It's no different than people throwing streaming parties and just putting a song on repeat just to get numbers up. Listen to the song if you genuinely want to listen. Buy an album because you genuinely want an album. Kpop fan just care about numbers now instead of simply enjoy kpop on their own time

@tsuu1517

Жыл бұрын

except your spending actual money and creating actual waste

@Catherine______

Жыл бұрын

For youtube views too its just the same people watching it over and over and over again. Why do you think baby shark is the number one video on KZread because those babies will watch that over and over again lol

@bluerose8165

Жыл бұрын

@@Catherine______ bit they are babies and they actually like the song whereas teens watch many times only for the views

@chhhyu

Жыл бұрын

For real. I don’t really care a lot about views, and I don’t really stream. I just listen to the song, compliment them, and stan them anyway.

@salambo6512

Жыл бұрын

It's not the same as throwing albums to trash it's extremely polluting it's wasting tones of plastic and all so yeah not the same

Personally when I buy an album is because I can and want to .My sister and I like collecting for fun, and it’s something we bond with.I wish people could enjoy things and stop being pressured to buy when they can’t or don’t want to. Music is to enjoy people!!! 🎉

@StitchGirl94

Жыл бұрын

Yes! Well said!! I used to feel bad or even pressured that I can't always buy an album cuz I don't always have money, but for now on it's only if I want to and can. 💓

@callieraines7992

Жыл бұрын

same!! i just bought a few yesterday and i have bought a few since I got into k-pop and it have always seen it as a fun thing to collect rather than buying it only to get numbers up for a group I like. of course I want to support some of them that I like but not to the point where I am buying more albums than I need

@nayeonsimp3817

Жыл бұрын

me too and i completely agree

@akiko7298

Жыл бұрын

I'm slowly collecting VIXX albums when I can afford because I want to (and I like looking at the photos and artwork).

@umicaumicic1685

Жыл бұрын

Yes you're so right. I never feel bad for not buying albums if i don't want them and I don't understand how people feel guilty and then end up bulk buying. You don't owe them album sales y'all!! Only if you want it yourself

I really hate bulk buying. Everyone just throws away most of them just to make their favorites popular. Oof! 1.6K likes in 2 days??!! I’m shocked

@rookie_s

Жыл бұрын

Ong just for the numbers…

@soupoh4107

Жыл бұрын

True I saw a photo of the bought albums on the streets and trash cans really upsetting

@justinnyugen7015

Жыл бұрын

at least donate them or something

@bruhbruh5621

Жыл бұрын

bruh

@littlebluefishy

Жыл бұрын

And some toxically toxic fans will even be like: Don't say you stan them you're not even buying their stuffs

I remember last year when an article was published about Loona potentially disbanding because BBC was in so much debt. Orbits had the audacity to blame other Orbits for not buying enough albums and said that if Loona disbands, then it's our fault for not buying albums, which is ridiculous. Loona has so many albums too, to buy them all would be so expensive. It's BBC's fault for spending so much money that they didn't have in the first place. It's not fair to blame fans for a group's financial situation..

@gabdongipark

Жыл бұрын

Facts!

@mordecaiissad8529

Жыл бұрын

I'm sorry if I'm missunderstanding, but a company being in a bad financial situation and in debt is not the same as a group not making good money. Companies invest in a lot of things and multiple groups. Bad company management has nothing to do with a groups fandom not buying enough albums. I have no idea how this happened, but companies have really been abusing this idea they managed to jam into fans heads that the fans just have to work hard to make the idols succeed. No. The company needs to secure that, that's literally why they exist.

@gabdongipark

Жыл бұрын

@@mordecaiissad8529 true but not what they say. The lack of transparency put them into a position way to powerful

@br3953

Жыл бұрын

Me as orbit who never interested in buying kpop stuff 👀

@lenamafalda

Жыл бұрын

I haven't heard of that before and thank you for sharing it. I thought BBC was in that big debt because they had spent a lot of money on the pre-debut campaign of Loona, that took almost a whole year with the release and promotion of each member's singles plus sub-units.

Being a 8 year old K-pop stan. The only album I ever brought was Skz’s Maxident n it’s become something really precious to me. I hope jyp does not get rid of Physical albums but I think there should be a limit on each order/account so there’s no bluck buying. Ppl might make more accounts but I’m sure there’s a way to still caught that.

@jongerwongers

Жыл бұрын

I heard it's just the CD not the actual album box, photocards, photobook etc

@lunariedawn

Жыл бұрын

That second option probably won't work well - as some people bulk buy to help others buy it with cheaper shipping. But maybe a set amount of like 20 or so for each order could work - or something like that

@heytetsu9800

Жыл бұрын

Wow you’re 8 and you’re online, expressing your thoughts 😳 I’m impressed. You’re smart, I like how you explained your opinion. The generations have really changed

@ivezane

Жыл бұрын

@@heytetsu9800 i think they mean being a kpop fan for 8 years

@heytetsu9800

Жыл бұрын

@@ivezane oh makes sense 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 it really looks like 8 year old child tho.

I've been listening to kpop since 2008 and wow kpop has changed so much. I used to use my photocards as bookmarks. I love how you call it pieces of cardboard because it just is! people just love putting value on nugatory things and others just blindly follow them. Imagine what you could buy with $3,000. its not like Jungkook would value you more, he would probably think you're stupid for buying a piece of cardboard at that price.

@kimckawa

Жыл бұрын

Well so is ‘52 Mickey Mantle baseball card cardboard with picture which recently sold for 6-7mill$. How about Picasso paintings just canvas with colorful inks which can fetch 100mil$ easily

@bwane5961

Жыл бұрын

@@kimckawa same thing with the card. Please don't reduce a work of art to compare it to a kpop photocard.

@kimckawa

Жыл бұрын

​@@bwane5961 As sportcards kpop photocards are pop art...and also just because one is painting hanging on a wall doesnt make it "better" or "more valued" art than a photocard inside your phonecase. We must disabuse this prejudice and quaint notion of what is art worthy. Both are products from professional artistic/creative people. So no doubt these photocards are art and have value besides them bringing much joy, reprieve, even happiness to many. I suggest you cherish your collection it may serve you well later on when mr. nostalgia ultimately comes knocking.

@bwane5961

Жыл бұрын

@@kimckawa It’s not because “painting hanging on a wall makes it "better" or "more valued"” it’s because a painting takes a lot of talent, dedication, and passion to make. Most paintings sell for millions of dollars not because it’s aesthetic but because of what it represents. It encompasses the persona of the maker. It takes months, even years to make one. This is what differentiates your art project from that of bona fide artists. If you know the creative process of real artists, you know. Let’s take your Picasso example, everything he made would sell for millions because of his relevance to the world of art. La Guernica is “created by Picasso to express his outrage over the Nazi bombing of a Basque city in northern Spain.” Or Francisco Goya’s black paintings which depict his deteriorating mental state. What does your Photocard mean? Without discrediting the creative talent and efforts of the team behind a photocard, it just doesn’t compare. The meaning of art is arbitrary, but contrary to your belief, not all art is created equal. Baseball cards are part of MLB History. Collectors of these cards are not buying them just for personal consumption but to preserve baseball history that’s why it’s ‘52 not 2021 that sold for millions, at least not yet. Yes, photocards can be nostalgic but so are what you can buy with your $3000. How many concerts this money would take you. Borrowing what Wendy said, go buy good food or spend it with your family.

