🃏 Trading photocards in person: etiquette and safety
Swapping photocards with another STAY can be a highlight of your trip. A few simple habits keep it fair, friendly and safe.
Step by step
- Agree the details in chat firstConfirm which cards, their condition, and the price or swap before you meet, so nobody is surprised on the day.
- Meet somewhere busyPick a public spot with people around, like a station exit or a café, and tell a friend where you're going.
- Look at the card before payingCheck the actual card before money or cards change hands. Korean customs has seized over 1.2 million fake photocards since 2023, including Stray Kids cards, and fakes are hard to spot.
- Don't pay strangers in advanceFraud in direct second-hand deals is common in Korea (about 120,000 cases in 2025). If someone insists on payment before meeting, walk away.
- Or buy from a checked sellerSome Korean services, such as the Pocamarket app, verify cards before listing them, and Pocaspot has physical stores in Seoul.
Show these in Korean
Before you go
- Bring sleeves or toploaders so cards stay flat.
- A polite 'no thanks' (괜찮아요) is completely normal.
- Scammed or in trouble? Police: 112. Travel help in English: 1330.
Checked Sep 26 · Sources: www.koreajoongangdaily.com · www.koreaherald.com · english.visitkorea.or.kr
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