The Phenomenon of Photocards
Nayelli Rodriguez
What is a photocard?
• A K-Pop photocard is a collectible photo of one or more members of a Korean Pop group.
• Photocards are usually about the size of a debit card, and since their creation, they have exploded in popularity across several Korean music companies and their artists.
• Photocards are also called "pc’s" and "pocas" by those who collect or casually get albums with photocards.
When were they first made?
• The first photocards in K-Pop were printed by SM Entertainment for their girl group Girl's Generation for their 2010 album titled "Oh!"
Why do people collect them?
• Like NBA card collectors who buy several card packs to find what they want, many photocard collectors do the same.
Do photocards have value?
• Yes!
• Photocards are one of the most popular merch items that people can collect!
• Most of the time they are put into merch randomly unless a member of a group is specifically mentioned to be included. Some photocards are rarer than others which can cause the cost and value to increase.
o They can be received through buying albums, going to fan events, and as preorder benefits to album and other merch purchases.
