This part will answer the following:
• How should I start my collection?
• What materials do I need to purchase before starting?
• What should I take note of?
• How can I collect without overly spending?
Of course, the answers may not be applicable to everyone out there. BUT! If it does, then I'm happy :)
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Before starting,
1. DECIDE WHO YOU WANT TO COLLECT.
Unless you want to collect the whole group, please decide first. Deciding who you want to dedicate your collection to is the VERY FIRST STEP you have to take.
I personally collect Stray Kids Chan & Seungmin, BTS Jhope & Jungkook, as well as TXT Soobin & Beomgyu. I did try collecting OT8 for Stray Kids at some point, but it was too expensive to maintain T__T
2. SEARCH UP PHOTOCARD TEMPLATES!
You can find them easily on Twitter or Google. I usually source mine from Twitter. You can conveniently mark out the cards you want to collect from the template itself, and cross out cards you already have. This way, collecting will be more organised and you would have easy access to viewing the cards you need!
3. PLAN WELL.
From the template you saved, choose cards that you want to collect, and choose cards you don't want to collect. Doing so will save you a lot of time and money in the long run.
Decide whether you want to collect album cards, DVD cards, exclusive store benefits, pre-order benefits, or any of the like.
4. GET THESE MATERIALS:
• Binder
I personally got a 3-ring binder. Whatever works for you is fine! You can just get these at your local bookstore.
• Binder sleeves
I got Ultra-pro 3-ring binder sleeves with 9 pockets per page. Please remember to choose the correct sleeve size and holes for you to slot into your binder! Ultra-pro sleeves are really good for collectors as they are clear and not as flimsy.
For some bigger cards or bookmarks, you might have to purchase 3-pocket or 4-pocket sleeves instead!
• Card sleeves/sleeves in general
A typical photocard size is about 6 x 9 cm. I usually buy mine off online stores like Shopee. Notable card sleeve brands are Popcorn sleeves and Ultra-Pro sleeves. There are many types and sizes of sleeves to choose from, so choose to your liking!
I also bought random plastic sleeves to keep my albums in. Albums like BTS Persona tend to fade in colour when placed bare on the shelf. Signed albums marker ink also tend to fade or are more prone to scratches when left without a sleeve.
Please please please use sleeves, as it reduces the chances of damage on your photocard or album! On that note, do not leave your albums in direct contact with the sun, as the colours on it may fade. I'm not really too sure about photocards though, (and I don't wanna test it) but just keep them in your binder to be safe!
5. SET UP A BUDGET.
For each photocard, set up a price you are willing to pay. This will help you better gauge prices when sourcing among marketplaces and save you from potentially over-spending on a card. (It will also save you from regret)
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That's pretty much it to start! I will be constantly updating these chapters just in case I miss anything out, so this list is subject to change!
If you have any questions about starting your collection,
leave a comment! :)