1st Edition
How to spot it: 1st Edition stamp by the artwork window; no drop shadow.
Smallest, most valuable print run.
01Card Stats
Stage 2 (evolves from Charmeleon)
HP
120
TypeFire
RarityRare Holo
IllustratorMitsuhiro Arita
WeaknessWater ×2
Retreat●●●
SetBase Set
Released1999
02Editions and Print Runs
Part of the original 1999 Base Set, printed across three collectible editions.
Shadowless
How to spot it: No drop shadow at the right of the art window.
Scarce transitional printing.
Unlimited
How to spot it: Drop shadow present; standard print.
Most common version.
04Variants and Foiling
- Rarity tiers
- Rare Holo
- Foiling
- Holofoil treatment.
- Alt art / specials
- No alternate-art or secret-rare version documented for this print.
05Language and Regional Versions
- English
- Standard English release.
- Japanese
- Released in the equivalent Japanese set.
- European
- Localized European prints exist with translated text.
- Other
- No documented language-exclusive errors of note.
06Current Market Value
| Holo | ~$347 raw/ungraded — verified against PriceCharting eBay-sold prices (May 2026). PSA 10 gem-mint copies ~$28,273. |
|---|
Verified May 2026 from PriceCharting realized (eBay-sold) data; raw/ungraded headline, graded copies higher. The legendary 1999 Base Set holo — the most iconic Pokémon card ever printed.
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07Why Collectors Want It
- The definitive Pokémon grail — the original Base Set Charizard, the card that launched the hobby's collector mania.
- Full vintage edition spread: 1st Edition ~$7,100 raw (the chase), Shadowless ~$883, Unlimited ~$308.
- 1st-Edition PSA 10 copies realize an extraordinary ~$420,000 — one of the most valuable trading cards in the world.
- The single most sought-after card in any Base Set or Charizard master set.
08Competitive Playability
Tier: None
120-HP Charizard with a 100-damage attack — fun in casual decks but not competitively relevant.
09Card Moves and Abilities
Ability: Energy Burn
Fire Spin
Discard 2 Energy cards attached to Charizard in order to use this attack.
- Weakness
- Water ×2
- Resistance
- Fighting -30
- Retreat cost
- 3
10Grading and Population
PSA 10 estimate: 1st Edition PSA 10 ~$421,925 (PriceCharting realized, May 2026) — a six-figure grail; Shadowless and Unlimited PSA 10s also command large sums.
Base Set Charizard is notorious for centering and holo-scratch problems; gem-mint 1st-Edition PSA 10s are vanishingly rare, which drives the six-figure premium.
Other graders: BGS and CGC also grade Base Charizard, but PSA 10 is the benchmark for the hobby's most famous card.