This past year has really been a struggle with the lack of new Golden Child music (don't get me wrong, "Spring Again" is my most played song ever and was the savior for the year), but now it feels so surreal that Golden Child is really coming back after over a year with their first full album! The album was released digitally on November 18th, 2019, and physically on the 19th. For the first time in Golden Child's discography, there is a deluxe version and a normal version. This comeback is especially important to me because 1) it's been over a year that I've been waiting and saving up for Golden Child, and 2) Golden Child deserves so much, especially after such a long hiatus and a loss of fans. Furthermore, the deluxe version comes with one of ten random special photos while the normal version comes with one of ten random special photos different from the deluxe and one of ten photocards, and I would like to collect them all. Therefore below is my strategy on ordering my Golden Child Re-boot albums. I have an unboxing post for the normal version here and the post for the deluxe version here.
Pre-Ordering
Both versions are quite heavy, and on top of that this is a full album, so the price of each album is more expensive than past Golden Child albums. Despite my great frustration with Ktown4u, I caved in and bought one of each version from them so that I could get the free folded posters. Shipping for tubed posters along with heavy albums is just that much more costly. I actually don't mind that these albums are heavier, because that means I have to use express and receive my albums faster. It came out to $73.22 USD ($26.44 for deluxe, $17.35 for normal, and $29.43 shipping).
At this point I had to figure out a reasonable amount of duplicates I would buy. After much contemplation (and seeing how much shipping increases with each additional album), I settled for ordering two deluxe versions and four normal versions from Kpoptown for $184 USD shipped ($25.80 per deluxe, $17.10 per normal, and $64 shipping).
To my great frustration, Kpoptown sent me an email three minutes before the 20th PDT asking for $6 USD via Paypal to cover additional shipping fees since they didn't predict just how heavy these albums were so heavy. This is my fourth order from them where they did this It's also so frustrating they took so long to inform me, and they're having me go into Paypal and therefore incur additional fees, and the email didn't even state what order number they were referencing; it was just a generic email. I paid the additional fee on Wednesday morning PDT and emailed Kpoptown; they replied that they'd ship it out ASAP but ended up shipping it out Thursday night PDT via DHL.
Delivery and Kpoptown Frustration
My Ktown4u package shipped out on the 18th PDT via UPS and delivered on the 20th. I've always been weary about ordering from Ktown ever since the 2019 Golden Child Season's Greetings mishap, but fortunately I did receive the correct items. The two folded posters were sandwiched between the two albums, with four layers of bubblewrap that fit snug within the cardboard box. Unfortunately a corner of the deluxe version has a dent while the front cover is a long crease at the top. My order also came with a 5% off coupon that expires at the end of 2020.
From Ktown4u, I pulled the Tag special photo and Jaehyun photocard from the normal version.
I pulled the Joochan special photo from the deluxe version.
My Kpoptown package shipped out on the 21st PDT via DHL and delivered on the 25th, but to my utmost frustration, they shorted me two normal albums! First they asked me for additional shipping fees under the table, only to ship less product? The box was just big enough to fit two deluxe albums and two normal albums, however the outside label did state six CDs were inside. I emailed them right away, but it wasn't until the 26th that they sent me a new email saying they shorted me two albums and asked if I preferred the albums being shipped via DHL or being refunded. I replied within a few hours, and in the same day they confirmed that they would ship out the remaining albums. I continued with follow-up emails to Kpoptown but on the 30th still have not received confirmation from DHL. At this point I just don't know what to do as it seems like they're just not going to send me my two albums or refund me.
For my first Kpoptown package, the albums were stacked together with deluxe on the bottom and normal on the top, all in one bubblewrap bag and then two layers of bubblewrap on top and bottom inside a fitted cardboard box. The normal albums looked like they were compressed; the spines are bent. The deluxe albums each have a dented corner.
Even worse, the postcard set was ripped within its enclosure of one deluxe album.
From the normal albums, I pulled the Bomin special photo and Y photocard from one copy and Donghyun special photo and Jangjun photocard from my other copy.
I pulled the Tag special photo from the deluxe version.
Pulls
Each normal album comes with one special photo out of ten. So far I pulled Tag, Donghyun, and Bomin.
Each normal album also comes with one photocard out of ten. I've pulled Y, Jangjun, and Jaehyun.
Each deluxe album also comes with one special photo out of ten, which differs from the special photo included in the normal album. I've pulled Tag, Jibeom, and Joochan.
Thoughts
Based on these six albums, I was pleasantly surprised to pull such a variety of members! I was able to pull every member except Daeyeol and Seungmin, and have no duplicates.
I just need to vent out my frustration here. I purposely pre-ordered so that I could receive my albums right at release, as I've learned trading and buying photocards are best during the first few weeks of the era. But Kpoptown substantially delayed this, first by asking for more money for shipping, then by shorting me 1/3 of my order and not following through with the missing albums.
On another note, it seems almost impossibly difficult to collect all photocards and special photos from this album; the albums itself are more expensive due to tracklist length and physical album size, and the special photos seem too large to safely ship separately.
Lastly, it is a bit disappointing at how low the album sales are; of course it's tough with such a long hiatus, but it just seems too low. I hope as promotions and fansigns continue and the fandom grows that the album sales for RE-boot can also increase.
Pre-Ordering
Both versions are quite heavy, and on top of that this is a full album, so the price of each album is more expensive than past Golden Child albums. Despite my great frustration with Ktown4u, I caved in and bought one of each version from them so that I could get the free folded posters. Shipping for tubed posters along with heavy albums is just that much more costly. I actually don't mind that these albums are heavier, because that means I have to use express and receive my albums faster. It came out to $73.22 USD ($26.44 for deluxe, $17.35 for normal, and $29.43 shipping).
At this point I had to figure out a reasonable amount of duplicates I would buy. After much contemplation (and seeing how much shipping increases with each additional album), I settled for ordering two deluxe versions and four normal versions from Kpoptown for $184 USD shipped ($25.80 per deluxe, $17.10 per normal, and $64 shipping).
To my great frustration, Kpoptown sent me an email three minutes before the 20th PDT asking for $6 USD via Paypal to cover additional shipping fees since they didn't predict just how heavy these albums were so heavy. This is my fourth order from them where they did this It's also so frustrating they took so long to inform me, and they're having me go into Paypal and therefore incur additional fees, and the email didn't even state what order number they were referencing; it was just a generic email. I paid the additional fee on Wednesday morning PDT and emailed Kpoptown; they replied that they'd ship it out ASAP but ended up shipping it out Thursday night PDT via DHL.
Delivery and Kpoptown Frustration
Pulls
Thoughts
Based on these six albums, I was pleasantly surprised to pull such a variety of members! I was able to pull every member except Daeyeol and Seungmin, and have no duplicates.
I just need to vent out my frustration here. I purposely pre-ordered so that I could receive my albums right at release, as I've learned trading and buying photocards are best during the first few weeks of the era. But Kpoptown substantially delayed this, first by asking for more money for shipping, then by shorting me 1/3 of my order and not following through with the missing albums.
On another note, it seems almost impossibly difficult to collect all photocards and special photos from this album; the albums itself are more expensive due to tracklist length and physical album size, and the special photos seem too large to safely ship separately.
Lastly, it is a bit disappointing at how low the album sales are; of course it's tough with such a long hiatus, but it just seems too low. I hope as promotions and fansigns continue and the fandom grows that the album sales for RE-boot can also increase.
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