@hunterqueen3812

Жыл бұрын

@@kimckawa it's very stupid of you to compare a cardboard to a painting or i should say art ..

I got into kpop because of ATEEZ back in 2020 and started collecting all their albums and official merch, after a year I realized how much I spent on them and regretted spending so much on stuff I stored in my closet so they wouldn't get dirty or ruined. Since everything is digital now, I just do my best to support them by contributing to streams. Not buying a physical album does not mean you support your groups less. P.S. and with the way people are bulk buying albums now and leaving those albums to rot, I'd rather not contribute to more waste..

@hevxhev

Жыл бұрын

Exactly. I've been a kpop fan for almost a decade now but the weird guilt of not buying merch/photo cards/ albums every comeback is crazy lol. So I tend to only buy albums that not only have a deep meaning for me but also for the artist/group. Like world tour + seeing them in concert or enlistment etc. The culture is so fast paced it's impossible to keep up so better to relax ❤😂

@gymfoodie20_42

Жыл бұрын

Ayoooo a fellow Atiny🧡🧡

@betxengi5388

Жыл бұрын

My friend is an Atiny and she always buy every version of Ateez album. While I am ARMY and MOA and have literally only 3 albums and I am fine with it. I don't like spending money. The last album I bought was in 2019

@shdwfax1024

Жыл бұрын

@@betxengi5388 I was once one like your friend, I think recent kpop fans have the strong urge to buy unlike those who have been stanning for decades. I think the urge also has to do with seeing your moots buying albums and you're just influenced to buy one as well. The desire to own every single album was so high I actually only preorder albums which were more valuable cause they were first press. I actually borrowed money just to buy!

@shdwfax1024

Жыл бұрын

@@hevxhev So true. It's really difficult to keep up nowadays because instead of just albums, they also release special albums, collaborative merch and other merch their label releases.

I work at a place that sells some Kpop albums and one of our biggest problem is theft. They either take the entire album or they slice the plastic film and take the photo cards. And it’s especially frustrating when they take the photo cards because the entire album becomes unsalable and has to be returned to the distributor. Which really ticks me off because that was the creation and countless hours of a lot of people; including the Idols that you say you love, support and respect. Thank you for letting me rant.💜

@lvlysiiun

Жыл бұрын

that sucks kpop fans can be something else sometimes

@crangyubeary

Жыл бұрын

You know, if you have some extra photo books without the pc i would to love to use them for scrapbooking/hj

@lunalavender5027

Жыл бұрын

@@crangyubeary Sorry, the manager decides; I just work there.💜

@crangyubeary

Жыл бұрын

@@lunalavender5027 haha, i was joking, but thats too bad

@MsKaz1000

2 ай бұрын

@@lunalavender5027 if the albums are fine they can likely reprint some photocard and repackage the albums at least I hope that is what they do

Am I the only one who is actually just buying the albums for the music rather than completing a collection? 😆 I am always happy with what I get regardless whom I get it be my bias or not. I support the whole group and not just a member of it, I never understood this to be honest. Besides I love collecting CDs and with a rare exception of having 2 copies from a group (because of a signing) I stick to one only. Also where to leave all these copies? LOL

@cinday

Жыл бұрын

No because I also do the same. I buy albums for the music but not for collecting. :)

@tessie4698

Жыл бұрын

I like to buy both bc of the music and I also like to collect the pictures/photocards, and I dont think the problem is wanting to collect a specific member necessarily but rather the companies making random photocards bc they know it will sell.. in my opinion if they wanna add photocards, just add the whole group then, but they don't do it bc it's the same with multiple versions of albuns is a way to increase the sells right? even taking part in it, i can say it's annoying honestly lol

@bbokari9880

Жыл бұрын

Tbh I only bought the albums for the photo book and Photocards and wall poster

@rikavanderhofstad

Жыл бұрын

not 100% the only one. i do collect the albums i really enjoy listening to as i will play the disk in a real disk player when im doing chores. but i do have to admit that i do own a few that iv not played yet. one day ill be very happy that i own em because its exactly the music i wanted to listen to xD

@rikavanderhofstad

Жыл бұрын

@@tessie4698 i do like the randomness of the cards ngl. i just keep em and i wont go crazy over em by buyin multiple copies just to get the member i wanted. i was on a mission to pull all of the gfriend members at least once. i was almost there but never got yuju. these kinda things make it even more fun to collect em

Always hated bulk buying. Been a kpop fan for well over 10 years but as a multi stan I legit can't afford to buy albums. My other expenses matter more. Kpop is no longer about the music and I'm tired of newer fans saying that's not true. All they care about is numbers and not quality.

@kyungsoossimp8350

Жыл бұрын

I realise that us older fans aren’t that big fans of album buying. I’ve only bought albums that are extra dear to me.

@reyanime

Жыл бұрын

@@kyungsoossimp8350 Yeah, at some point I want to buy my all time fav albums but some of them are like 10 yrs or more old so I hope I can find them.

@sherbear6625

Жыл бұрын

Same! Plus I live in Canada so the only K-pop CD I bought when I was a teen, was Boa’s English album lol 😂 I’m also a multi stan so I rather just download music since it’s easier.

@boushrahaidar

11 ай бұрын

You older fans are the best

I remember Baekhyun telling Aeris to not buy their albums and use the money for something they could use like, padded jacket and food. Haechan had also mentioned before, the re-selling of their photocards in a higher price point. He literally said, "Who is selling our photocards for an expensive price?"

@SadiaIslamShouki

Жыл бұрын

yeah , Baekhyun, Kai , Suho they always tell their fans not to bulk buy , or think about charts, views n numbers and just to enjoy.

@jenlolo8902

Жыл бұрын

@Sara well we could said the bulkbuying culture literally started with EXO, their fans buy a lot, they have a lot of Chinese fans and it was around the time of their debut that fansigns became a thing and they make it even more popular, they and I think Snsd were the first to have a lot album versions, they don't now which I saw some fans even complain about it, So EXO already accomplished a lot in term of album sells that's why they said things like that, they know how fans are, and is Eris by the way not Aeris, because it comes from L

@patchi6384

Жыл бұрын

@@jenlolo8902 yeah, Baekhyun literally said that they don't need that much album sells anyway, that's why it's ok not to buy multiple copies of the album.

I mostly buy those extra unsealed photobooks that are being sold for cheap prices because I enjoy making a journal with them or use it for packaging purposes~ so its kind of disappointing and saddening to see them throw them out when it can be used for so much more!

@K_halmiland

Жыл бұрын

IKR... They can sell them to people who need them or like k-kpopers can just give them away for free in the concerts to other fans who need them. Why throw them away like that? I buy albums that I like & I cherish them like a baby, so seeing some fans throwing them away like trash just makes my heart ache.

