I tried to include everything, but if there’s anything else you don’t know, just leave a comment and I’ll try to respond. I have been actively collecting kpop photocards and other merch items for around 4 years now (so I hopefully know most things about collecting). My main focus is on photocards, and this guide will also mainly be focused on photocards.
I might be using terms that are unfamiliar, so I included a list on the bottom of the post, please check it if you don’t understand something.
Buying a photocard
You like kpop and maybe have bought albums before, but now you want to buy a specific pc, be it from your bias or just one you really like. I will be explaining some of the main ways you can buy pcs~
- Instagram/Twitter; on both Instagram and Twitter there’s buying and trading communities for photocards. If you really want to get into collecting I recommend making an account dedicated to collecting. I know that there are people that don’t trade (or even sell) to personal accounts, and if you have a collecting account you can also post your proofs there. I would say that these are the most popular ways to get photocards.
How to use social media for collecting: search on group name/member name/era name and add wts/wtt when you find a post you can also see which other search terms they include and use those as well.
Pros: shipping could be cheap, you can choose your seller, which means that you can choose someone that is close to you. By looking at someone’s profile you can see if they are trustworthy or not, if they have a lot of proofs there’s a small chance that you will get scammers. Most people sell their pcs around the same range, so if you check for how much most pcs are selling from your bias/group, you can get an idea of how much you should pay.
Cons: You have to give your personal information(name, adress etc) to a stranger.
- joining a group order; this is also on instagram/Twitter but I think it deserves its own mention because it is quite different. A group order means that there is a group order manager (gom) that is purchasing a) a set of old merch/photocards b) a pre-order for new items straight from korea, this can include pre-order benefits pcs, but also merch. One of the differences with purchasing straight from a seller, is that there are multiple payments in a go. You will first have the initial payment, then a shipping payment, and then shipping from the gom to you.
Pros: you can get items that are usually hard to find otherwise. Ordering together with something from korea will split shipping costs, so it will end up cheaper then when you buy it yourself.
Cons: gos take a looong time. I joined a go in September and my items still haven’t been sent out. You will still have to give your information to a stranger.
- buyee/neokyo; these are services that serve mercari japan. Mercari is a japanese marketplace website, and through these services you can get the items from there internationally as well. Your items will be send to a warehouse and then shipped to you. You can combine different items in one package. I only use buyee, but I’m pretty sure it’s the same with neokyo.
Pros: In my experience pcs (sometimes) are a lot cheaper on mercari than they are on instagram/Twitter. There are almost no scammer on mercari, I have never been scammed so far (which has happened on instagram). You can choose for extra protective shipping and insurances if you really value what you bought.
Cons: shipping is very expensive and takes a while depending on which type of shipping you choose, it is not worth it for only a few items. You have to pay a fee for using their service.
- ebay; there are sellers on eBay that sell both albums and merch. You can search on group/album name.
Pros: You might be able to find items that are difficult to find otherwise? I usually go to mercari for those. Strong integrated feedback system. Also great buyer protections. Good resource for rare/hard to find items, especially from older groups less available through social media trading. (addition by toadcola)
Cons: in my experience ebay seller ask more money for their items than instagram/Twitter. In those communities over pricing is looked down upon, but some ebay sellers do this as a way to make money. Can only buy or sell on ebay, trades are not possible.
- bunjang; korean version of mercari. There is a good guide to bunjang on this subreddit so if you want you can check it out!
Pros: pcs are usually cheaper than insta/Twitter, and more accessible
Cons: shipping from korea will be expensive
- ; subreddit that is dedicated to kpop collecting,
Pros: Able to trade, buy, and sell. Decent reputation system (not as rigorous as ebay, but less complicated and more reliable than instagram/twitter. Reddit kpopforsale-ers tend to be friendly, cooperative, and less flakey on average than other social media platforms.
Cons: No integrated buyer/trader protections (though buyer protections are available for a small additional fee through paypal goods&services, etc), you have to share personal information with strangers.
Real or fake?
So now you have your photocard!! Great! But, looking at the piece of cardboard you payed ~€10 for, you wonder if it’s even real. What if you payed money for a fake?!
These are some things to check for realness:
You might already have pcs you received in an album you bought. Please keep in mind that there is not one material that is used to make pcs. Some pcs are made with pvc, some are a bit thicker and some are a bit thinner. Albums also sometimes get reprints, which can have a different material as well.
This makes it very hard to determine from the material if your pc is real or not. Some pcs are known to be of “special” materials, one example I know is superstar cards that are pvc. If you buy one of these cards and receive cardboard, it is most likely fake.
These reprints also can result in a slight change of colors. So maybe you see pictures online of the pc looking just slightly different, that can be because of a reprint.
The way pcs get made is that they come in a big sheet, and then get pushed out, which results in little marks on the top and bottom of them. If you already have a pc that you know is real, you can check if you see the marks.
Very cheap cards usually don’t get faked, just because it is not worth the time and effort. For example, twice always includes a lot of pcs in their albums which makes an individual pc very cheap. These cards don’t really get fakes.
Something that can indicate a fake pc, is if the picture is zoomed in. A scammer would only have the picture of the pc, and not the original selfie. This can result in a fake that doesn’t have the sides of the actual pc.
Check the back of the card! Real pcs always have the same back, so if yours doesn’t include the signature or whatever the original back is, it’s likely a fake.
Some extra notes:
If you want to store your photocards, please make sure to keep them away from pvc sleeves, this can damage your cards!
If you want to keep track of your collection, you can search for “templates” this either includes all of one member’s cards or all of a group’s cards. Some might be per era, including both pobs and album pcs, it can be a trading cards template, or just include album pcs.
Some people sleeve their cards and some even double sleeve, and some don’t sleeve at all. I don’t think it is necessary if they are in a binder. You can still choose to sleeve to make sure that they don’t move around.
Most important of all, make sure that you enjoy the collecting journey. You don’t need all the pcs, and it might even be impossible. Do whatever makes you happy and don’t feel a need to do the same as other people in the community.
Have fun!
Collecting vocab:
Pc = photocard
Proofs = proof that you really send out your items, on Instagram you can add them to your story and then add them to a highlight. When people look at your profile they can see that you are trustworthy (or not 😆).
WTS = want to sell
WTB = want to buy
ISO = in search of (I haven’t been lucky with this one yet)
WTT = want to trade
Go = group order
QYOP = quote your own p (I’m not allowed to write this word)
Pob = pre-order benefit, companies include extra photocards if you pre-order an album, or for (fancall) events. These are usually per store.