Is the 4th Print Charizard Rarer Than the Shadowless Version? Let’s dive deep into this question about two special versions of the famous Charizard card from the original Pokemon Base Set, released back in 1999 by Wizards of the Coast. Collectors love debating rarity because it affects value, demand, and just how tough it is to find these cards in good shape today. To answer straight up, no, the 4th Print Charizard is not rarer than the Shadowless version. The Shadowless Charizard, which is the 4th card in the Base Set numbered 4/102, comes from an early print run that’s widely seen as much scarcer overall, especially in top condition, based on sales data and print history[1][3]. The 4th Print, on the other hand, is from a later unlimited run, often tied to specific UK distributions, and while it’s collectible, it doesn’t match the Shadowless in scarcity or hype[5].
First, picture the world of early Pokemon cards. When Base Set hit stores in January 1999, it came in waves of print runs. The very first was the 1st Edition with that stamped “1st Edition” circle in the bottom left. After that came Shadowless prints, where Wizards dropped the black shadowing around the card text and artwork to make everything pop more on the holographics. These Shadowless cards only lasted a short time in production, maybe a few months, before switching to Unlimited prints that added the shadows back and cranked out way more copies to meet exploding demand[1][3][5]. Shadowless Charizard became legendary fast because fewer packs had them, and kids back then tore through cards playing the game, leaving high-grade survivors super rare.
Now, what exactly is the 4th Print Charizard? It’s not as straightforward as Shadowless. In Pokemon collecting lingo, print runs for Base Set get numbered based on subtle differences spotted by experts, like tiny dots or lines in the fine print at the bottom of the card. The 1st print is 1st Edition. The 2nd is early Shadowless. The 3rd is later Shadowless. Then the 4th print kicks in as an early Unlimited version, but here’s the twist: this specific 4th print run was mostly sent to the UK market exclusively. Bulbapedia notes it corrected some minor errors from prior runs, like issues on other cards, but for Charizard itself, it’s a standard holo from that batch[5]. Unlike Shadowless, which flooded the US and global markets briefly, the 4th Print was regional, making it a niche chase for European collectors, but not globally scarce.
Rarity boils down to a few key factors: how many were printed, how many survive in decent shape, and how often they pop up for sale. Start with population reports from graders like PSA, which slab cards and track how many hit gem mint 10 status. For Shadowless Charizard #4/102, PSA 10 copies are insanely tough—PriceCharting shows recent sales around $24,710 ungraded jumping to that for perfect ones, with sales volume super low, like one per year for PSA 10s[1]. That’s because Shadowless had a short print window, and centering issues from 1999 tech make perfect edges rare. Meanwhile, the 4th Print Charizard doesn’t even have dedicated price guides like PriceCharting separating it out clearly; it’s lumped into general Unlimited Base Set Charizard, which trades way cheaper. Unlimited Charizard PSA 10s go for thousands less, and 4th Prints, being UK-focused, show up more in European auctions without the same frenzy[3][5].
Think about sales volume as a rarity clue. Shadowless Charizard moves a few graded copies weekly at mid grades, but top tiers are ghosts—maybe 4 sales a year for PSA 9.5[1]. For comparison, Base Set 2 Charizard #4/130, another later print holo, has higher volume even in PSA 10 at about 2 sales yearly, with ungraded ones daily around $173[4]. The 4th Print sits in that Unlimited ballpark: more common because Unlimited runs printed millions overall to keep shelves stocked through 2000. Shadowless stopped early to fix quality, so fewer packs equal fewer cards[3]. Collectors confirm this—sites like Wargamer rank Shadowless Charizard in top expensive lists, with PSA 10s hitting six figures regularly, while no 4th Print cracks those elite spots[2].
Condition rarity amps it up. Early prints like Shadowless suffered from thick card stock that warped easy, bad centering, and print bubbles. 4th Print, being later, had tweaks for better quality, so more survive playable. Bulbapedia logs errors fixed around then, like on Ninetales or energies, hinting at a stabilized run that pumped out cleaner cards[5]. A Shadowless Charizard in near mint might fetch $5,525 PSA 9, but finding one without scratches from 25 years ago? Needle in a haystack[1]. 4th Prints dodge some of that wear history.
Market demand seals the deal. Charizard is the king of Pokemon cards—everyone wants it. Shadowless gets the nostalgia crown as the “chase” variant from the boom days. Auction houses like Goldin and Heritage drop Shadowless bombshells for $100k+, while 4th Prints quietly sell in the hundreds to low thousands on eBay UK[1][2][4]. Even Base Set 2 Charizard, similar era, tops at $9,937 PSA 10 but with steadier supply[4]. No hype trains for 4th Print because it’s not as “vintage pure” as Shadowless.
But wait, is there any angle where 4th Print wins rarity? Sort of, regionally. UK collectors prize it as a home exclusive, and corrected error variants from that run add spice[5]. Some Unlimited errors like “Black Flame Ninetales” tie to early Unlimited including 4th Print, making those ultra-rare, but plain Charizard? Nah. Globally, Shadowless dominates scarcity metrics. PriceCharting volumes prove it: Shadowless ungraded sales 1/day, PSA 10 1/year; Unlimited-style prints higher across grades[1][4].
Dig into print run estimates. No official numbers from Wizards, but experts peg 1st Edition at under 10 million packs total, Shadowless maybe 20-30 million before Unlimited exploded to hundreds of millions. 4th Print was a blip within Unlimited, UK-only, so absolute numbers low, but percentage-wise, Shadowless packs scarcer per capita[3]. Population reports back this: thousands of Shadowless Charizards graded, but PSA 10s under 300 historically; Unlimited Charizards in tens of thousands graded, more perfect copies.
Counterfeits muddy things too. Shadowless fakes plague the market, driving real ones rarer by trust issues. 4th Prints, less hyped, face fewer knockoffs. Still, doesn’t flip the script—demand keeps Shadowless king.
Grading trends show evolution. In 202
