As of early 2026, a Base Set Venusaur Holo (#15/102) is worth anywhere from around $30 for a raw, lightly played copy to over $27,000 for a 1st Edition Shadowless example graded PSA 10. The most commonly traded version — the Unlimited print in PSA 9 (Mint) condition — has been selling for roughly $450 based on January 2026 auction results, while a PSA 8 copy will run you about $222.
These numbers put Venusaur well behind its Base Set stablemate Charizard in terms of raw dollar value, but it remains one of the most recognizable and collectible holos from the original 1999 Pokémon TCG release. The gap between editions and grades is enormous with this card, and understanding where your particular Venusaur falls on that spectrum is the difference between owning a $40 card and a five-figure collectible. This article breaks down current market values across all major conditions and editions, explains what drives the pricing differences, and offers practical guidance on grading, buying, and selling Base Set Venusaur in today’s market.
Table of Contents
- What Is a Base Set Venusaur Worth in 2026 by Grade and Edition?
- Why Venusaur Trails Charizard but Still Commands Strong Prices
- Understanding the Difference Between Unlimited, 1st Edition, and Shadowless
- Should You Grade Your Base Set Venusaur?
- Common Pitfalls When Buying or Selling Base Set Venusaur
- Where the Base Set Venusaur Market Stands After the Collectibles Boom
- What to Expect From Venusaur Base Set Values Going Forward
- Conclusion
- Frequently Asked Questions
What Is a Base Set Venusaur Worth in 2026 by Grade and Edition?
The value of a Base Set Venusaur depends almost entirely on two factors: which print run it came from and what condition it is in. For the Unlimited edition — the version most collectors own — recent sales data paints a clear picture. A PSA 9 sold for approximately $450 on January 28, 2026. Step down to PSA 8 and the price drops to around $222 (January 11, 2026 sale). A PSA 7 fetched roughly $140, a PSA 6 landed in the $100 to $125 range, and a PSA 4 sold for about $56 in late 2025. Ungraded copies in light play to near-mint condition typically list between $30 and $80 on platforms like TCGPlayer and eBay, though actual sale prices tend to cluster toward the lower end of that range for anything with visible wear.
First Edition copies occupy a completely different tier. A 1st Edition Base Set Venusaur graded PSA 10 carries an average value around $5,038, though individual sales have ranged wildly — from as low as $123 for questionable PSA 10 examples to a recorded high of $20,680. The true trophy card is the 1st Edition Shadowless variant in PSA 10, which has sold for between $27,500 and $55,200 in late 2025 transactions. That makes it one of the most valuable Venusaur cards in existence, rivaled only by the rarest promotional and error prints. To put this in perspective, if you picked up a raw Unlimited Venusaur at a garage sale for $10 and it came back from PSA as a 9, you would be sitting on a card worth roughly 45 times what you paid. But if that same card grades as a 6 — which is far more likely for cards that have been sitting in shoeboxes for 25 years — you are looking at a $100 to $125 return, minus the cost of grading.
Why Venusaur Trails Charizard but Still Commands Strong Prices
Venusaur is card #15/102 in the original 1999 Base Set, a Holo Rare featuring the “Energy Trans” pokémon Power that let players shift Grass Energy between their Pokémon. Alongside Charizard (#4) and Blastoise (#2), it completes the iconic starter trio that defined the first generation of Pokémon cards. Despite that pedigree, Venusaur has always been the least expensive of the three. Charizard’s fire-breathing appeal and cultural dominance have pushed its Base Set values into a different stratosphere entirely, and even Blastoise tends to command a modest premium over Venusaur in equivalent grades.
However, that lower price point actually works in Venusaur’s favor for a certain segment of collectors. If you want to own a graded, high-quality piece of original Pokémon TCG history without spending thousands, Venusaur is the most accessible member of the starter trio. A PSA 8 Unlimited Venusaur at around $222 is a fraction of what a comparable Charizard costs, and the card carries the same nostalgia and set significance. The caveat is that Venusaur’s lower demand also means it tends to appreciate more slowly during market booms and doesn’t recover as quickly after downturns. If you are buying purely as an investment, that is a meaningful consideration.
Understanding the Difference Between Unlimited, 1st Edition, and Shadowless
The Base Set Venusaur exists in three main print variants, and confusing them is one of the most common mistakes newer collectors make. The Unlimited edition is by far the most plentiful. It features a drop shadow on the right side of the card art window and lacks the “1st Edition” stamp on the left side. This is the version most people pulled from packs in 1999 and 2000, and it accounts for the bulk of sales in the $30 to $450 range depending on condition and grade.
First Edition cards carry a small black “Edition 1” stamp below the card art on the left side and were part of the initial limited print run. These are significantly rarer than Unlimited copies and command the premium prices discussed above. Within the 1st Edition category, there is a further distinction: the earliest 1st Edition cards are “Shadowless,” meaning they lack the drop shadow on the art box that was added in later print runs. A 1st Edition Shadowless Venusaur in PSA 10 has sold for as much as $55,200 — over a hundred times the value of an Unlimited PSA 9. For a concrete example, two sales of 1st Edition Shadowless Venusaur PSA 10 in late 2025 came in at $27,500 and $55,200 respectively, illustrating the significant price variability even within the same grade and variant.
Should You Grade Your Base Set Venusaur?
Grading makes financial sense only if the cost of grading plus shipping is meaningfully less than the value increase a grade would provide. PSA’s standard service tiers typically run between $20 and $50 per card depending on turnaround speed. If you have an Unlimited Venusaur that you believe is in PSA 8 or better condition, grading is almost certainly worthwhile — the jump from a raw card at $50 to $80 to a slabbed PSA 8 at $222 or a PSA 9 at $450 more than justifies the expense. On the other hand, if your card has creasing, heavy whitening on the back edges, or surface scratches, it may grade at a PSA 5 or below, where the graded value ($56 to $100) barely exceeds what you might get selling it raw to the right buyer.
