Top 5 First Edition Pokemon Cards
Any shiny, shadowless 1st Edition Pokémon card will be reasonably valuable, but there are a few which manage to stand out from the crowd.
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Lets switch things up, moving on to a set that was released the year after. Lugia was the cover star for the next round of Pokémon games, and while he might not match up to many older options, its still a card that is highly prized by collectors.
A white background is the source of a number of issues that are also seen with the 1999 Chansey card below, leading to higher values than the norm. There are often problems with the lining too, so there are only 41 PSA 10 examples out of almost 1300 that have been submitted.
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#10 Stormfront Charizard, $489.46
Prepare to see a lot of Charizard on this list. As the series most popular Pokémon, it appears on almost all of the cards here in some form or another.
Stormfront was released in 2008 under the Diamond & Pearl umbrella. While not one of the sets many rare Lv.X Pokémon, Charizard was still a highly coveted Secret Rare, putting him as the most valuable card from the entire set.
Aquapolis Lugia
The Pokémon Company/Wizards of the Coast
#9 Aquapolis Lugia, $490
Aquapolis came from that weird e-Card era of the Pokémon Trading Card game, where cards could be scanned into the e-Reader peripheral for the Gameboy Advance. While the whole thing was a total failure , some of the cards from that time are still pretty valuable. Lugia is the most expensive card from Aquapolis, coming in at around $490-$500.
FireRed & LeafGreens Charizard ex
The Pokémon Company
#8 FireRed & LeafGreen Charizard ex, $500
The return to Kanta in the GameBoy Advance era also saw the TCG follow suit, with a set entirely featuring Pokémon from the original 151. To give it that Advance generation flair, a number of Pokémon also received an ex form, a new feature that was first introduced in EX Ruby & Sapphire. Of course, the #1 card was Charizard ex.
Charizard VMAX from Shining Fates
The Pokémon Company
#7 Shining Fates Charizard VMAX, $510
Base Set Charizard. Note the drop-shadow on the right side of the art frame.
The Pokémon Company/Wizards of the Coast
First Edition Shadowless Holographic Charizard
Price: $220,574
A PSA 10 Base Set 1st Edition Charizard just sold at auction with an ending bid of $183,812.00 via .
Including the 20% buyer’s premium, the total transaction value exceeds $220k.
As of now, this is the highest known sale of the card.
Cardhops
This card is often referred to as one of the most sought after cards, having been printed in the Pokémon Trading Card Games early days. They have been in existence for over twenty years and are limited in number. Its distinguished by a printing error as it doesnt have a shadow underneath the fire breathing dragon Pokémon.
As such, it stands out as one of the most valuable cards of all time, with the error being corrected in most of the subsequent print runs. This shadowless iconic card was purchased by former rapper, Logic, for a staggering $220,574 at an auction held in October 2020, thus, setting a new record as the most valuable Pokémon card.
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Shiny Secret Rare Charizard V: $500
If you want to get into Pokemon pack opening, but dont want to shell out for the older packs, there are tons of new cards with similar record-setting prices that have come out in just the past two years. One of the recent premium TCG sets in the game was Champions Path, and certain cards in it were especially rare since you could only get packs through special products like Elite Trainer Boxes and Pin Collector packs.
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The absolute highest value cards in this set are both Charizards, one being a rainbow foil V-Max card and the other being a shiny Charizard V with black scales. Both quickly reached prices around $500, and sites like TCGPlayer still remain at the same $500 price tag.
Squirtle First Edition $370
Squirtle is the first evolution of Blastoise and carries the 2nd most value of any of the big three pre-evolutions. Although grading has slowed down drastically, prices have dipped in the Pokemon market. That said, Squirtle is one of the essential characters of the show and is a must have for any collector. Be sure to assemble your Squirtle-Squad by acquiring his English Rookie card.
PSA Pop: 1418 600 633
Current Value: PSA 10 $1175PSA 9 $370
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Rare Pokmon Cards Given As Prizes Or At Events
The most valuable cards arent in a typical card collectors binder. The truly valuable cards were given to tournament winners or convention attendees. Unless you were competing in Japan or attending parent/offspring games with your parents, you probably dont have any of these cards. Even if you attended or competed, theres no guarantee that any of these have wound up in your collection, as they were often only handed out at random or to big winners.
Holo Gold Star Rayquaza: $4500
Rather than many cards on this list, this Shiny Rayquaza from the EX Deoxys set is a rare Pokemon card thats mostly just mythical pull from a standard set. During this expansion, Pokemon with a Gold Star in your deck, making them just as powerful as they are gorgeous with unique colors and art exiting the frame.
