1st Edition
How to spot it: 1st Edition stamp below-left of the artwork window; no drop shadow.
Smallest print run and the most valuable edition by a wide margin.
01Card Stats
Stage 2 (evolves from Ivysaur)
HP
100
TypeGrass
RarityRare Holo
IllustratorMitsuhiro Arita
WeaknessFire ×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 1st Edition stamp and no drop shadow to the right of the art window; brighter, flatter coloring.
Scarce transitional printing between 1st Edition and Unlimited.
Unlimited
How to spot it: Drop shadow added beside the art window. Standard print.
By far the most common version.
04Variants and Foiling
- Rarity tiers
- Rare Holo
- Foiling
- Holofoil only — the holo treatment sits on the artwork window. Base Set predates reverse holo, so no reverse-holo variant exists.
- Alt art / specials
- No alternate-art or secret-rare version; the Base Set holo is the definitive 1999 print.
05Language and Regional Versions
- English
- English Base Set holo — the most widely collected version.
- Japanese
- Japanese Base Set ("Expansion Pack") Venusaur predates the English release and is its own collecting target.
- European
- Localized European Base Set holos exist with translated text.
- Other
- Multi-language Base Set prints surface from international releases.
06Current Market Value
| Holo | ~$95 raw/ungraded — verified against PriceCharting eBay-sold prices (May 2026). PSA 10 gem-mint copies ~$2,890. |
|---|
Verified May 2026 from PriceCharting realized (eBay-sold) data; raw/ungraded headline, graded copies higher. The 1999 Base Set holo — one of the original three chase cards.
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07Why Collectors Want It
- One of the original three Base Set holos — the foundational Grass-starter chase.
- Full vintage edition spread: 1st Edition ~$887 raw (the chase), Shadowless ~$212, Unlimited ~$74.
- 1st-Edition PSA 10 copies realize ~$44,750 — a blue-chip vintage grail.
- Essential to any Base Set or Bulbasaur-line master set.
08Competitive Playability
Tier: Vintage staple
In 1999–2000 WotC play, Venusaur was genuinely useful: "Energy Trans" let you freely shuffle Grass Energy around your board, enabling Erika/Grass strategies and combos with Energy acceleration. It is long out of Standard rotation today, but it remains a beloved piece of early competitive history rather than a modern pick.
09Card Moves and Abilities
Ability: Energy Trans
Solarbeam
- Weakness
- Fire ×2
- Retreat cost
- 2
10Grading and Population
PSA 10 estimate: 1st Edition PSA 10 ~$44,756 (PriceCharting realized, May 2026).
Base Set holos suffer centering and holo-scratch issues; 1st-Edition PSA 10 Venusaur is scarce and commands a massive premium over raw.
Other graders: BGS and CGC also grade Base Set holos; PSA remains the resale benchmark.