@georgiafernandez3953

Жыл бұрын

Same I have a good amount of dupe albums but I use them! For packaging! And using the booklets for crafts ! So that it doesn’t go to waste or at least doesn’t sit in my shelf. If that makes sense ?

@GolchaBaeBaebies

Жыл бұрын

Sameee

I buy albums bc it’s fun. I have a couple duplicate albums but I use them for collages and just gifts that I’ve received. People that bulk buy ruin it for everyone and it honestly makes me feel bad when I buy albums cause I don’t really need all of them but I appreciate all of them. I don’t buy them for the charts, I just love opening them with friends and enjoying them together, the way they were meant to be

@txtyunan

Жыл бұрын

this is so me

@emman714

Жыл бұрын

me too opening it and getting a random pc is fun

@simbabuu2724

Жыл бұрын

But are you buying the exact same album multiple times then? Because yea its nice that you have fun but buying the same thing multiple times is wasteful in itself. Just because you dont throw the albums away like others, doesnt mean its not wasteful. All the packaging is also waste. Im not telling you to stop buying albums because you are probably old enough to decide that on your own. I just want you and every album collector to be conscious about the actual waste this creates. Consciousness is always the first step :)

@karlaalexa211

Жыл бұрын

@@simbabuu2724 Why do you care, agriculture is more wasteful than any industry combined. But when you want to buy paper that is biodegradable everyone loses their minds, be for real now. It's like the plastic straw thing all over again.

@simbabuu2724

Жыл бұрын

@@karlaalexa211 why are u being bitchy? I know that the worst part are the huge industries but that doesnt mean one should do anything they want and just produce more waste… that also doesnt help at all. It is always good to be conscious about your own behaviour theres nothing wrong with what i said idk why you are so worked up

Yeah, I wish it wasn’t like this and just about the music. Some fans be taking it overboard sometimes and it’s sad that members have to feel left out because one member is popular then another. This doesn’t mean you don’t have to support your fav, but still I’m saying.

I think that mass streaming and bulk buying are huge problems. They hurt the idols' credibility as artists and musicians because the numbers are inflated. As a result, many people outside of fandoms don't take their successes and career milestones seriously. Eg, I live in NYC and remember how upset I was when BTS didn't win the grammy for Dynamite. My brother responded "well their #1 isn't even real so what did you expect", of course, I was offended but then I realized that this was an outsider's POV of fandoms manipulating the charts and numbers. And due to this, the idols will never have a genuine concept of what their real successes are, they'll never know if their hits records are really hits or if their charting positions are genuine, and many people in the general public will never give them their flowers because they think that idols' successes is fake and unearned.

@ghostingwo

Жыл бұрын

ya this is so sad. this is why i don’t stream. cause i listen to songs when i want to. and i wish kpop idols would know how much people are genuinely listening because they want to and enjoy the song, not cause they made it a duty to stream it to get it popular. i wish they knew how much ppl genuinely want to listen to their music often, not just streaming numbers

@Ann--or1dk

Жыл бұрын

but, like.... every fandom does that!?

@sarahelvetral3710

Жыл бұрын

@@Ann--or1dk actually no, most of #1 western artists get their number 1 because their songs are played everywhere and general public around the world (not only fandoms) listen to those songs. Usually, when it's Korean artists, their #1 comes from the dedication of their fandoms, not from the popularity of their song. That's why outside of fandoms, people don't take their successes seriously. It's annoying because it discredit Kpop artists in the world music industry when they should actually be celebrated at their real value

@vikctoryan15

Жыл бұрын

@@Ann--or1dk I know, but it is the idols that get penalized for it. Nobody questions Taylor Swift even though swifties do it too and it's unfair. But also, racism and xenophobia are also a part of the reason as well.

@vikctoryan15

Жыл бұрын

@@sarahelvetral3710 This, and some people in the west view this as the idols "stealing #1s" or "blocking deserving artists of a #1 record". For example, when BTS' Butter was #1 for weeks, I heard people talking about how unfair it was that chart manipulations were blocking "real" artists from achieving #1 because BTS was #1 in 2021 for so long. And this builds public resentment against kpop. Outside of fandoms and the media, I don't see much of the general public supporting kpop nor do I hear kpop music play on the radio over here either... and radio play also impacts charts. Which is sad because idols work so hard.

it always makes me sad when people throw their albums away. it's fine to buy them if you actually have the money and don't prioritize bulk-buying over more important things but don't just throw them away. you can always sell them for a small price or even just donate them if you don't need money. i also collect photocards for fun and i really wish people didn't charge like $50 for a photocard. no matter how rare or cute it is, it's just a piece of paper after all.

Omg I’ve been into Kpop for 13 years and have only purchased two albums total: Stray Kids’ Maxident and Onew’s Dice, which both came out this year. They both mean a lot to me and I can’t picture a time when physical copies could be obsolete. That really shocked me!

@melissaweiss

Жыл бұрын

Onew’s Dice! 🫶 and thank you from a Shawol!!!!!

I honestly would be so mad if they stopped making physical albums alltogether because, as someone who lives in Europe, where there's less events dedicated to kpop, it's the only way that I have some sort of connection to my favorite artists and actually feel like I'm supporting them! I mean, streaming is great and all but owning something physical makes it seem more real and secure. (Also I'm not paying 30€+ (reminder that shipping to Europe is also incredibly costly) for a photocard and a album I can't even touch, but maybe that's just me.) In my opinion there's two possible solutions: -Putting a max. amount of albums one can order -Making the albums more enviromentally friendly In my case, I only buy albums for 1 group and I treasure them very much, so I can't even imagine spenging that much money and throwing an entire album out! The people who bulk-buy albums could just resell them at a lower price (since the photocards scavengers open them up) and make someone's day, is that so difficult?? Sorry I got a bit heated there, but I would hate to have my little molecules of serotonin taken away from me :( (Sorry if I made any mistake in English, spare my Italian self ok? Ty

@parisnelson5321

Жыл бұрын

I totallly understand you with the shipping factor in New Zealand the shipping alone is around $40 so I only ever buy albums I realllyyy like the music off (for my car)

@georgiafernandez3953

Жыл бұрын

No I totally agree! I know other people would love to have an album of their favs. Even if their isn’t a pc in there but everything else in there counts !

@nominsmarriageofficiant1124

Жыл бұрын

People don't buy albums without photocards. Thats why they can't just resell it

@nominsmarriageofficiant1124

Жыл бұрын

@@djvillan but they rarely get sold still. Its hard to get rid of albums without photocards. Half of my nct and stray kids albums are without pcs (and just for the aesthetic collection)

Baekhyun said it long ago: guys don't buy our albums, buy padding jackets. And if you really want to, just buy a version

Before I started collecting albums, I always watched unboxing videos of ALL versions of a specific album. At first, I felt so down when I realized there were multiple versions because I know I wanted to collect every album and every version back then. Now that I have 4 albums from different groups each, I realized that it was just simple. I set up rules for myself to avoid buying so many and wanting EVERYTHING. I first ask myself if I really wanted this kpop group. Then asked myself if I want majority of their songs in this particular album I want to buy. Then I ask myself what version I love the MOST by checking out unboxing videos in all versions and choosing the concept I love the most. It’s just that simple. There’s no need to buy every version of every album. It’s the joy of collecting the one you love the most. And besides, if you look at a shelf full of kpop albums, wouldn’t it look too boring if multiple albums looked the same because of every version???? That’s my most favorite reason of not buying all versions. And also I avoid buying digipacks because I think ahead of time that I’m not always gonna love my bias😂 cuz there will come a time when I eventually lose interest in my bias so it’s safer to buy an all member version always. (Just like how I did with NewJeans album). ❤ I’m just sharing this to those kpop fans who always feel like they want more. When really, it’s the process that makes you happy. The ordering, the shipping, the arriving, and finally the first unboxing.