The tradeoff is also about time. PSA turnaround times have improved since the massive backlogs of 2021 and 2022, but standard submissions can still take weeks to months. If you are looking to sell quickly, listing a raw card with clear, honest photos on eBay or TCGPlayer may net you a faster return than waiting for a slab. For 1st Edition copies, the calculation changes dramatically — the value differential between graded and ungraded is so large that grading is almost always the right move, assuming the card is in presentable condition.
Common Pitfalls When Buying or Selling Base Set Venusaur
The wide range in PSA 10 1st Edition sales — from $123 to $20,680 — deserves a closer look, because it points to a real problem in the market. Not all PSA 10 slabs are created equal. Some older PSA 10 labels, particularly those from bulk submissions in the early 2000s, may not reflect the stricter grading standards PSA applies today. Buyers sometimes discount these “old holder” PSA 10s, and certain auction results at the low end of the range may reflect cards where the holder or label raised questions about authenticity or grading consistency. If you are buying a high-value graded card, examine the slab carefully, verify the certification number on PSA’s website, and consider whether the card truly looks like a 10 to your eye.
Another common mistake is conflating Unlimited and Shadowless cards. Shadowless Unlimited cards do exist — they lack both the 1st Edition stamp and the drop shadow — and they sit between standard Unlimited and 1st Edition in value. Mislisting a Shadowless card as standard Unlimited means leaving money on the table. Conversely, paying 1st Edition prices for a card that turns out to be Shadowless Unlimited is an expensive error. Always check for both the edition stamp and the shadow before making a purchase or setting a price.
Where the Base Set Venusaur Market Stands After the Collectibles Boom
The Pokémon card market experienced a dramatic surge during 2020 and 2021, driven by pandemic-era nostalgia buying, influencer hype, and speculative investment. Base Set holos — Venusaur included — saw prices multiply several times over.
Since then, the market has cooled considerably, and Venusaur values have stabilized at levels well below their pandemic peaks but still significantly higher than pre-2020 prices. The current pricing through early 2026 suggests a relatively stable floor, with Unlimited PSA 9 copies consistently moving in the $400 to $500 range rather than experiencing sharp swings. For example, the January 2026 PSA 8 sale at $222 and PSA 9 sale at $450 are consistent with the pricing pattern seen throughout late 2025, indicating that the correction has largely run its course for this particular card.
What to Expect From Venusaur Base Set Values Going Forward
Venusaur’s long-term value proposition rests on a few durable factors: it is a finite, 25-plus-year-old card from the most iconic Pokémon TCG set ever printed, and it features one of the original three starter Pokémon. No more Base Set Venusaurs will ever be printed, and the supply of high-grade copies only shrinks over time as cards are lost, damaged, or locked into long-term collections. Barring a broader collapse in the collectibles market, the floor for graded copies in PSA 8 and above appears relatively solid.
That said, Venusaur will likely continue to live in Charizard’s shadow in terms of price appreciation and collector attention. The card is not going to surprise anyone with a sudden surge to Charizard-level values — the demand dynamics simply are not there. What it offers instead is steady, quiet collectibility at a price point that remains accessible to a wide range of collectors. For someone building a complete Base Set or assembling the starter trio, Venusaur is the most affordable entry point and arguably the best value in terms of what you get for the money.
Conclusion
The Base Set Venusaur holds a unique position in the Pokémon card market as of 2026: genuinely iconic, historically significant, and more affordable than most people expect. Whether you are looking at a $50 raw copy for a binder collection or a $450 PSA 9 for a display case, the card delivers real nostalgia and tangible collectible value. The 1st Edition and Shadowless variants sit in a different category entirely, with PSA 10 examples reaching five figures and serving as legitimate alternative assets for serious collectors.
Before buying or selling, know exactly which variant you have, be realistic about condition, and understand that grading can dramatically change a card’s market value — for better or worse. Check recent completed sales on eBay and PSA’s auction price database rather than relying on asking prices or outdated price guides. The data from January and February 2026 gives a clear snapshot of where the market actually is, and armed with that information, you can make a confident decision whether you are adding to a collection or cashing in on a childhood relic.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is a Base Set Venusaur worth without grading?
Ungraded Base Set Venusaur (Unlimited) copies typically sell for $30 to $80 depending on condition. Cards in near-mint condition command the higher end, while played copies with visible wear fall toward $30 or below.
What is the most valuable version of Base Set Venusaur?
The 1st Edition Shadowless Base Set Venusaur graded PSA 10 is the most valuable, with sales ranging from $27,500 to $55,200 in late 2025. This is the rarest mainstream variant of the card.
Is Base Set Venusaur a good investment?
Venusaur has held relatively stable value through 2025 and into 2026 after the post-pandemic collectibles correction. It is not likely to see Charizard-level appreciation, but high-grade copies from a finite print run have historically maintained their value over time.
How can I tell if my Venusaur is 1st Edition or Unlimited?
Look for a small black “Edition 1” stamp on the left side of the card, just below the artwork frame. If that stamp is absent, your card is Unlimited. Also check for the drop shadow on the right side of the art window — if the stamp is absent but there is no shadow, you may have a Shadowless Unlimited variant, which is worth more than standard Unlimited.
What grade does my Venusaur need to be worth grading?
For Unlimited copies, grading is generally worthwhile if you expect a PSA 7 or higher, since a PSA 7 sells for around $140 versus $50 to $80 for a raw near-mint copy. For 1st Edition cards, grading is almost always worth it regardless of expected grade due to the large price premiums on authenticated copies.
