The 4th print run of the original Pokémon Trading Card Game Base Set stands out in Pokémon history as one of the rarest and most corrected versions ever produced, fixing key errors from earlier prints while being printed in extremely limited numbers, especially outside the US, making it a holy grail for collectors worldwide.[3] This print came late in the life of the first English Base Set, released by Wizards of the Coast around 1999-2000, and it introduced fixes that no other print matched in the same way, turning everyday cards into subtle treasures.[3]
To understand why the 4th print is so special, you have to go back to the wild early days of Pokémon cards in the West. Pokémon burst onto the scene in Japan in 1996 with the video games, but the Trading Card Game followed in 1998, and by 1999, it exploded in America and Europe thanks to Wizards of the Coast, the company behind Magic: The Gathering.[1] The Base Set was the first big release, packed with 102 cards featuring favorites like Charizard, Blastoise, and Venusaur. But printing millions of these cards under huge demand led to mistakes—errors that collectors now chase like gold.
Early prints had big issues. Take the Vulpix card, for example. In the 1st Edition, Shadowless, and most Unlimited prints, it said “HP 50” instead of the proper “50 HP.” That little switch mattered because it broke the game’s rules for reading stats clearly.[3] Wizards fixed this, but only in the UK version of the 4th print run from 1999-2000. No other English print run did that exact correction for Vulpix, making those UK 4th print Vulpix cards one-of-a-kind fixes that pop up super rarely today.[3]
Then there’s Ninetales, the fiery fox evolution of Vulpix. Most Unlimited prints showed it with blue flames in the artwork, a change Wizards made early on to update from the shadowy Shadowless version.[3] But a rare “Black Flame Ninetales” stayed with the original black flames, and it only shows up in certain Unlimited prints, including whispers of 4th print pulls. This black flame look ties back to the very first shadowy designs, giving it a raw, untouched vibe that later prints lost.[3] Collectors hunt these because they’re like frozen moments from the printing chaos.
The 4th print didn’t just fix foxes—it tackled Gym heroes too. Rocket’s Minefield Gym, a tricky Trainer card, forgot to say how many damage counters to place on Pokémon in its 1st Edition and early Unlimited versions.[3] A correction came very late in Unlimited printing, spelling out the exact number, but it was so late that corrected copies are scarcer than the errors. The 4th print helped push these fixes into wider circulation in limited batches, especially in Europe, where print runs were tiny compared to the US flood.[3]
What really sets the 4th print apart is how limited it was. By 1999, Pokémon fever was peaking—”Pokémania” had swept the globe from 1998 to 2000, with cards flying off shelves.[1] Wizards printed Base Set in waves: 1st Edition for the launch hype, Shadowless for the next rush without the stamp, then Unlimited to meet endless demand. But the 4th print? That was the tail end, mostly for Europe and the UK, when the hype was shifting to Jungle and Fossil sets.[3] Production numbers dropped hard—think thousands instead of millions—because the market was cooling, and Wizards knew Jungle was coming.[1] In the UK, it was even more niche, tied to local distribution that never got the massive reprints America did.
This scarcity hits different today. While 1st Edition Charizards grab headlines for millions, the 4th print’s value sneaks up on you through subtle rarity. A corrected Vulpix from that UK 4th print? Nearly impossible to find in top shape, because fewer packs were opened back then, and time has thinned the herd.[3] Same for Black Flame Ninetales—its print variation makes it pop in 4th runs more than later ones, with fewer survivors due to low production.[3] Even common cards from the 4th print carry a premium because they’re untouched by the overprinting that diluted Unlimited everywhere else.
Compare it to Japan, where Pokémon handled things tighter from day one. Blue version of the games was a mail-order exclusive to celebrate sales, selling double what they planned—300,000 expected, over 600,000 ordered.[1] Cards had promos like the Masaki set from 1997-1998, where kids mailed in wrappers for exclusive Alakazam, Machamp, Gengar, Golem, and Omastar with unique Ken Sugimori art.[2] Those got beat up in the mail, leaving mint ones super rare today, with PSA 10s worth thousands.[2] The 4th print echoes that experimental scarcity—Wizards wasn’t mailing cards, but their late print was a quiet “limited edition” born from fading hype, much like Japan’s specials.[1][2]
Errors in the 4th print add layers of chase. Beyond Vulpix and Ninetales, think double-printed backs or inverted backs on uncommons like Suicune or Unown Y from Unlimited sheets that misfed in late runs, including 4th print pulls.[3] These printing flubs—backs printed twice or upside down—happened when sheets jammed and reran, creating one-in-a-million variants.[3] The 4th print, being so late, caught the end of these glitches before Wizards fully dialed in Jungle production. A prototype Jungle pack even hints at secret rares they toyed with but dropped, showing how experimental that era was.[3]
In the bigger Pokémon story, the 4th print marks a pivot. Wizards lost the license soon after, handing it to The Pokémon Company, which tightened control like Japan’s copyright council did—every merch idea had to pass Ishihara’s desk.[1] No more wild printing errors; sets got polished. But the 4th print froze that messy, magical transition, when Pokémon was still figuring out global scale. It’s not the flashiest— no holo stamps or promo art—but its fixes and low numbers make it unique, like holding the last page of Base Set’s origin story.[3]
Grading amps this up. Places like PSA or BGS love 4th prints for their clean edges and rarity—no subgrades needed for top value, just raw condition from packs barely touched.[2] A 4th print corrected Rocket’s Minefield Gym beats the error version in demand because it’s the “fixed final form,” rarer from late Unlimited overlap.[3] Values climb with trends—rarity, print run, and condition rule, just like Pikachu Illustrator at $5 million for its 39-copy limit.[4] But 4th print cards thrive on niche hype: collectors know UK Vulpix or black Ninetales aren’t mass-produced relics.
Dig into the print markers, and it gets even coole
