I want to talk a little bit about the coolness of K-pop merch in terms of packaging.
If there’s one weird thing I’m a big supporter of it is physical media. I know all the arguments for digital copies of records, books, and movies from paper waste to clutter to cost, and that’s all fine and good. Yet, when I want a book, movie, or album, I want it in my hands to enjoy and show off in a library environment. I’m a collector.
This is one reason I love K-pop albums—in addition to the actual music. They have given us a reason to want the physical album. When purchasing a K-pop CD, you get the disc (and, yes, sometimes a digital download as well), full photo booklets, photo cards, posters, and cool trinkets ranging from purses to shoelaces to stickers to mini standees and full decks of cards (all of which I’ve received). If that’s not enough of a way to entice fans, there are usually two or three different versions of each album. If you want all the photo books, you’ll need to get every version. I’m guilty of that. Also, they make plain CD versions available for those wanting just the disc… and a few photo cards tossed in.
Oh, and let’s not forget the “exclusives” at different retail stores, a concept that has reached some very “Western” stores like Walmart, Target, and Barnes & Noble. These are often something like a special extra photo card or postcard-size image. Don’t forget that, on occasion, if you order directly from the official sites, you can score a “random signed” album before they run out. You don’t have a say in what members’ signatures you get, but who cares? What a cool memento! I took advantage of that a few times and currently have randomly signed discs from Xikers, TXT, ATEEZ, and Seventeen. I’m currently awaiting a signed P1Harmony in about a week.
Some may call this just a way to take more money from loyal fans… and I won’t argue. It is. But it is also brilliant marketing. Not only do you get albums, but now you’re in the trading card and collectible business. And there are “chasers” among them. I’ve witnessed my daughters’ hunts to find some of these.
This leads me to my own offspring’s latest purchases with their holiday mad money… the “Seasons Greetings” and Summer Photobook sets of favorite idols. Because releasing single album sets (with one to three songs), mini albums (about six or seven songs), and full albums (with a good ten or more songs) aren’t enough, we also need special sets twice a year. Many popular groups put out these packages sometimes as early as October or as late as December for “Seasons Greetings” sets and towards the end of spring for the summer books… and they are not cheap.
As K-pop albums can run around $20 to $35 on average (at least in my experience), the “Seasons Greetings” and Summer Photobooks sets are limited edition and can range from $50 to more than $100. They almost always sell out quickly, too.
These aren’t album sets but extra “goodies” for the fandoms. The Summer Photobooks are straightforward; it’s a little summer photo album with some photo cards and other trinkets. The “Seasons Greetings” are almost always themed, and are a celebration of the coming year with the group’s unique vibe. For 2024, Red Velvet had a cool gothy baby doll look and Seventeen had a time capsule. Aespa’s is a classic “girls day out,” WayV’s is a bakeshop, and Exo’s is a Valentine’s Day theme. Anyway, you get the point; they all set a mood. The two my oldest purchased were for ATEEZ and Xikers.
As this was Xikers’ first ever Seasons Greetings, “How’s The Weather?,” the packages went fast. As for ATEEZ, she made sure to order hers well in advance, because this is the year the entire world has discovered a group my daughter has loved since their debut about six years ago. Be on the lookout for a post-Coachella ATEEZ craze this year.
Both these sets came with a making-of DVD (with subtitles), desk calendars, photo card and postcard sets, folded posters (the ATEEZ was a wall calendar), and a diary/photobook.
The ATEEZ was particularly cool, as it included a mystery to solve—a diamond heist, to be exact. Each member is a suspect, and for a daughter who is a forensics major, it might as well have been made just for her. There were also lenticular images, ID cards, and a digital planner. This is what K-pop bands do every winter… and summer! It is genius.
Are these sets and albums worth the cost? Well, let’s be honest. If you don’t care about the group, you could put together a plain calendar set for less than $20, but if you love the group, it is no different than getting a new set of Magic: The Gathering cards or action figures. Collectors love their merch, and K-pop fandoms love, love, love their special sets.
For me, it is just sheer innovation in reaching out to fans (and their pocketbooks). I would love to be able to have a hand in designing some of these items because the creativity behind some of them is amazing… and there’s always room for more physical media if you love your music.