Costs can vary massively, but spaces like Troll and Toad price the card at just under $4500. It simply combines all the great aspects of a standard card in the perfect combination, and the rarity of it in packs of this small expansion set make it one of the most valuable original Gen 3 cards, and one of the first major shiny cards to hit record prices before other shinies would catch up.
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Sealed Pokmon Booster Packs
Next up, you also have the option of buying sealed Pokémon booster packs.
However, do this with caution.
Savvy sellers weigh their boosters, with heavier packs having a greater chance of pulling a holo card.
Whether you agree with the ethics of this approach, its business at the end of the day, and sellers want to make sure theyre not relinquishing top cards.
What youll often find on Amazon are booster packs listed as heavy.
Although they dont guarantee a holo card, I guess youre upping your chances of pulling one. Naturally, though, youll pay a premium.
It then turns into a game of Roulette. Do you want to drop $100+ on a booster and pray its a Charizard?
Ive learned the hard way a couple of times buying boosters, so dont really recommend it for beginners.
Pokemon World Championships Promo No 2 Trainer
- Release Date: 2006
- Grading: PSA 9
- Pokemon card value at auction: $110, 100
The incredibly rare Trophy card was handed out at the 2006 World Championship held in Anaheim, California. Since these Pokemon cards were only given to winners, it makes their population extremely low.
According to PSA, only three of these collectibles are even said to have been issued at the competition. It almost feels like a crime putting this Pokemon card at this spot because due to its scarcity, it rarely goes up for sale
However in February 2021, one finally appeared online. With over 150 bids, this item brought in a mind-blowing $110,100 at a PWCC auction.
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What Are 1st Edition Pokemon Cards
If you are lucky enough that these Shadowless cards also have the 1st Edition stamp, then you really have something on your hands. 1st Edition is the first run of a set of cards. So you can imagine that a 1st Edition Shadowless Base Set Pokemon card is the Rookie of Rookies – It’s the first edition of the first print of the first set. Some inexperienced sellers use “1st Edition” interchangeably with “90s cards.” This is not the case. For something to be 1st Edition, it has to have the stamp!
1st Edition is the first run of a set of cards. Several sets have 1st Edition stamps – so just because you find a 1st Edition card does not mean it is Base Set. You can tell something from Pokemon is Base Set if the total set number in the bottom right is #/102 and if there is no set symbol on the right side of the card. Additionally you can check the bottom of the card for the copyright information. Shadowless cards will say “© 1995, 96, 98, 99” While Unlimited Base Set cards will exclude the “99” from that line of text.
Unlimited is the term given to cards that do not have the 1st Edition stamp. It really is that simple!
Here is where it can get a bit confusing with Base Set – if you are following so far then you are doing great! Let’s recap:
- 1st Edition cards have the stamp. They are the first run of cards for the set.
- Shadowless is the first “version” of the Base Set card. They don’t have shading in the background.
- Unlimited simply means “Not 1st Edition”
Shadowless 1st Edition
How Can You Tell If Pokemon Cards Are First Edition
One of the first things people want to know when looking at Pokemon cards is if they are first edition. Naturally, these cards are worth more as they are the first print run of that particular set. Its pretty straightforward to identify whether a card is first edition or not, as it will contain a small version of the symbol below. This symbol will predominately appear in the middle of the card to the left-hand-side. However, the exception to the rule are Energy Cards which have the first edition symbol in the top right-hand-corner of the card.
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Holographic First Edition Machamp: $6000
The Kanto starters and legendaries arent the only original Pokemon to boast high-value shadowless holographic cards. Nearly any holographic first edition rare card from the original set can grow immensely in price compared to other rare Pokemon cards, but since they arent as actively hunted, their prices can vary far more wildly based on their quality.
Machamp is one of these. According to PSA Cards range of auction prices based on the cards quality classification, perfect mint condition Machamps of this kind can land between $800 and $6000, while dropping just one rating down will result in prices around $200 and $900. This card in particular truly proves how important it is to keep your trading cards safe through the years, as you never know just what will become valuable twenty years later.
What Are My Pokemon 1st Edition Base Set Cards Worth
If you own any of the cards listed below, condition is the biggest factor in figuring out what your cards are worth. The prices below illustrate what these cards are worth after grading in mint condition as PSA 9’s & 10’s.
Important to note: It is very unlikely that your cards will grade this high if they have been played with. If you have these cards laying around in less than mint condition, it still may be worth getting them graded as long as they are in pretty good shape.
