For collectors considering Base Set versus Gym Heroes as an investment, Base Set is unquestionably the superior choice when you have capital to deploy. Collectors with substantial financial resources consistently favor Base Set over Gym Heroes, according to expert market analysis. However, there’s a critical issue with the premise of this article: Squirtle #63 from Base Set is a common, non-holo card with virtually no investment value in either set.
While Base Set Charizard 1st Edition cards trade for $168,000 to $170,000 in 2026, Base Set Squirtle remains a collectible rather than an investment vehicle. If you’re looking to invest in valuable Pokemon cards, neither basic Squirtle cards from Base Set nor Gym Heroes represents a serious opportunity. The comparison makes more sense when you’re evaluating the sets themselves rather than specific common cards. Base Set’s dominance in the market means that even mid-tier cards from that set hold value better than the chase cards from Gym Heroes, making it the clear winner for investors seeking long-term appreciation.
Table of Contents
- Why Base Set Dominates Gym Heroes in the Investment Market
- The Reality of Card Condition and Investment Viability
- Comparing Top Investment Cards: Base Set Versus Gym Heroes
- The Complete Set Investment Strategy
- Market Volatility and the Risk of Following Trends
- Budget Realities for Entering Either Set
- The 2026 Market Outlook and Future Considerations
- Conclusion
Why Base Set Dominates Gym Heroes in the Investment Market
base Set’s supremacy as an investment set stems from several factors rooted in the Pokemon TCG market’s structure. Base Set was the first mainstream English release of Pokemon cards in 1999, giving it historical significance that collectors prize. The set contains iconic cards like Charizard that have become modern collectible benchmarks—the 1st Edition psa 10 copy recently traded near $170,000, demonstrating the set’s pricing power.
In comparison, Gym Heroes’ most valuable card, Sabrina’s Gengar in PSA 10 condition, trades for approximately $8,000, representing a 95% price gap between the sets’ flagship investments. Gym Heroes, released in 2000 as part of the Gym series, is described by market analysts as having “strong nostalgic value and a positive price trend” but remains “a secondary investment compared to Base Set.” This positioning reflects collector psychology: when serious money enters the Pokemon card market, Base Set is where it flows. Limited print runs of certain Base Set cards combined with decades of collector demand have created sustained scarcity that Gym Heroes simply hasn’t replicated. The psychological weight of owning “the original set” drives pricing in ways that later sets struggle to achieve.
The Reality of Card Condition and Investment Viability
Condition is absolutely critical in determining whether any Pokemon card has investment potential. In the 2026 market, only about three dozen PSA 10 graded copies exist for the most sought-after Gym Heroes cards, yet even these rare high-grade examples pale in value compared to Base Set equivalents. This demonstrates a harsh truth: rarity alone doesn’t guarantee value. A common card that’s graded PSA 10 still lacks the historical significance or collector demand that transforms cards into appreciating assets.
Base Set Squirtle specifically presents a problem that many collectors face when entering the investment space—confusing “something that exists in a valuable set” with “something that is itself valuable.” Squirtle #63 is a common from Base Set, meaning millions were printed. Even a PSA 10 copy would have minimal value because the market has unlimited access to lower-graded copies. This is a critical distinction: you cannot invest in every card from a valuable set. The set’s value concentrates in specific cards like Charizard, Blastoise, and Venusaur—the powerful holographic Pokemon that drove original purchasing decisions.
Comparing Top Investment Cards: Base Set Versus Gym Heroes
The value hierarchy between these sets becomes crystal clear when you examine their best offerings. Base Set’s power cards command exceptional prices: a Charizard 1st Edition PSA 10 ranges from $168,000 to $170,000, while a Pikachu Illustrator (technically a Base-era promo) sold for $16,492,000 in February 2026. Even Base Set Blastoise and Venusaur command five-figure prices in top condition. Gym Heroes’ top tier includes Sabrina’s Gengar at $8,000, Erika’s Dragonair PSA 10 at approximately $3,400, and Rocket’s Scyther PSA 10 at around $790—these represent the set’s investment ceiling for most collectors.
This pricing structure reveals where collector capital concentrates. When you have $10,000 to invest, you might acquire one copy of Sabrina’s Gengar from Gym Heroes in PSA 10 condition. The same budget toward Base Set could secure several near-mint non-holo uncommons or commons, or approach entry-level holos from the set. The scarcity-to-price ratio favors Base Set significantly, meaning your investment dollar stretches further toward recognized collectibles in that set. For collectors building a portfolio rather than pursuing singular chase cards, Base Set offers more diversified investment options.
The Complete Set Investment Strategy
Some collectors approach these sets differently by attempting to complete entire master sets rather than pursuing individual chase cards. A complete Gym Heroes master set costs between $536 to $2,495 based on current TCGPlayer prices, depending on whether you’re accepting played condition or pursuing near-mint examples. This represents an achievable target for collectors with moderate budgets. Base Set master sets, by contrast, become prohibitively expensive if you include high-grade examples of Charizard, Blastoise, and other chase cards—easily exceeding $100,000 for a set in consistent condition.