I heard about a company doing it where you got one physical album and the rest of them they were just sending the photo cards from the rest with it. I actually really liked that idea because some people do prefer to have a physical album. If the company wanted to they could do that and have an option of just getting all of photo cards and no physical album, I think this would be a better way of going about it so you can still have a physical album if you really want to have one. I like to have physical ones when I really like the group or all the songs, I've only bought a pre-order once and that was because I had a lot of faith that I'd like it and I did so it worked out.

@shingibanggi

Жыл бұрын

yes!!

@Kkmzji

Жыл бұрын

this is such a good idea! it would make it way easier for collectors like myself to collect their bias without having to purchase a ton of albums. it creates less waste and makes everyone happy.

@fenryon4449

Жыл бұрын

The photocards is part of the problem. Promoting excessive consumerism and waste

@lindsaydance_05

Жыл бұрын

@@fenryon4449 I think with that part they should just try to keep it to like 2 cards per member, if it's a soloist or less than 5 members then 3-4 would be ok since it would about equal out. I don't think they should entirely remove it but definitely cut back on them, making your own could be too expensive or time consuming for some people.

@fenryon4449

Жыл бұрын

@@lindsaydance_05 I'd personally prefer if they removed the whole aspect of the photocards. Or at least remove the lottery aspect so that people aren't buying a lot of them just to collect them all. It just creates more potential waste and the carbon footprint is horrible.

The biggest problem is the photocards and that's a company's fault! Making 3 photocards for each member, but only putting one in the album, making ppl buy 3 of the same album for example is an example on how is their fault. Pre-order benefits, which are controlled by the company and retailers also affected this. I understand having a "special gift" so people will buy from your store, but making 30 dif preorder benefits, 10 fansign cards and lucky draws on top of all that is def gonna encourage bulk buying

@jadeshepherd8627

Жыл бұрын

It's also the fault of fans obsessing over the photocards though. One should be enough, I'm sure you can just buy pcs individually you don't need extra albums you'll never use for it. If you don't get the extra pics though, tough luck! The image exists online so you can download it. It's the companies fault for feeding into fan's obsession for their music groups

@Semaichan

Жыл бұрын

before poeople start arguing against this take: I have been into K-Pop since 2009. Back in 2009, I got a SHINee Planer for 2010 ?(i think) and it came with a pack of photos, a bit bigger than the current photo crards, thicker than the fully book bound year planer. We are talking like 20+ pieces of sturdy cardboard. The current system creates FOMO for many fans.

@grff_

Жыл бұрын

@@jadeshepherd8627 where do you think the extra pc you're buying individually comes from🤨🤨🤨 just another album someone else bought lmao There is nothing wrong w collecting as a hobby or a passion. Things like magic or pokemon don't have the huge waste issue bc they sell several cards in small envelopes and ppl love to collect them, if you don't get it then try to be empathetic. There would not be so much waste after collecting if companies didn't create such a wasteful technique

@tarad1989

Жыл бұрын

It’s never the fans fault no matter how obsessed they are. It’s simple the company makes one album with one photocard per member and maybe a few pobs per era then this shouldn’t be a problem

@MusicChanneI1738

Жыл бұрын

The thing is that’s what agencies want and that was the whole point of creating photocards in the first place. It was to get fans to buy many copies of albums

When it comes to buying for me, -I have to be really into the group/artist. -like most if not all the songs on the album -like the album packaging -like the photo book which includes the concept, styling, layout, and photography There can be exceptions but if anything turns me off about an album, I just don’t get it. When I watch unboxing videos, it’s sorta depressing when the collector isn’t impressed by an album or it’s packaging but they have it anyways. Owning the physical thing and letting it take space in your home should honestly require more of a standard.

I hate bulk buying too. But stopping making physical albums isn't a solution either. Nothing compares to a physical album. I only own one album which is love yourself her. And I remember how happy I was when I got it. I still love it a lot. To me it's a way to keep a memory of my idols. The way jyp and hybe are gonna make digital albums just made me kinda sad. I know why they're doing it but why would I buy an album just to keep it in my phone and I'll only have the photocards? I could easily listen the song on online platforms. I was actually gonna purchase skz and twice albums. Cause I really love them. I think there should be another solution thought for this.

I like physical albums simply because the audio quality of CDs is always better compared to streaming plattforms. You can hear a major difference, especially if you got a really got sound system - which I don‘t but my parents do and I plan on buying one once I finish university and get a job. So I‘m kinda sad that at some point in the future I won‘t be able to buy them anymore and listen to them. But the need to buy as many albums as possible and stream non stop during a comeback is part of the reason why fandom culture has become so toxic in my opinion. I just want to enjoy the music and their content without spending time & money I don‘t have. I‘d much rather save the money for concerts than buy multiple versions of one album. Also I wish it wasn‘t possible to mass buy albums. I totally get that it‘s very hard vor Kpop artists to be successful chart wise, especially in western countries. To a certain degree mass buying evens out the disadvantages they face like less radio play due to stereotypes & racism and western artist & their fans do it too. But it’s a very capitalistic system which makes the environment suffer. The fan calls made it even worse and it‘s usually the same people who get into the fan calls because they either organize GOs or are desperate enough to buy an insane amount of copies. Which I feel only fuels an unhealthy parasocial relationship.

i usually buy albums to listen to them and collect the stuff inside them. + i dont buy the same album more than once since it makes no sense to me.

@tttais._.teddytuff1694

Жыл бұрын

Literally same- it’s the same cd with the same songs- 😭💀✋🏽

@OnceUBellieve

Жыл бұрын

Same tbh ... i only bought 2 albums of the taste of love album by twice because i loved both versions with their photobooks but i only buy one version in general ...

