Are Base Set Pokémon Cards Still Undervalued Compared to Other Assets?
Base Set Pokémon cards from 1999 remain a strong performer in the collectibles market, with top cards like Charizard holding steady or climbing in value despite some broader price dips in newer sets. Recent sales data shows a PSA 10 Charizard #4 at $10,100, while ungraded copies sit around $275 and PSA 9s near $1,937, with upward trends in higher grades over the past month.[1] First Edition versions continue to command huge prices too, like a 2024 Fanatics sale of a Base Set Charizard PSA 10 at $347,000 and comps pushing over $300,000 in 2025.[2]
Vintage Base Set cards dominate the most expensive lists for good reason. They top rankings with items like the Pikachu Illustrator PSA 10 at $5.275 million, Blastoise Wizards Prototype PSA 10 at $360,000, and even less hyped ones like First Edition Holo Mewtwo GEM MT 10 at $15,000 or Shadowless Holo Chansey at $55,000.[2][3] These hold 20 percent yearly gains on average, especially PSA 10s that multiply raw values by three times or more, driven by scarcity and grading booms.[2] Auction houses like Heritage and PWCC saw 30 percent sales jumps in 2025, proving demand for these originals stays hot.[2]
Compare that to modern cards, and Base Set looks even better. New sets like Trainer Gallery and Prismatic Evolutions have seen prices stall or drop 20 to 40 percent in recent months, with cards like Rayquaza falling to $96 or Victini monochrome around $425 after peaks.[4][5] Top 2025 moderns, such as Leafeon ex at $259 or Zekrom ex at $219, grab headlines but lack the long-term scarcity of Base Set holos.[6] Even high-end vintage faced a rebalance, with some 2025 hammer prices down 64 percent from 2022 peaks on lower grades, yet core Base Set icons like Charizard barely budged.[1][8]
Grading makes the difference. A raw Base Set Charizard might fetch $275, but a PSA 10 jumps to $10,100, a 36-fold boost that crushes returns from stocks or crypto in many cases.[1][2] The TCG market hit $2.2 billion in 2024 with 25 percent growth, and vintage holds firm amid modern hype around low-print special illustration rares.[2] Cards like Base Set First Edition Venusaur PSA 10 at $55,000 show even non-Charizards deliver solid appreciation.[3]
For collectors eyeing value, Base Set offers proven scarcity with populations under 100 for top grades, fueling endless demand from nostalgia and investors.[2] While modern cards chase quick flips, these originals build wealth steadily, often outpacing other assets in risk-adjusted returns. Near mint Base Set pieces have climbed 200 percent in a year for some listings, signaling room to grow.[7]
