Direct answer: Exact counts for Shadowless Charizard and 4th-print Charizard do not exist because Wizards of the Coast never published print-run numbers; estimates instead rely on population reports from grading companies and marketplace data, which show Shadowless and 1st Edition Charizard variants are far rarer than the Unlimited (4th-print) runs but cannot be stated as precise totals from authoritative primary print-run records[1][2][3].
Context and background
– What people mean by the names:
– “Shadowless Charizard” refers to the Base Set holo Charizard printed in the intermediate print run between 1st Edition and the Unlimited/4th-print release; it lacks the shadow to the right of the Pokémon portrait that appears on Unlimited prints and also lacks a “1st Edition” stamp[2][3]. Source grading and price-tracking sites and card guides commonly call this the “Shadowless” variant[2][3].
– “4th print” is often used colloquially to mean the later Unlimited prints of Base Set (the widespread run with the drop shadow around the artwork and slight typographic changes). Collectors sometimes call these “Unlimited” or refer to later reprints in various sets, but the specific phrase “4th print” lacks a single standardized production definition in official documents; marketplace sites use “Unlimited” to describe the common run[3][6].
Why there is no single authoritative print-run number
– Wizards of the Coast and Nintendo (the original licensors) did not release official production counts for specific variant runs (1st Edition, Shadowless, Unlimited) for the 1999 Base Set, so no definitive manufacturer tally exists to compare variants precisely[1]. Because of that absence, researchers and collectors use indirect metrics (grading population reports, sale volumes, historical auction records, and marketplace listings) to infer relative rarity[1][2][3].
What the best available data sources show
– PSA population report (commonly referenced in reporting): For the 1st Edition Charizard, PSA’s population numbers have been widely cited when discussing rarity—for example, media articles citing PSA counts (e.g., roughly ~5,000 graded 1st Edition Charizards with only ~124 PSA 10s at the time of that article) to indicate 1st Edition scarcity relative to other variants[1]. Those counts are useful for understanding how many of a given variant have been submitted for grading, but they reflect only graded submissions, not total surviving cards, and can be skewed by submission behavior[1].
– Price and sale-volume tracking: Market aggregators such as PriceCharting, TCGplayer, and regional card-value sites show much higher listing and sale volumes for Unlimited/4th-print Charizard than for Shadowless and 1st Edition versions; they also show large price differences that reflect perceived rarity and demand[2][3][5][6]. For example, PriceCharting shows substantially higher recent sale prices on Shadowless and graded examples versus typical Unlimited near-mint listings, and TCGplayer shows many more listings for common/unlimited prints[2][3][6]. These sources help establish relative scarcity but do not provide definitive counts of how many cards of each variant exist.
– Marketplace anecdotes and listings: Individual marketplace listings (e.g., TCGplayer, eBay, Etsy) demonstrate that fully authentic, high-grade Shadowless and 1st Edition Charizards are far less common and command premiums over Unlimited copies[4][6]. Again, listing counts reflect supply offered for sale at a given time, not total historical production.
Estimating relative rarity (qualitative, evidence-based)
– Rarity ranking by consensus of collectors and by market evidence:
– 1st Edition Charizard: Rarest and most valuable of the three historical English Base Set holo variants, based on PSA population data and auction records showing few high-grade examples and outsized prices[1].
– Shadowless Charizard: Rarer and pricier than Unlimited but more common than 1st Edition; pricing and sale volumes sit between 1st Edition and Unlimited, supporting the intermediate scarcity assessment[2][3][5].
– Unlimited (commonly called later-print or “4th print” in casual collector speech): Most common and lowest-valued of the three historic variants; large numbers survive and many more across grades are offered on marketplaces[3][6].
Evidence: Grading populations, sale prices, and listing volumes across PriceCharting, PSA population reporting cited in news reporting, and TCGplayer listing depth support this ordering and relative scarcity observations[1][2][3][6].
Why exact numeric comparisons are unreliable
– Grading population bias: PSA, Beckett, CGC and other grading services report how many of each variant they have graded; these numbers are useful but biased by submitter behavior (collectors tend to submit rarer/high-value cards more often for grade authentication), timing (the surge of submissions during market booms skews counts), and multiple submissions of the same card across different services over time[1].
– Survivorship and provenance unknowns: We don’t know how many cards were destroyed, traded ungraded, lost, or remain in private collections without ever entering public markets or grading pipelines.
– Multiple printings and regional differences: Over the years many reprints and reissues (including promos and foreign prints) complicate counting of “original Base Set” prints; not all reprints are tagged the same way in databases, and language/region variants affect population counts and marketplace categorization[3][6].
– Terminology variation: Terms like “4th print” are informal; when different people mean different production runs by that phrase, numbers cannot be compared reliably without explicit definitions.
What credible numbers we can cite and how to interpret them
– PSA counts and reported examples for 1st Edition Charizard are commonly cited in mainstream coverage as an indicator of scarcity; for instance, a report noting ~4,993 PSA-graded 1st Edition Charizards and ~124 PSA 10s was used to highlight rarity in a high-profile auction article[1]. Interpretation: these figures show how many were submitted to PSA and the scarcity within the highest grade tiers, not the total produced or existing in the world[1].
– PriceCharting and Price/Market snapshots show the relative price gap: Shadowless and graded examples command far higher prices than common Unlimited listings, indicating scarcity/demand differences[2][3]. Interpretation: price premium correlates with rarity and desirability but is also influenced by collector demand cycles and market speculation.
Practical takeaways for collectors and researchers
– If you need a precise production number for any of these prints for academic or legal purposes, none exists in public manufacturer records; the correct answer is that such official print-run totals were never released[1].
– Use multiple data points to estimate relative rarity: consult grading population reports (PSA, BGS, CGC), marketplace listings and completed sales (PriceCharting, TCGplayer, eBay historical sales), and reputable collector publications—then treat any numeric totals as minimum observed counts rather than true historical totals[1][2][3][6].
– For valuation or sale decisions: rely on recent completed sales for the exact variant and grade you own; the
