Team Magma’s Houndour from the EX Team Magma vs Team Aqua set carries three distinct price points depending on which version you’re looking at. The base common (#62/95) trades at $0.60, the uncommon (#35/95) reaches $3.91, and the reverse holo (#63/95) commands $9.74 on current market pricing. These aren’t arbitrary numbers—they reflect real supply levels, collector demand, and the inherent scarcity tiers built into the set’s original distribution.
If you’re hunting for this card, the price you’ll actually pay depends almost entirely on which of these three versions matches what you’re searching for. The EX Team Magma vs Team Aqua set released in March 2004 with 95 regular cards plus 2 secret cards, making it one of the smaller sets from that era. Houndour appears three separate times across that card pool, each with different rarity, condition requirements, and market behavior. Understanding which version you need—and why prices vary so dramatically—is the foundation for any smart purchase or sale.
Table of Contents
- What Are the Different Versions of Team Magma’s Houndour in This Set?
- Understanding EX Team Magma vs Team Aqua Market Position
- Price Movement and Reverse Holo Volatility
- Identifying the Correct Card Number and Rarity
- Grading and Condition Impact on Pricing
- Comparing Team Magma’s Houndour to Other Set Members
- Market Sourcing and Where Prices Come From
What Are the Different Versions of Team Magma’s Houndour in This Set?
The three distinct printings exist because of how trading card sets are constructed. The #62/95 Houndour is a common, which means it appeared frequently in booster packs during the original print run in 2004 and has remained common ever since. The #35/95 version is an uncommon, showing up less frequently per pack but still printed in substantial quantities. The #63/95 reverse holo is the same card as #62/95 but with the reversed holofoil pattern—only certain packs contained reverse holos, making them genuinely rarer than their base counterparts. This structural reality creates a natural hierarchy. Commons flooded the market; uncommons appeared in fewer packs; reverse holos required specifically opening packs that contained reverse holo slots instead of regular holos.
Twenty years later, that original distribution still dictates pricing. The reverse holo at $9.74 isn’t a different card mechanically—it’s the same Houndour, same artwork, same stats—but the foil pattern alone accounts for a 16x price premium over the common. Condition matters significantly within each tier. A $0.60 common assumes played condition or heavy wear. A near-mint copy of the same card could reach $2–3. The reverse holo at $9.74 assumes near-mint condition; a heavily played reverse holo might sell for $3–5. When you’re shopping, verify the seller’s condition grading or request photos—the difference between “lightly played” and “near mint” on a reverse holo represents actual dollar value.
Understanding EX Team Magma vs Team Aqua Market Position
EX Team Magma vs Team Aqua isn’t a chase set for casual collectors. It’s 22 years old, themed around Ruby/Sapphire’s villainous teams, and lacks the mass nostalgia pull of earlier base sets. That positioning keeps even rare cards from commanding the prices you’d see in 1st Edition Charizard territory. The Houndour reverse holo at under $10 reflects this moderate market tier—it’s collectible and genuinely scarce, but not rare enough to spark speculative buying or significant price momentum. The set’s limited size (95 cards) means supply is tighter than contemporary expansions. Fewer packs were printed overall, and fewer of those packs still exist in collectible condition. However, that doesn’t automatically translate to high prices.
Demand matters equally. If most collectors chasing this set focus on the legendary pokémon or the EX cards (which have different printings and much higher prices), Houndour gets overlooked. It’s a functional uncommon from a set that appeals to Hoenn-era completionists, not casual buyers. One real limitation: condition is harder to assess for bulk commons from this era. Packs from 2004 were frequently opened by kids, stored improperly, and shuffled together. Even if you buy the $0.60 common intending to keep it, the actual condition might be lower than the listing implies—creases in the corner, slight fading from sunlight, or edge wear that photos don’t capture clearly. This is why reverse holos, despite their higher price, sometimes offer better value: they’re worth enough that sellers actually grade them carefully.
Price Movement and Reverse Holo Volatility
The reverse holo Houndour at $9.74 is flagged in the market data as experiencing recent price movement. This isn’t unusual for older reverse holos. Supply is genuinely limited (packs from 2004 with reverse holo slots have been opened for two decades), and demand fluctuates based on set popularity, Pokémon TCG media coverage, or collector activity cycles. The price could shift to $8.50 or up to $12 within weeks, depending on how many copies actually sell and what buyers are willing to pay. For comparison, the uncommon at $3.91 shows less volatility. Uncommons are scarcer than commons but more common than reverse holos, placing them in a stability zone.
The common at $0.60 barely moves—there’s so much supply and such low demand that price is essentially static. If you’re flipping or speculating, the reverse holo is the only version with meaningful price swing potential, but the upside is modest given the card‘s overall market position. Buying at $9.74 and selling for $11–12 is possible but not guaranteed. A practical warning: “recent price movement” in online pricing databases often reflects a small number of high or low sales, not a market-wide trend. One collector who paid $12 for a near-mint reverse holo can make the price spike in databases tracking sales. The next day, ten commons sell at $0.50 each because a bulk lot hit eBay, and the average drops. Don’t assume rising prices mean the card is gaining real collector interest—check actual sales volume and dates before treating it as an investment.