@txtdiary

Жыл бұрын

@@tttais._.teddytuff1694 fr the only thing that changes is the photos in the photo book and the outside of the album

I don't want psyhical albums to disappear. I prefer them in this version.. The problem are the people who are mass buying them..

like legit people just buy so many albums, keep the card and postcard and posters, and some keeps the photobook and thats it, the rest is all being dumped and wasted while others who wants it and cant get it

90% of the album I own is second hand, cheaper and avoid wastes

I'm into kpop since 2010, started with snsd/super junior/shinee and expanding my love for so many other groups very fast, the first physical album I bought was B1A4's Ignition (only ONE version and no photocard but I bought it because I FELL IN LOVE DEEPLY with every song from it!) and bought so many others through the years! I reached a point where I owned almost 150 (or 200 lol) cds from different groups (i didn't buy every version, I did it only for SHINee because I was (and I am still right now) a big fan and I wanted my collection to be complete as possible). From 2010 until now I saw what the cd market became and I can tell you that cds nowdays are SO EXPENSIVE and it's impossible to have every version, unless you are very rich lol + some groups make a lot of comebacks so lot of cds and versions. I REMEMBER YEARS AGO CDS WERE LIKE €10-15 SHIPPING INCLUDED!! At the beginning not so many groups had cds with photocards but some years later.. DAMN everyone is releasing lot of versions, with lot of photocards or stickers or postcards (which is very fun, because I remember how fun It was opening a cd, looking at the photobook and trying to guess which member photocard would be in it) and it's just overwhelming. I think that for kpop fans (a part of them not everyone luckily) nowdays is more important to buy a lot cds just for the charts and wasting money lol because buying all of those cds just for the charts and throwing them away next day because they're too many it's just a waste of money lol (to me) Not everyone do this luckily. ANYWAY, supporting your fave group doesn't mean you have to buy 213921391 cds. You can support them in many ways, and I agree with Wendy's words, buy one or two album and with the money left you can do something else. BUT I know that everyone manage their own money as they like ofc. btw I'm still into kpop but I don't buy physical cds anymore since 2018/9 it's sad because I miss the feeling of joy while opening an album but since the prices are very high I can't afford them so I stopped collecting them 😮‍💨 same for the photocards!! I used to buy Taemin's photocards (my ult lol) and the prices were a little bit high, nowdays... even worse I guess ahahah

bulk buying and collecting photocards in general always seemed so weird to me... you're paying so much money for a selfie of an idol made out of paper...? i remember watching some variety show where an idol took a selfie and they made a photocard of it on the spot in like 2 seconds. this is what you're paying so much money for? a selfie it took an idol 2 seconds to take and a card that took 2 seconds to make? just so strange...

A lot of it is because with each album purchase, you get a chance to go to a fanmeet. During Twice's "Signal" era, a news outlet went to the fansign. There were 200 lucky fans in the line up. Every single person in the line-up had bought a minimum of 20 albums each.

@Justme-vh7bu

Жыл бұрын

I agree

When I first got into kpop (2019) I kinda went crazy buying albums, the excitement vanished once I opened them and they took up space on my shelves :/ I love a lot of groups and I genuinely wish them the best but buying albums has become too much

I do buy albums, but sort of how they were intended to be. I like supporting my groups, but I buy one theme (either that or go random) and a digital album as well. I like the chance photo cards too, because it's more special if you pull your bias or something like that. But yeah, I can understand why this can be an issue. It's basically loot-crate/gambling only with idols. Not only that it falsely brings certain groups up when they don't really need it. There are some really great mid-to-smaller groups out there, guys, but they almost never have a chance to even been seen on music shows because of the big dogs hogging up the spaces. So I really don't know what the solution is. I want to collect my favorite group albums, but not encourage this bad behavior too. Why can't the fans just be pleased if the song is great on it's own and not try to artificially boost its greatness with sells? I also never liked how my fandoms want me to stream songs on repeat instead of, i don't know, enjoying them properly. I get it, you want your stans to be successful, but most of the time that comes organically, even with rigged systems. For instance, Dreamcatcher finally got recognized as the talent powerhouse they are only recently, not due to sells but due to their own talent and a little bit of good luck. SO yeah, I never liked fandoms cheating, even in the streaming sense either. It really makes it hard to tell what's actually good when some K-pop whale is paying to win. You don't discover jewels that way.

This video is so funny to me, because it’s basically addressing the embarrassing behaviour some fans display by doing things like this. The whole “outsold” agenda, the “__ charted” “___ did this” did that, the whole agenda for their idols and their fandom to be “better” than others is hilarious. Fans are obsessed with being on top, more so than actually caring about their idols as ARTISTS. And streaming parties and bulk buying literally proves it.

Can the companies like hybe, YG etc just normalise one album, one version only? My / our bank acc is crying at the corner.

I sometimes will buy different versions of the same album because the packaging is pretty and had different colors or different designs on it. And obviously I like photo cards too, but bulk buying seems very dramatic and super wasteful. Although I would be quite sad if k-pop groups stopped making the physical copies all together since I like having them 😢

Thanks for bringing to light the environmental issues of the K-pop industry 💚

Honestly bulk buying is horrible because fans want to get their faves on the charts and now companies are trying to stop this problem by removing the physical albums and fans who just want to have them as memorabilia have to suffer because of this and I myself want to buy albums to enjoy but their selling out because of the bulk buying

I must admit I fell satisfaction when someone bulk buys and every single photo cards they get it’s the exact same. I also benefit from album resells with no inclusions because if I get a brand new album I normally pay from 40 to 50$ just for duties T.T I collected them for the album and photo book, I don’t really care much about photo cards or posters.

@jongerwongers

Жыл бұрын

I've noticed some tiktoks of this and it's so funny to me, them getting the exact same inclusions in every album, the videos showed atleast 10 albums too so they all got jipped hard

@Reyshy

Жыл бұрын

@@jongerwongers I remember seeing one for SKZ Maniac, they got like 100 albums and every single photo card was the same.

As someone who collects photocards i can say that people do group orders so they can most likely only get photocards of their favourite member, someone bulk buys the albums and then sorts the pcs so that other people dont need to buy hundreds of albums Also, people usually buy all the versions of the albums then trade the photocards to get their favourite member, they sell them if they have left over cards or cards that they cant find trades for, very few people buy pcs for the purpose of reselling them. Another thing is that a lot of the time when someone buys in bulk they take the photocards out and resell the album for a heavily discounted price, which helps people who dont have enough money to buy the actual album. (Some go for like €3) A lot of this video is over exaggerated or only applies to korea, because ive never heard of someone in the west buy lots of albums the just leave them on the road. Albums are very cheap in korea compared to over in other places, so obviously theres going to be people who do that sort of thing. This whole video paints kpop photocard/album collectors as bad people who hate the environment when most people dont even do it.

@Jungwonisadifferentbreedofcat

Жыл бұрын

yeah here in ph, a lot of sellers just keep their desired pcs, then sell the rest of dupes. and then sell the unsealed album w/o pcs for lower prices so those who can't afford too pricey kpop albums can still collect or own.

