Why Is Base Set Electrode Climbing in Value Going Forward?
The Electrode card from the original Pokemon Base Set, card number 21, is seeing its prices rise steadily, especially for higher graded copies. Recent sales data shows a PSA 9 version up by 0.05 dollars to 35.97 dollars, a PSA 9.5 at 39.91 dollars with a small gain of 0.04 dollars, and PSA 10 copies holding strong at 200 dollarshttps://www.pricecharting.com/game/pokemon-base-set/electrode-21. These changes reflect growing demand in the collector market for early Pokemon cards from 1999.
Base Set cards like Electrode are part of the first English release, making them rare and sought after by fans and investors. Unlimited prints were common back then, but condition matters a lot. Low grade ungraded copies sit around 4 dollars with steady one sale per day volume, while top grades trade less often but at premiums, like three PSA 10 sales per yearhttps://www.pricecharting.com/game/pokemon-base-set/electrode-21. Electrode itself is a fun electric type Pokemon, evolving from Voltorb, with moves like Explosion that appealed to players in the early meta.
Looking ahead, several factors point to continued value growth. The Pokemon TCG boom since 2020 has not slowed, with nostalgia driving collectors to complete Base Set runs. High grade examples appreciate as supply dwindles from wear over time. Compare it to the Jungle set’s No Symbol Electrode at 875 dollars for PSA 10, showing how first set cards often outpace later ones long termhttps://www.pricecharting.com/game/pokemon-jungle/electrode-no-symbol-2. Market trackers use historic sales algorithms to predict this, and recent upticks confirm the trend.
Investor interest adds fuel. As Pokemon celebrates over 25 years, events and reprints focus on new sets, leaving originals like Base Set Electrode as untouched gems. Low monthly volumes for grades 9 and above mean even small demand spikes push prices higher. Past eBay sales, like a CGC 5 at 6 dollars in 2025 or PSA 5 at 15 dollars in 2023, show consistent buyer actionhttps://www.pricecharting.com/game/pokemon-base-set/electrode-21.
Sources
https://www.pricecharting.com/game/pokemon-base-set/electrode-21
https://www.pricecharting.com/game/pokemon-jungle/electrode-no-symbol-2
https://www.astuteanalytica.com/industry-report/thin-film-electrode-market
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12690081/
https://www.gov.bm/sites/default/files/2025-11/2025_PIPE%20DELIMITED%20CUSTOMS%20TARIFF_FINAL_2025.05.25v1r2_0.txt
https://journals.aps.org/prmaterials/accepted/10.1103/pk6l-ds6m
