Photo-pack Reselling ?
There’s something interesting about the JKT48 fandom in Indonesia, Photo-pack trading with currency that some people openly complained that it’s ethically wrong and doesn’t do any justice to the idols they supported.
But does this ethical opinion represent the whole community and how about if we see it from three different perspective ?
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It’s Wrong!!
The first perspective that I read at a group in Facebook after being notified by an old friend of mine via Instant Messenger when I told him that I kinda have a writer’s block.
This perspective goes into how the fans thought that reselling photo-pack of the idols (with profit of course) meant that the sellers doesn’t show any respect to the girls at all and just trying to get some profit for themselves.
A fan even goes as far as connecting this with the fact that Indonesia is so synonymous with corruption. And he even goes as far as connecting this with some politics, which unfortunately not really in context with what he’s talking about and like beating on a dead horse.
My take on this view
This is a very interesting perspective. While I could simply say, “Stop being so naive” , the fact that some people tried their best to get profit as high as they could is still bugging me. I’ve seen a case or two when some fans tried to resell the photo-packs with an astronomical price (thrice the price and sometimes even a hundreds times the price) with a tag of “Rareness” while there’s no official information that the packs was sold in limited quantity or out-of-print. That, in my own honest opinion, is wrong.
BUT…
Eh ? Why Not ?
The other parts of the fans have another view on this case, that every single of them have the rights to resell the photo-packs since well…, they bought the packs and it’s really up to them on what to do with the packs either saved it for collection or to resell them again.
In some case, the official already stated that the photo-pack was sold in a very limited quantity, so some sellers tried their best to get much more profit for the items especially once the items reach a sold-out status and already out-of-prints.
My take on this view
Is this ethically wrong as like the first view above mentioned ? I don’t really think so. One way or another, some fans going to need those sellers due to geographical condition or due to some other reasons.
But what about the price hike or profit ? That’s okay too, getting a profit is basic for any kind of business and it’s really up to them to calculate how much profit they would like to get. As long as they don’t add any “Rareness” tag or any false information that have no official information as a base for their astronomical price, then it’s ethically OK. It’s up to you then as a buyer to think for yourself, whether the price do you some justice ?
But, for overseas buyer, if the reason for the astronomical price was just because it’s exclusively available in Indonesia, be smart and look for another seller. It’s not a Havana-made Cigar to begin with.
I don’t give a damn care
And some people just doesn’t give a damn care about this case as they either just want to enjoy JKT48 or doesn’t care at all about JKT48.
My take on this view
I just want to tell you guys that I love you.
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So, overall, my stand on this three views is kind of neutral currently. In one way, I really dislike the dramas and all, but I often do make my own dramas, so…yeah…
Hopefully, with the official online shop coming shortly, the photo-packs dramas could be ended, smoothly and swiftly. Well…at least temporarily..
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Original English Article by Angga
Japanese Translation by Tokyo Pop
Angga
Just another lazy author for JKT48Stuff whom mainly working with translations and sometimes writing articles about JKT48 with an obvious grammar problem. Was living his life as a JKT48 DD until...
6 Responses
the plusside : it helps me who live outside Jakarta and Java island to get my oshi’s photopack. BTW, I live in East Kalimantan Province (X____x);
the downside : man, its cruelly expensive, especially for some popular members photopack :'(
Well, truth to be told, I don’t think that “popular” does means that the photos are “rare” in any case. Perhaps you should find some sellers that sold the pics with more reasonable pricing especially if the packs is still in print and available to be bought publicly.
Hopefully the official online shop will sell those packs too.
yes, i agree and you maybe right that “popular” doesn’t mean “rare”, but i did checked some sellers and comparing their price offerings only to got the conclusion that my oshi’s PP price range is from Rp. 120.000 – Rp. 150.000, and JNE’s shipping service to my town from jakarta or bandung would be around Rp. 22.000 – Rp. 35.000. It would seems “normal” when i ordered a T-Shirt or electronic gadget, but for a single photopack? it was a big dilemma for me, but eventually my heart made the decission more than my logic and bank account hahahaha xDD
I personally think 120.000 is still reasonable in one way if the range is 120-150 especially if you really adored your Oshi
. Think of it as the cost for hours of queue and of course you don’t have to pay for any transport fee 
Anyway, why not use the Indonesian Postal service? the “Kilat Khusus” service cost less than JNE if I’m not mistaken.
The funniest thing about this whole problem is that most fans still prefer buying those overpriced photopacks than trading for it
I posted some photopacks for trading on groups and forums, and I wrote that I would accept both trading and buying, yet all of those who contacted me directly asked how much would I sell those photopacks
Or maybe it was because I asked for some relatively popular member’s photopacks :-P, [btw, are Rena, Dhike and Stella’s photopacks rare?]
If there’s no official announcement that the packs were either out-of-print or were a limited sales, then it’s a no.