K-POP Photocards: Things You Need To Know

Beginners may find the K-pop industry intimidating, and those who are not familiar with the fandom’s culture may find it even more so. There is so much to learn about a band, from getting to know its members, to listening to their songs, to watching their performances, interviews and variety shows.

What Are Photocards?

Photocards, commonly known as “pulls,” “papels,” “pocas,” or “pcs,” are prized possessions and a source of joy for K-pop fans.

One of the nicest aspects of being a K-pop fan is the thrill of doing “pulls.” Since they are just an idol’s face on a card, it is strange to comprehend the appeal of photocards. But, they are highly sought-after collectibles in the K-pop scene.

For starters, photocards are limited-edition images of K-pop celebrities that are given away with albums. The idea was straightforward: if you put a random glossy photo of an idol in an album, followers will buy albums in large quantities to find the face they favor. If fortune is not on their side, they are prepared to spend anything between P200 and P5000 to finish their collection.

Nevertheless, the concept of amassing photo cards is not new. NBA basketball trading cards are cherished belongings for sports fans, whereas Pokemon cards are profitable investments for anime lovers.

How Did Photocards Start?

In their 2010 album Oh, Girls’ Generation was the first K-pop act to feature photocards. One random photocard was included in each physical album. The purchaser would not know which member they received until they opened the album.

The random card function is a tactic used to persuade fans to buy more albums in the hopes of obtaining their preferred member, or their “bias,” as fans refer to them, or just to finish the collection.

Since then, photocards have evolved from being an album bonus to a rising star among K-pop followers. It has also developed into a distinct marketing strategy used by businesses to attract more customers. For instance, the Korean cosmetics company Nature Republic packaged its goods with photocards of EXO, a former sponsor.

Photocards Now

There is a wide selection of photocards available today. Pre-order benefit cards, random trade cards, hologram cards, AR cards, and others are a few of them. Since they are used in numerous K-pop products, what began as a simple record “pull” has evolved into an exciting and adrenaline-inducing habit.

Though ostensibly free with the purchase of an album, photocards are a pricy hobby to buy, sell, and trade because they are released at random and are only accessible for a limited time.

It’s not surprising that the majority of fans have jokingly referred to photocard collecting as an investment given how expensive some of these photocards can be (and don’t forget, the value for these photocards does get expensive as the years go by) as well as the effort and great lengths that collectors go to just to get their desired photocards.

While the market price of photocards can be horrifying for non-fans, every K-pop photocard collector knows the delight of discovering their bias’ photocard or finally crossing something off their wishlist of photocards.