The strategic choice between sets depends on your investment goals. If you’re building a complete set as a nostalgia project, Gym Heroes offers better value and accessibility. If you’re pursuing serious investment returns, you’re better served concentrating capital in Base Set’s most sought-after cards rather than dispersing funds across a complete Gym Heroes set. The complete-set approach also presents a liquidity issue: while a PSA 10 Sabrina’s Gengar can sell quickly to the right buyer, attempting to liquidate a complete Gym Heroes set often requires pricing individual cards, which consumes time and energy.
Market Volatility and the Risk of Following Trends
Pokemon card values have proven volatile in recent years, with certain periods seeing dramatic appreciation followed by correction. The December 2025 sale of a Base Set Charizard 1st Edition PSA 10 for $550,000 demonstrates the market can move sharply, yet subsequent trading shows stabilization around $168,000 to $170,000—showing that headline-grabbing sales don’t always sustain. Gym Heroes cards have experienced their own cycles, with values rising during nostalgia peaks and cooling during market downturns. Collectors considering either set must understand they’re not purchasing guaranteed appreciating assets—they’re purchasing culturally significant artifacts with limited supply.
Market conditions in 2026 remain favorable for Pokemon cards generally, but this could shift if the broader collectibles market cools. Graded cards from both sets are also subject to regrading risk: certification services occasionally adjust their standards, potentially re-evaluating a card you purchased as PSA 9 into a PSA 8. This downgrade directly impacts resale value. Additionally, the emergence of alternative authentication methods could fragment the market for certain cards, affecting liquidity for both sets.
Budget Realities for Entering Either Set
Most casual collectors don’t have access to six-figure budgets for a single card. This practical limitation changes the investment calculation significantly. With $5,000 to deploy, you could acquire a mid-grade Gym Heroes chase card like a Sabrina’s Gengar PSA 9, or several lower-tier Base Set holos in strong condition. With $50,000, you’re still far from owning a top-tier Base Set card in competitive condition, but you could build a meaningful collection of mid-range investments from both sets or concentrate heavily in Base Set commons and uncommons with strong upward price history.
For collectors with limited budgets, Gym Heroes actually becomes more practical as an investment vehicle simply because you can own its most valuable cards. A PSA 10 Sabrina’s Gengar represents the pinnacle of Gym Heroes, and it remains achievable for investors with five figures available. The same money toward Base Set leaves you with fragments—nice cards, certainly, but not the flagship investments that drive the set’s reputation. This budget reality means your “better investment” decision must factor in how much capital you actually have to commit.
The 2026 Market Outlook and Future Considerations
The 2026 Pokemon card market remains robust, driven by a combination of nostalgic millennial collectors with disposable income and institutional investment interest. The February 2026 Pikachu Illustrator sale for $16.5 million indicates that rare, historically significant Pokemon cards continue attracting serious wealth. However, much of this activity concentrates in the rarest cards from the earliest sets. Mid-tier investments like Gym Heroes cards have benefited from this overall market strength but haven’t captured the headline-driving capital that Base Set attracts.
Looking forward, Base Set’s first-mover advantage and limited print quantity suggest continued strength. Gym Heroes, while solid, faces the reality of being “the second set from the era”—historically, collectors gravitate toward originals. If you’re making an investment decision in 2026, Base Set represents the more defensible long-term choice, though Gym Heroes offers better entry-level positioning for collectors with moderate resources. The cards you choose within either set matter more than the set itself; pursuing the recognized chase cards (Charizard for Base Set, Sabrina’s Gengar for Gym Heroes) ensures you’re collecting cards with established demand and liquidity.
Conclusion
Base Set is unquestionably the better investment between the two sets, but this comparison becomes moot when you’re specifically discussing Squirtle #63, which lacks meaningful investment value in either set. The real decision centers on whether your capital and collecting goals align better with Base Set’s premium but more inaccessible cards or Gym Heroes’ more affordable tier of investments. Base Set’s historical significance, limited print quantities of chase cards, and demonstrated collector demand support its investment supremacy, while Gym Heroes serves better as either a complete set hobby project or an entry point for collectors building their first portfolio. Before committing capital to either set, identify specifically which cards you’re pursuing rather than treating them as monolithic investments.
A PSA 10 Sabrina’s Gengar from Gym Heroes is a vastly different investment from a random assortment of Gym Heroes commons. Similarly, pursuing Base Set means focusing on recognized chase cards that command market attention and liquidity. Research current market prices on TCGPlayer or specialized Pokemon card marketplaces, consult grading reports to understand condition distribution, and consider your timeline for holding these cards. The difference between a speculative position and a genuine investment often comes down to choosing specific cards with established demand rather than hoping the set itself appreciates.