@felixisa5starmichelin

Жыл бұрын

@@Jungwonisadifferentbreedofcat yeah and ive even seen people put up their dupes along with extra albums and say you can pick x amount of pcs with every album you buy

@yevhenia2518

Жыл бұрын

But a lot of PCs collectors get their photocards from Korea by using proxy servers and addresses. And most of the sellers actually do dispose photobooks and CDs, so saying those people don't contribute to the problem is being a hypocrite. It's actually more sustainable money-wise for the buyer to get a bunch of photocards for let's say $10 each and pay around $20-40 for shipping than buy albums for $20-30 each and try to resell remaining inclusions for the price of $4 without a warranty to pull the needed PCs

@itsmeenon

Жыл бұрын

I agree with the beginning of your opinion but definitely not the end. This video didn't correctly address photocards at all. I don't think there are people who buy 100+ albums just to boost sales, that is ridiculous... the amount of sales went up in the last 2 years because of photocards: lucky draw events, video call/offline events with photocards, preorder benefits etc.. that is the main reason why people buy that many albums, to finish their collection, not to 'boost sales'. Also, like you said, saying people buy albums just to resell the photocards is kind of ridiculous? Obviously I won't keep a photocard I do not need. Also, if I buy 10 albums to get one pc, I'm gonna sell them not throw them away 😭😭 But it is absolutely ridiculous to claim that this isn't bad for the environment. I don't think colletors are bad people (I'm one of them) and I don't think this video paints them that way. I think it is important to realize that collecting IS bad for the environment, but also that this is mostly the companies' fault for being greedy and having sometimes 50+ photocard events for ONE COMEBACK (and often 1 pob per album.. meaning you have to buy the whole set to be sure you'll get your bias, by hosting a go or not). Also most goms who buy hundreds of albums use a proxy in Korea, who obviously has to get rid of the albums somehow so obviously you don't see albums in the streets in the west.. That being said, I host group orders and my friend in Korea sends me the inclusions only, then give the empty albums to old ladies (who ask for theml) in front of her apartment for them to sell them to recycling centers! But I do hope that companies will stop being so wasteful and think of a solution with these kind of photocard events because this is getting out of hand...

@felixisa5starmichelin

Жыл бұрын

@@itsmeenon yeah but i mean all the go’s i see happen always include the album with all inclusions, ive personally never come across one only for the inclusions. Also about the environment thing, yes its not great but if companies think of better ways to make and sell their albums i dont see why they cant continue making the albums how they do now. If they were to get rid of the actual albums itd be very sad because idk about all people but i dont only buy the albums for the pcs (although thats a big reason) i also buy them to play them in the car so i dont have to deal with ads The video still does paint collectors as people who just buy these albums for the pcs and etc but i also do get your point

This reminds me of when Gahyeon from dreamcatcher went on vlive and told insomnia don’t buy her $50 photo card cause it was too expensive

guilt tripping for album sales and streaming is one of my pet peeves in the Kpop community frfr

I only ever had 2 BTS album, and I'm not ashamed because my lack of collection than the other army's. And I'm not feeling obligated to buy their albums/merchandise just because they're my favorite, I used my money to get my living expenses instead. What matters is my real support for them is within my heart 💜

That's why Baekhyun always say buy only one. He ask fans to spend more on themselves.

I like albums. I hope they wont be digital only. That would suck.

Being honest here, i like to collect albums but i control myself whenever it comes to buying them. I buy my favorite albums from my top groups instead because i don’t want to spend too much on every single album from a group. i want to keep an album i treasure or love so much. (i’m not sure if i explained myself well, sorry :( )

What's bad is when people just buy them to get the photocards and then just donating them to charity shops to deal with the albums. It is incredibly damaging to the environment. If the items in charity shops don't sell, guess what? They often either go to other charity shops or they go to recycling or landfill. The recycling industry is so defective that a lot of recycling ends of in the oceans and land fill anyways. I also remember the Grammys complaining about how Army's bulk buy BTS albums which skews performance data and doesn't show a realistic version of how the song is actually perceived among the general public. I think if this is an issue, it also needs to be addressed as a whole. However, once you mention any popular group, the toxic fans will come at you with their knives.

@reggieferns

Жыл бұрын

Agreed. It just feels like cheating in a way since other artist or smaller artists won't have such dedicated fans with extra cash to throw at them.

@webmasterd

Жыл бұрын

Korean award shows are the worse too. BTS been winning 'album of the year' strictly cuz they sell a lot of albums. but is their album as a whole really that much better? Album of the Year is when songs on the whole album does well, not on how many albums can be sold? Lol. someone like lim young woong who majority of his songs chart seems more deserving. but he is also not the standard the korean kpop fans people want to see win either. they want a popular kpop idol to win. smh.

@txtyunan

Жыл бұрын

@@webmasterd This is so true, I want TXT to win for AOTY in a particular nomination because I do think TCC: FREEZE is better than BTS' album. but since BTS do better in terms of sales, it did not happen. Like the standard right now in determining the best music is just by the sales, which is an abomination.

@gabdongipark

Жыл бұрын

You have balls to say that pelase be safe with toxic fans😂 I totally support you

@user-vv7hc7kb5o

Жыл бұрын

grammys didnt say anything like that lmaooooo not yall kpoppies graduating from szas school of lying and eating everything yall see online whether its true or not🥴🥴 if u would have said stray kids or seventeen i would have taken you seriously lol having millions of sales for an album but barely any streams to match and not seen anywhere on the charts,,,,,,,because one thing bts is gonna have is demand and sales/streams to match/sold out stadiums worldwide

This is super interesting to me... Thank you for sharing because I didn't know this was a thing. I am new to K-pop. I became a fan in March 2021. I started collecting albums to support and because I genuinely love albums musically. My sister and I buy them for the design aspect as well. She is now inspired to go into book design. It is sad to see something as exciting as buying albums disrespected.

@gabdongipark

Жыл бұрын

Kpop became so number driven which is problematic

@tiffytiffamanda1217

Жыл бұрын

@@gabdongipark ahh ok!

@karlaalexa211

Жыл бұрын

There's no problem buying your favs albums, it's people who have a superiority moral complex that say it's not "right".

The only albums I bought by myself are StrayKids NoEasy, Oddinary (2 ver.), Itzy Checkmate and BornPink by BlackPink. Was more for emotional Support but way too much money. I could have spend it on my favorite book franchise. Sometimes just not worth the money

Thanks a lot for this. I buy albums from groups I like because it does help them but also because I want a collection to look at. I should not be surprised about the bulk buying as it is done with books here. Ever hear of the NY Times best sellars list? Same problem for decades.

3:18-3:39 OMG...Wendy is such a sweet heart 😭💙

adding goodies to physical albums was BRILLIANT. personally, i really like collecting things, so i would probably buy them anyway (not in a bulk buying way, just one, i'm too broke for that anyway) but i admit, the photocards and stuff do make it a lot more fun.

@Justme-vh7bu

Жыл бұрын

yes I aree

@MusicChanneI1738

Жыл бұрын

Agreed. I always look forward to seeing what kind of postcards, posters, bookmarks, etc I pull from the albums.

kq has also taken the initiative to do meta/digital albums now as they restocked ateez's treasure series albums again. fans will get the photocards and postcards with a qr code provided for the digital contents which is a good initiative from them

I mostly like to buy albums for photocards, but I use the cds daily in my cd player i have in my room. But for me its fun to collect things too

I’m not for bulk buying for the sake of fan meets and throwing them away. I’m definitely someone who buys every version available or joins group orders that are actually going to fans that joined the go. Like I usually do a group order if I trust the person organizing because it’s cheaper to buy them through the go. Also I thinks it hilarious when people are like I need to collect all the members photocards and I just take the cards that I get in my albums. My pride is getting all of namjoon’s photocards from love yourself answer. I’m happy with all my photocards.

i hope kpop companies get called out for there ignorance on having GROUPS being ambassadors of UNICEF for THE ENVIROMENT AND CLIMATE CHANGE, and have them brag about VVs, and partnering them with NFTS (HYBE, JYP,SM,YG and many more)

I’m fine with the two albums I have of my favorite groups.I mean yes I got a signed version of an album and a normal album but I still kept the whole thing in general rather than just keeping specific things. This is just crazy. Even if I wanted to, I’m a broke fan like many others 😂

The worst part of it is cbars. If you didn’t know cbars which stand for Chinese bars are these rich groups of Chinese solo Stan’s who will bulk buy LOADS of kpop albums only to throw them away, it’s a big problem when it contributes to half of certain groups sales

When I buy an album, it's because I like the songs on there. I don't even mind which photocard I get.

