Buying on Bunjang safely

Bunjang (번개장터) is a Korean second-hand marketplace where people sell sold-out albums, photocards, fashion and collectibles. It's person-to-person, so listings move fast, prices are often negotiable, and quality depends on the seller. Here's how the K-pop Desk buys on Bunjang for you and what you should check before you commit.

How a Bunjang purchase works with us

1. Send the listing link. In your note, add your maximum price if you'd like us to negotiate, and the photos you want to see.
2. We message the seller in Korean. We confirm the item is still available and matches the listing, and ask for the photos or details you asked for.
3. You get a quote with the price agreed with the seller, plus any domestic shipping to our warehouse. It's valid for 72 hours, and nothing is charged until you accept.
4. We pay with 번개페이 (Bunjang's safe payment) whenever the seller supports it. With safe payment, the seller is usually paid only after the buyer confirms receipt. If safe payment isn't available for a listing, we'll say so in the quote so you can decide.
5. The item arrives and we photograph it before confirming receipt (구매확정). If it doesn't match the listing, we raise it with the seller while the payment is still held.
6. It goes into your box, ready to combine with your other orders for free.

Terms you'll see on listings

Korean	Meaning
택포	Price includes domestic shipping
네고 가능	Open to negotiation
네고 X / 네고 불가	Price is fixed
미개봉	Unopened, still sealed
포카	Photocard
일괄	Sold as a bundle
인증 (인증샷)	Proof photo, often with a handwritten note from the seller
직거래	In-person handover. We buy for delivery to our warehouse

Negotiating

Many sellers expect a polite offer, especially when a listing says 네고 가능. Tell us your maximum and whether you'd rather save money or secure the item. On popular listings, haggling can mean someone else buys it first. We keep offers polite and don't push sellers who say no.

Fake photocards: what to look for

Fake photocards are common on second-hand markets. These are the warning signs worth asking about:

• The price is far below what the card usually sells for, especially for a rare card.
• The seller has several copies of the same rare card.
• The listing photos look borrowed. They look like official images or scans, or you've seen the same photo in another listing. Ask for an 인증 photo showing the actual card next to a handwritten note with the date.
• The print quality is off. Blurry details, visible pixels, or colors that are too saturated or washed out compared with confirmed official scans.
• The finish or thickness doesn't match. Glossy where the official card is matte (or the reverse), or a card that looks thinner or thicker than it should.
• The back is slightly wrong. Check the logos, text, fonts and spacing against a confirmed official card.
• The corners or size differ from the official version.

Useful questions to have us ask the seller:

• Which album, version or store benefit is it from?
• Can you send front and back close-ups in daylight?
• Can you photograph it next to another card from the same set?

We compare the item with the listing photos, and with official references where they exist. We can't certify authenticity. A convincing fake can pass a visual comparison.

What we can't guarantee

• Authenticity. Our photos and comparison help, but they're not a certificate.
• That the seller follows through. Sellers can cancel, sell to someone else first, or stop replying.
• Condition beyond what photos show. Fine scratches or light dents don't always show up in listing photos, and we can't inspect an item until it reaches us.
• The outcome of a dispute. If something goes wrong, Bunjang's own rules decide how it's resolved.

Costs

Each Bunjang checkout counts as one store order for our ₩3,500 service fee. Three cards from three different sellers are three store orders. If one seller sells you several items in a single checkout, that's one store order. There's no service fee on store orders of ₩200,000 or more.

Photocards are light, so they're a good fit for combining with other orders before shipping. Consolidation is free, and packing and handling is ₩3,000 per outbound shipment, not per item.

Protecting what you buy

• We keep the seller's packaging, such as sleeves and toploaders. We only remove bulky outer delivery boxes.
• Extra protection (bubble wrap and corner guards) is ₩2,000.
• Detailed photos (up to 10) are ₩1,500 per parcel, useful for checking a card closely before it ships.

More store notes are on our Bunjang page. If you spot a listing you're unsure about, share it in community Q&A and we'll tell you what we'd ask the seller.