Photocards: A How-To for Collecting, Trading, and Selling

Welcome to your guide on collecting, selling, and trading photocards!

It’s easy to decide who you want to collect, and how you want to do it! Many people collect their ultimate biases by trading and selling cards of other members they don’t collect, but you can do it for as many members and as many groups as you want. Once you decide who you’re collecting, follow this easy guide to completing your collection with ease!

Selling/Trading Lingo:

Before you even begin, it’s important to know some of the lingo used within this collectors community:

WTS - Want to Sell

WTT - Want to Trade

WTB - Want to Buy

NFS - Not for Sale

NFT - Not for Trade

ISO - In Search Of

CC - Concealed Cash (cash sent via mail)

PP - PayPal

QYOP - Quote Your Own Price

WW - Worldwide

Once you get those down, you’re ready to start!

Step One: Choose Your Platform to Trade/Sell

For the trading and selling part of collecting, it’s important to figure out where and how you can share photocards you’re willing to sell or trade. The most common places are Instagram and Twitter.

Step Two: Where Are You Shipping?

Are you a U.S.-based seller/trader? Are you only shipping mail in the U.S.? Or are you shipping worldwide? Make sure to specify this info - likely in your bio! For example, (U.S. only) OR (WW available). 

Step Three: Post Your PCs

It’s time for your first post! Take photos of any photocards you’re willing to trade or sell in good lighting and have your username displayed somehow. You can display it by writing it on a separate piece of paper and having it shown with the photocard or watermarking the photo itself. Having your username on display shows legitimacy of your trade/sale. This is also where you post your price if you decide to sell rather than trade, and make sure to indicate availability. Availability can be shown simply by an emoji in the caption. Many people use a checkmark to indicate something is still available, an hourglass if it is pending, and an X for not available.

Step Four: Proofs

Proofs are very important to collectors because they want to make sure the photocards arrive in good condition or even at all. 

Before you send out a photocard, it’s common to send interested buyers and traders photos or videos of the photocard they’re interested in, as well as proof of their address written correctly when it is packed, and evidence of the photocard being dropped off at the post office. These little things can help build trust for collectors and when they receive the photocard, you can share it with your followers so that you have proof the mail you’re sending is legitimate. In the case of a sale, proofs also show you’re not scamming people for their money, since scammers are unfortunately out there.

Step Five: Have Fun (and Be Safe!)

Always be safe while collecting! If something feels fishy, trust your gut and try again elsewhere. It’s better to wait on a photocard you may need than to potentially lose money or have it lost. Collecting can be a fun process! The excitement of getting photocards never goes away, and it can be just as fun sending others photocards too. Plus it’s another way to make friends in the world of K-Pop!