This kind of system ruins the fun of being a kpop fan. Someone on Twitter cyber bullied me for being a multi and blamed me for not being faithful to the group and assumed that I'm not stream enough or buy enough albums. Dude i have like 99 followers. This massive fandom is problematic too. It's brutal

thanks so much for this informative video, its a nice summary i needed for my web media assignment :) i support how companies are more innovative and having digital QR code albums now, able to own a physical item while reducing amount of packaging is at least a small but significant step towards helping environment a little.

I've been a kpoper since 2008 but started collecting albums & merch since 2020. I started collecting late bcuz 1st I didn't have the opportunity to collect sooner & 2nd the older albums specially the 2nd gen groups didn't really appeal to me like they do now; bcuz they didn't have photocards which I love & as much inclusions as now & the packagings weren't as beautiful as now. So as a person who always loved collecting things, collecting albums of some of my fave groups has become my new habit & joy of life. I love the feeling of excitement when I unbox a package & album & look at all the pictures in person & the excitement of the photocards I pull. For this reason I hate the digital albums; I buy the physical album to put it on my shelf to look at it anytime I'm in my room & feel happy. I cherish all of my albums & in general everything I buy, so seeing people throwing them away like that just makes my heart break. I always say that kpop days in old days were so much better than now. Now I just really hate the atmosphere & it's all some fans' fault. Of course we all become happy when our faves have records but not to the extent that we give it to them like this!

I have like 30+ albums but like they’re all from different groups and different comebacks, I get them but only if I really like a majority of the songs and the concept and also cause I think it’s fun collecting them but I think the fact that some fans have the audacity to blame other fans form the same fandom for not buying albums is so stupid and annoying!! Some people are not as well off as other fans so they can’t afford to buy them!!

There’s been times where I’ve had little money, but still bought NCT or SuperM albums because I love them so much and want to collect them. I had no idea that bulk buying actually happens and I feel bad for Giselle, she has many more fans than that surely and doesn’t deserve the hate and everything she suffers from🥺

Dont worry i buy 0 im poor

It's just crazy that suddenly a lot of girl groups hit million seller

A close friend of mine got into kpop around the same time as I. Throughtout the 6 years of stanning and since she and I are multi's, she has spent so much on each comeback of all the groups she stans. It's addictive, spending money on a group you like but it gets excessive when you literally can't support yourself anymore.

I remember watching a video of a girl opening up both butter (bts) album both yellow and orange she opened like 20 each and than she brought out 20 more just for the little pictures that's when I realized for the first time that they really don't sale as much cds as they say. This is why billboard changed the rules that they did and made everyone mad 😆 hahah

instead of companies thinking on how to minimize bulk buying, they are thinking on how to make packaging more eco-friendly.. in the end it's they prioritize profits..

Thank you very much for talking about this topic, I think it's for real problematic or at least very very annoying. And btw is sm entertainment also starting to use more eco friendly material, the beatbox album was completely recyclable beeing printed with some kinda soya been color idk

I buy second hand albums from places like mercari. Idc about inclusions since if im buying an album, it's because I like the music on the CD.

kpop stan are so obsessed with numbers its so crazy

I’ve been a kpop fan for 6 years and I have 6 albums I love looking forward to buying one every year I limit myself and it’s fun seeing wich members I pull etc. I honestly think it’s so dumb to buy 6 versions of the same album just buy one and be happy 🤷🏻‍♀️

I really want an album. And I mean it. I’m not gonna throw it away, and I’m not gonna buy thousands of the same one. I just want an album to listen to

6:46 a better word in this case would be "non-biodegradable", as "sustainable" has a strong connotation for the opposite meaning, i.e. sustaining the environment/Earth.

I hated bulk buying because then the same fans get to talk to the K-pop artists which is frustrating to other fans who are buying just 1-2 albums. 😅 And the same with PCs. How people would buy PCs and sell it for over $100 in MERCARI, EBay etc. And don’t get me started on scalpers buying K-pop tickets making it difficult for fans to get good seats without paying a fortune.

@evanyong5871

Жыл бұрын

😭 it's for the whales ( rich ) to meet with their favourite every comeback , and scalpers to sell you at astronomical prices after it's sold out ( concerts or photo cards ) . It's not like there won't be a lucky fan that bought one I seen of 1 or 2 before . But....it's a numbers game more copies more chances

Not to mention the contamination and waste of resources from the making in factories and from the shipments plus with the digital albums the cards still being wrapped in plastic!! And if they want it digital it should be all not only shipping the photo cards! Bc again they are contaminating and wasting resources.. Was excited for the meta albums KQ released but really isn't that good yet. If companies want to be eco-friendly they should go all in not just half doing it and because other companies are doing it plus saving money🙄 Seeing the good sides but they need to be better since the root come on it's not hard!

As a kpop fan for almost 7 yrs, I never buy an album and I just play their songs on yt coz it's free and accessible.

I got into kpop 8 years ago and at first I was just enjoying the music. When I made some friends within certain fandoms and got into fan communities online I found out about this obsession with albums , merch and streams. At first I didn't understand why everyone was so obsessed, but I kinda got sucked into it too. I took a break from kpop for 2 years and now I'm honestly not interested in albums anymore, or watching everything my favourite group puts out... I simply enjoy their music. I don't really need the albums, they'll probably just collect dust on a shelf, especially now that you have so many versions of an album. I haven't looked trough my Super Junior albums in years. They are somewhere in between my old college books and papers.

Such a waste of money and resources bulk buying is :((

I currently have 1 album, Manifesto day: 1. Thé reason im planning to get more is because i know i won't just leave them on my shelf. Every once in a while i open it again to just check out what i have. 90%, the reason i get albums is because of the excitement i get for the photo cards. But bulk buying is just over the top and unnecessary, as the idols might not notice or care.

i´m pissed i didn´t know people would through their albums away after pulling the photocards like hello you could sell them for really cheap i bet there are people who would buy it. me personaly i´m always really excited for all the other things inside like stickers, postcards or other stuff. i also have a cd player so the album has more purposes than just the photocards. i would really hate it if we couldnt buy physical albums anymore just because some people thought they had to bulb buy and than through everything away. i think in general if the albums are wrapped in more environmental friendly material bul buying is not the big issue as long as you resell the albums or give them away and not just through them in the trash.

