibles and scratching off the PIN cover leaves you with a phonecard that's no longer in mint condition. Personally, I often would carefully remove the PIN cover and use the time on the card, leaving me with a phonecard for my collection that was in excellent condition at virtually no cost since I had used the value of the card. It was a tough decision to use some of them...but those were the "old" days, and I also have many mint cards from those days that don't have the cover removed, yet are practically worthless today compared to their values back then.

Today it's a different game. In these days of free nights and weekends or unlimited usage plans, by using the card are you really getting that money back, or are you just choosing to call in a different manner to use that time on the card? That being said, while I believe that scratching off the PIN cover will ultimately affect the value, I don't believe that I will see again in my lifetime, the rocketing values of phonecards, people willing to pay incredibly high prices for mint vs. excellent condition used, and even people telling me that they were taking money and "investing" in phonecards for their retirement. When I buy a phonecard today for collecting purposes, I uncover the PIN, write down the necessary information on a card, and give it to a relative that doesn't have a cell phone for their use. Since the time on the card is being used, I'm left with a beautiful card for my collection at no cost.

Sorry to ramble so much. Just my opinion on using phonecards and I hope it's of some help.