K-pop Photocard Basics — Types, Sizes, Sources, Terminology

📏 Standard photocard size

Industry-standard K-pop photocards are 55 × 85 mm (about 2.17 × 3.35 inches) — roughly half the size of a Pokémon TCG card, slightly larger than a US business card.

Some agencies use slightly different sizes for special editions (square 70×70mm for SM "OST" cards, 64×96mm for HYBE mini-poster cards). The 55×85mm format dominates 90%+ of releases.

🃏 The 6 main types

Standard album photocards

앨범 포카

Bundled inside the album itself. Random member pull from the album's pool. Each album version has a unique pool.

Rarity: Common$5–25 USD

POB (Pre-Order Benefit)

POB / 특전

Bonus card given by a specific retailer (Weverse, Ktown4u, Yes24, Aladin, Music Plant). Each retailer has different cards.

Rarity: Uncommon$10–40 USD

Lucky Draw (LD)

럭드 / 럭키드로우

Random pull from a special event pool, available only when buying from certain retailers. ~1 in 50–200 buyers receives one.

Rarity: Rare$30–200 USD (visual member up to $500+)

Fansign event card

팬싸 포카

Hand-distributed at fansign (lottery-only) events. Limited to ~50–500 copies per event. Often signed by the member.

Rarity: Very Rare$80–500 USD (signed = $300–2000+)

미공포 (Mikongpo) — unreleased

미공개 포카

Photocards that were printed but never officially distributed (sample cards, leaked test prints). Highest collectible tier.

Rarity: Very Rare$100–3000+ USD

Concert MD / Trading photocard sets

콘서트 MD

Tour merch card sets sold at venue only. Often 9-card binders, season's greetings, fan club kits.

Rarity: Uncommon$15–60 USD per card

🇰🇷 Korean terminology you'll see

포카 (poka)— Photocard (general term)

럭드 (lukdeu)— Lucky Draw — random POB pull

미공포 (mikongpo)— Unreleased / sample card

공식 (gongsik)— Official / authentic

비공식 (bigongsik)— Unofficial / counterfeit

단포 (danpo)— Single PC for sale

일괄 (ilgwal)— Bundle deal (multiple cards)

택포 (taekpo)— Shipping included in price

안전결제— Bunjang's safe-payment escrow

포카판매 / 포카거래— PC for sale / trade

✨ Holo / finish types

Glitter: Specks of metallic foil. Common on POBs.
Rainbow / Prism: Spectrum shift across angles. YG and HYBE favor this.
Lenticular: Two images switch with viewing angle. Concert MD specialty.
Spot UV: Glossy raised pattern over matte background. SM specialty.
Hot foil stamp: Mirror-finish gold/silver lettering. Anniversary / season's greetings.
Embossed: 3D raised texture. Rare, fansign-tier.

💎 Rarity hierarchy (resale price proxy)

Tier	Type	Print run	Resale floor
Common	Standard album PC	10K–500K	$5–15
Uncommon	Retailer POB	3K–80K	$15–40
Rare	Lucky Draw	500–5K	$50–200
Very Rare	Fansign signed	50–500	$300–2000
Holy Grail	미공포 + visual member	0 (unreleased)	$1000–10K+

Photocard basics