I've been a kpop fan since 2009 but I only have 1 album : Girls' Generation's Forever 1. I bought one because I think that this album is the most special among others 💗

I buy an album if I like it. Simple as that. I have a multi-disc CD player in prime condition, and I still use it. The posters and the photo cards are just gravy. I have my favorite members, but I stan the GROUPS, so whoever I get is still cool.

I only buy one album of any group I like. It is usually the theme I like the most or catches my eye the most. I don't buy anything else. For those that can buy bulk or multiple, I say go for it and do what you want with your money. I myself do not like digital albums, means I have to be on my phone or computer more and I just would rather limit my time on there.

i feel like the best way to get rid of this problem is to have digitals albums.. that way people that want photobook and stuff can buy physical versions, and people that just want to collect photocards can stick with digital version.. i mean look at the j-hope's solo album, it was a digital version but you got photocards..

I use to have an album buying obsession during quarantine because, I was bored and had nothing better to do. Now I ONLY buy albums from my top 3 favorite groups. I make use of the albums by tearing them apart and using the pages as posters for my bedroom. AND I take my photocards outside with me as much as possible so, that they're not just sitting in a binder. Trying to give them all a chance really puts into perspective just how many pcs I have & stops me from buying more.

@Justme-vh7bu

Жыл бұрын

wow that's a great idea to take pc outside with you as much as possible so, that they're not just sitting in a binder and it prevents from buying more.

Tbh, that's why i prefer streaming and only caring about streaming bcz album sales can almost be based on how rich the fandom is (country plays a part) And tbh i never understand the argument about which group has more sales....like it literally just means they have more wage while we get nothing 💀 And also....tbh i kinda like how obsessed people are with photocards bcz i can buy the album with a wayyyyy cheaper price

I’ve been collecting albums and merch since 2018 and I got into kpop in 2017. I’ve acquired a pretty good collection for all the groups I stan. But over the years I became obsessed with collecting everything that is released and spending so much money to maintain my collection( aka credit card debt lol). Especially with pre-order benefits and limited edition items on most merch. It’s really hard to say no sometimes. Especially if you’re a shopaholic like me. I mostly collect albums and like the overall experience of it. I don’t collect for just the photocard or anything. I like the photobook mostly. I never bought in bulk either. I would just buy the set if there was one available. Since 2020, this obsession to collect everything died down and now I just collect when I can or want to. I’m thankful I no longer obsess over buying everything anymore since I’ve had to prioritize my money more as an adult. But I do still enjoy buying kpop merch especially from small businesses. I love buying from small kpop shops. The biggest reasons so many fans even buy so many albums is bc of the exclusivity of it all such as winning fan calls, different versions of photocards/albums, and the numbers. It’s all a competition. So many kpop fans care so much about numbers now and it’s sad. I love my groups but I have a life too. I support them when I can and listen to their songs during comebacks when I can. But I’m not going to spend all day streaming a song especially if I didn’t even like it. Music should be enjoyed. It shouldn’t be stressful. It shouldn’t be a competition for numbers. If some fans want to participate in such activities like streaming parties that’s fine. Whatever floats your boat. But fans shouldn’t shame others for not showing support in that same way. In my opinion. We all have different ways of showing support and caring for the artists we like. I also hope albums remain physical and don’t just become digital. It’s so fun to open a physical album, it’s the same way I prefer reading a physical book. I need to feel everything. I like the enjoyment of not knowing what photos will be in the photobook or what photocard you’ll get. It should be an experience. I love how kpop brought the album buying experience back. But I wish they’d get rid of the exclusivity of it all. No more 100 versions of photocards for each member to collect. No more 4+ versions of each album for every comeback. No more comebacks that are back to back and overworking their artists. Let these artists rest dammit! Anyways whether you buy an album or not, you’re still a fan. It doesn’t matter how much money you spend or don’t spend. It’s not about numbers and competing. That’s not the job of fans. That’s their companies job. It’s their staff, marketing team, and CEO’s job. We can show support in various ways of course. And that support will show itself in various ways too. Like a small group finally getting recognition for their work. But I think it should happen organically. Not by a group of ppl streaming the same song all day. In my opinion at least. Again whatever floats your boat. But just relax and have fun listening to kpop. It shouldn’t feel like a job💚

When this happened, I was so stressed out because I have to think about the space. Then there's those pbs with members only ver. So stressful 😭 then there's those envelope types of albums, wtf. I decided to not buy albums unless it is the box type or hardbound covers even if I like the group. Then we also have pcs priced as ridiculous amount when the album is still being printed 😅 weird merch.

I like having physical albums and don't really see the point in having photocards, so I usually buy the albums that people in my area resell for a lower price because they keep the photcard. I agree there is a huge issue with albums and all, but for people like me that actually like having physical albums QR codes or Weverse albums just won't work. Why would I pay for it when I could just stream it on Spotify? I don't participate in streaming or anything of the sort. I'm just here for the music.

@Justme-vh7bu

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Yess me too

It’s really funny seeing this as someone who also follows jpop idols bc they’ve been doing stuff like this for years. Photo cards, special posters depending on which store you bought it from, hand shake events, release events and concerts, checki/photo events etc.

Didn't knew how the photocard market is like this. When and why did people started to minimize their idols to a level of pokemon? Is Your bias some sort of shiny pikachu or what?

The real problem are the photocards. the more albums you buy the more likely it gets to get your biases. Mosrly i see armys reselling the empty albums to fans who can't afford the full price. the problems are companies doing 4 comebacks a year with 13 album versions and 47564874 different pcs

It is definitely a big problem if you throw them out. But if you do end up buying more than just one for one version, give them away for free or sell them for extremely cheap. I mostly collect the photocards - but if I do order more than one for a version, I never order more than what is needed to complete a set - as collecting photocards is what I like to do and I like to collect them all. So if there are 7 members and there's 3 of each in an album, I'll order max 7 albums then trade all my dupes for the rest. I don't do that with all groups though and currently I'm only doing it with one as it was more worth it to buy sealed copies than look for the photocards second hand (as the photocards were worth just as much as the album and the album had more stuff than just one thing). But that's my view on it

KQ is going the digital route with Ateez's old discography (the only physical item is a photo card and QR code). I have a feeling they'll be implementing this in some fashion in the future too.

Bulk buying albums doesn't make much sense to me.. even if you're trying to get a certain member as a photocard it's unnecessary. As The8 said once, you can just print a photo of the member or something, there's no need to spend so much money on albums 😭😭 And having like 20 of the same album is weird too, like one is enough

This is why as much as possible I try to buy from co-fans who are disposing their collection or have dupes. I've only gotten dupe albums myself when the albums were offered as a bulk of 5 and at random versions. During member birthday cupsleeve events or fandom christmas party or reunion, we'd pool our dupes either for trading, or donate them as giveaway or game prizes.

Why do K-Pop fans, stans, and entertainment companies worry so much about numbers and figures? All that did not define the artists' musical value, nor tell how critically acclaimed their music really is. Unless they worry too much about face value where it is all style and no substance. Which reflects how shallow they are about music and entertainment.