Identifying the Correct Card Number and Rarity
When you’re shopping for Team Magma’s Houndour, the card number is your most important search filter. #62/95 is the common; #35/95 is the uncommon; #63/95 is the reverse holo. Sellers sometimes list cards incorrectly—accidentally combining multiple versions in one listing or mislabeling the rarity. The best protection is to verify the exact number shown on the card: it appears in the bottom right corner, after the artist’s name. The rarity symbols tell you which version you’re holding. Commons show a single dot; uncommons show a diamond.
Reverse holos are trickier: the card number is the same as the base version, but the entire card has reversed holofoil (the background is shiny, the Pokémon and text are dull). If you’re unsure, cross-reference the card with images from Pokellector or TCGPlayer’s official listings before buying. Misidentifying a card as uncommon when it’s actually a reverse holo costs you money. One collecting consideration: if you’re building a Holo collection of Team Magma vs Team Aqua, you might want the regular holo (#62/95) at a specific price point, not the reverse holo. Conversely, if you collect reverse holos, paying $9.74 for the Houndour reverse is standard. Knowing what you’re actually collecting prevents purchasing the wrong version, then having to resell it at a loss or keep an unwanted duplicate.
Grading and Condition Impact on Pricing
The prices listed ($0.60, $3.91, $9.74) represent market averages for ungraded cards in played or lightly played condition. If you’re buying a professionally graded card from PSA, BGS, or CGC, multiply those prices by 2–5x depending on the grade. A common graded 8 (near mint-mint) can reach $1–2. An uncommon graded 8 might reach $8–12. A reverse holo graded 8 could reach $20–30. Grading adds both objective verification and collectibility premiums, but it also locks the card into a specific holder and appeals to serious collectors, not bulk buyers. For ungraded cards, condition slippage is real.
Cards stored in binders, loose in boxes, or in sleeves without top-loaders accrue wear. A $9.74 reverse holo in near-mint condition might drop to $5–6 if it shows moderate play wear—creases, light scratching on the holo, or slight corner damage. Conversely, an unexpectedly well-preserved example from old stock could fetch $12–15 if the photos show it’s genuinely mint. Always request detailed photos of the card face, back, and edges before committing to a purchase above $5. A significant warning: cards from 2004 are susceptible to holo wear and ink fading. The EX era (2003–2005) used printing and holofoil processes that didn’t age as well as modern cards. Even “lightly played” versions might show visible holo wear under close inspection. If you’re buying for a display or collection that needs to look pristine, expect to pay the higher end of the price range or pursue graded copies despite the premium.
Comparing Team Magma’s Houndour to Other Set Members
Team Magma vs Team Aqua includes other Team Magma Pokémon: Poochyena, Mightyena, Numel, and Camerupt, among others. Team Magma’s Houndour reverse holo at $9.74 sits in the mid-tier of non-EX card pricing for the set. Comparable reverse holos (Team Magma’s Numel or Poochyena) trade in similar ranges, typically $8–12. The EX cards from the set—Team Magma’s Groudon or Kyogre—command much higher prices ($50–200+ for reverse holos), reflecting their chase status.
Commons and uncommons from Team Magma across all Pokémon species trade at similar price points as the Houndour commons and uncommons. This consistency matters for context. If you’re collecting all Team Magma Pokémon from this set, you can expect most non-EX reverse holos to cost $8–15 each. Budgeting for a full set means adding $80–150 for the reverse holos, plus $10–20 for the other versions, plus $100+ for the EX cards. The Houndour isn’t an outlier—it’s a typical non-EX card from the set’s supply and demand profile.
Market Sourcing and Where Prices Come From
The price data ($0.60, $3.91, $9.74) comes from aggregated marketplaces like TCGPlayer, where multiple sellers list copies of the same card. TCGPlayer’s algorithms track historical sales, current listings, and recent price points to generate hourly or daily updates. That $9.74 reverse holo price isn’t fixed—if every seller on TCGPlayer suddenly raised their prices to $12, the market average would shift within hours. Prices are real-time reflections of current inventory and what buyers actually paid, not guesses or recommendations.
When you’re shopping outside TCGPlayer (eBay, Cardmarket in Europe, local card shops), prices may differ from the aggregated data. A mom-and-pop card store might list the same reverse holo at $12 because they have limited inventory or want margin room. An eBay seller might price it at $7 to move inventory quickly. The market data gives you a baseline for negotiating or identifying good deals, but individual listings always vary. If you see a reverse holo for $6, it’s likely played condition or mislabeled; at $14, the seller is above market and betting on collector impulse or perceived rarity.