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What Is A Shadowless Pokemon Card
The Pokemon Trading Card Game is currently experiencing a massive resurgence. Lapsed Pokemon TCG fans are digging out their old collections and plenty of new collectors are joining the hunt for rare cards. Both of these groups are encountering new terminology, however, which can be quite confusing for the uninitiated. This guide serves as an explainer on one such term. So, what is a shadowless Pokemon card? Heres the need-to-know for all budding collectors.
Common Uncommon And Rare
First, we need to show you how to find out a cards rarity just by looking at it. This is represented by a symbol located in the bottom right corner of every card. There should be a shape that indicates what rarity the card is.
Common cards are marked with a black circle, uncommon cards have a black diamond, and rare cards always have a black star. This is the basic way to tell the rarity of a card.
Rare cards, for instance, are split into multiple different kinds of rarities. There are the standard rare plain-looking cards, but theres so much more after that.
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No 1 Trainer Super Secret Battle
- Release Date: 1999
- Grading: PSA Gem Mint 10
- Pokemon card value at auction: $90,000
In 1999, The Pokemon Company hosted regional contests in Japan. Winners received a No. 1 Trainer Pokemon card which granted them access to the final that took place in a secret location.
Named Super Secret Battle, the special TCG tournament had a lot of mystique surrounding it. The rare Pokemon card features a silhouette of Mewtwo which has made it all the more desirable to fans.
In July 2020, the Japanese promo sold for an astonishing $90,000 making it one of the most valuable Pokemon cards to ever exist.
Where To Buy New Pokmon Cards
In the U.S. Walmart and Target are good mainstream options, but can sometimes lack stock. With regard to online stores both Over The Top Trading and Potomac Distribution have good inventory and competitive pricing.
For those in the UK, Smyths Toys keep a decent stock of new Pokémon cards. If ordering online, Chaos Cards, Magic Madhouse and Total Cards are all good options.
If youre interested in collecting original Japanese Pokémon cards, we recommended checking out Nin-Nin-Game. Theyve got a great selection of new Japanese booster packs.
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Gold Star Pikachu Ex Holon Phantoms
As discussed, the Gold Star cards are highly rare and very valuable. The Pikachu has long been regarded as the poster child of the Pokemon brand, since its the one you see most often in promotions. That little guy just oozes cuteness and while there are a great deal of other Pokemon that are stronger, finding one of these cards is extremely rare. Valued at well over $500, this card is not vintage and it is not overly old either, but the Gold Star gives it its value. From the EX Holon Phantoms series, you may have one or two of them laying around without even knowing. So check your collection and look for the little gold star. You might just be sitting on a heap of cash without even realizing.
Uncut Sheet Of Rare First
Strategic depth: Medium
Publisher:Wizards of the Coast
A rare uncut sheet of first-edition Pokémon cards from the trading card games original Base Set has gone under the hammer.
The uncut sheet – produced before the individual cards are cut out later in the manufacturing process – includes all 16 of the holographic shiny cards from the Pokémon TCGs 1999 Base Set, its first English-language release. Among the holo cards is the ever-popular shiny Charizard, along with fellow first-gen evolutions Blastoise and Venusaur, which appeared on the front of the series Game Boy games Pokémon Red, Blue and Green.
The Pokémon cards on the sheet are also shadowless, named for the lack of a drop-shadow effect on the frame of their artwork that was introduced in later print runs of the set, signifying that the cards date from the earliest printings of the Base Set. The first-edition shadowless holographic Charizard ranks as one of the most expensive Pokémon cards of all time, with a mint-condition copy selling for $300,000 in January 2021.
Image: Goldin Auctions
The sheet itself is said to be in good condition due to slight scuffing and fading, according to Goldin, with handwriting along the top of the page in black marker that dates it to November 1998. Goldin described the sheet as being a historic piece of immense rarity.
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Most Expensive Pokemon Cards In 2021
It should be noted that top lists are almost always up for debate. A cards value can be determined by the highest its ever sold at auction, or what it sells for on average.
A Pokemon cards value can also wildly fluctuate with the market and are largely dependent on the items grading and condition. Our list is based on what the collectible has sold for in the latest auctions, and its position will be updated if it sells for less or more.
St Edition And Unlimited Edition:
The first print run of a set would have a special Edition 1 logo on the left side of the card, just below the card art. An enlarged example of this logo is shown here. The 1st edition print run would typically be very limited, and once sold out, would no longer be available for sale. In fact, the first print runs of a set were officially called Limited Edition.
To meet super-high demand from the public, an Unlimited edition version would then be printed. Unlimited edition cards dont have the Edition 1 logo on the left side. Typically, a 1st edition card will be worth more than an unlimited edition card. Often this price difference can be quite significant.
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