When did you realize that companies really see fans as ATM?

[boo]

I realized it when companies are going extreme to exploit fans who collect photocards, especially during covid. Just like how people collect pokemon cards, baseball cards, and other trading cards, companies know that sizeable amount of fans collect photocards of their bias, so for every events and everything idols are selling (such as any merch), companies will include photocards to make sure these merch sell.

For each comeback, there will be a lot of photocards available from the album, the websites you buy from will have their own photocards, and these websites can also include Japan, Indonesia, China, and etc. I am just going to list below list of places where you can get photocards from:

album (regular versions, kihno, jewel case, etc.)
apple music (round 1,2,etc.), fansign
apple music china
beatroad
dmc
everline online
everline offline
joeun music
ktown4u (round 1,2,etc.)
makestar (round 1,2,etc.)
mihwadang
music korea
mymusictaste (round 1,2,etc.)
namil music
richining
shopee
soundwave (round 1,2,etc.)
soundwave lucky draw (tbh, I have no idea how lucky draw works, but I assume it's the same as others?)
synnara
tower record
withmuu (round 1,2,etc.)
withdrama
wonderwall
yizhiyu (round 1,2,etc.)

I don't think there are any specific rules of which sites have round 1,2,3, so theoretically any of these can have round 1,2,3.
I am sure there are more that I am missing but my point is that this is too much and made me feel disgusted with the companies. Some might argue that fans don't have to collect all of them, but my problem is with the companies' intention to take advantage of fans. Also, I am not singling out any groups because this is happening to EVERY GROUP

P.S: I am not including merch, membership, seasons greetings (benefits from specific websites you buy from ), and etc. because I am tired and don't want to research more lol

My questions are:
1) What are your thoughts on this?
2) When did you realize that companies really see fans as ATM?

 

[hatmixx]

Since day 1 XD but it's gotten extraordinarily worse. The chat apps and pay for random ass content are the worst offenders. Esp when groups end up rarely updating...

 

[boo]

Since day 1 XD but it's gotten extraordinarily worse. The chat apps and pay for random ass content are the worst offenders. Esp when groups end up rarely updating...

YES those chat apps are terrible! There are also some video apps that you have to specifically download (as if I have any space on my phone) and pay for dfkdslf. I just watched the first ep they have for free on youtube and never bothered with the rest

 

[Chomiczewska]

Are there people who aren't aware of it since the beginning?

But yeah as years go by it's only becoming worse - 300 different photocards, 3+ album versions, different types of albums. It's wild to me that I have an album from 2017 that had a total of 6 pcs and you got 3 in one album, so without even trying I completed half of the collection and if I wanted to it wouldn't be that hard to get the other half.
Honestly tho the most annoying part of this whole pc obsession is not the companies being shameless, but my twitter tl being spammed with twitts announcing all of these pcs, I don't goddamn care!

 

[Seriously]

I mean, I don't think there was a time when I DIDN'T think that. People pay to simply walk past an idol and wave through plexi glass... They'll gladly slap a pay wall on anything. The paid apps are dumb, but I can 100% guarantee any decently sized group has a twitter account dedicated to just reposting that content, so eh, not my concern.

 

[Beefy]

the millions of POBs like you mentioned + idk when idols actually sleep during promotions nowadays because with every POB there's a fansign (be it online or off) to go with it. I also hate the whole digipak phenomena, like sure it's a cheaper alternative but having member versions is a bit much and very wasteful imo. I miss the days when groups would put out one version of an album and call it a day.

 

[boo]

Are there people who aren't aware of it since the beginning?

But yeah as years go by it's only becoming worse - 300 different photocards, 3+ album versions, different types of albums. It's wild to me that I have an album from 2017 that had a total of 6 pcs and you got 3 in one album, so without even trying I completed half of the collection and if I wanted to it wouldn't be that hard to get the other half.
Honestly tho the most annoying part of this whole pc obsession is not the companies being shameless, but my twitter tl being spammed with twitts announcing all of these pcs, I don't goddamn care!

Yes but it's not that severe.
Lol there are probably announcements every day

the millions of POBs like you mentioned + idk when idols actually sleep during promotions nowadays because with every POB there's a fansign (be it online or off) to go with it. I also hate the whole digipak phenomena, like sure it's a cheaper alternative but having member versions is a bit much and very wasteful imo. I miss the days when groups would put out one version of an album and call it a day.

I wouldn't be surprised if they do fansign for a whole week from morning to night. Digipak is just another way of companies taking money from fans. They don't reduce production of regular albums and they also come with their own set of photocards lol

 

[UMJI MOODS]

I don't remember not knowing. There are fans who willingly go broke to get everything so they take advantage of this. I have never done anything beyond buy albums I want, but that's just me.

 

[boo]

I don't remember not knowing. There are fans who willingly go broke to get everything so they take advantage of this. I have never done anything beyond buy albums I want, but that's just me.

I also only spend what I can but considering some of the fans are minors, they are going overboard with this. I hope someone influential is able to call them out on their greed.