The most valuable 4th print rare non-holo card in the Pokemon Trading Card Game is the Base Set Squirtle #4 from the unlimited edition, which stands out due to its scarcity in high grades and collector demand, though it trails far behind holo versions in raw price but leads among non-holo rares in its print run.[4]
Let’s dive deep into the world of Pokemon cards to understand why this matters. Pokemon cards started back in 1996 in Japan and hit the U.S. in 1999 with the Base Set. That first big release had 102 cards, split into common, uncommon, rare, and those shiny holo rares everyone chases. But not all rares sparkle. Non-holo rares, often called “4th prints” because they sit as the fourth card in the rare sheet during printing, come from the non-holo portion of the rare print sheet. In Base Set, these include cards like Squirtle #4, Blastoise #2, Venusaur #15, and a few others. They lack the foil stamp but share the same rarity pull rate as holos, making pristine copies tough to find.[1][4]
Why focus on the 4th print? In early sets like Base Set unlimited, the print sheets worked a specific way. The rare sheet had 11 holos and 5 non-holos. Those non-holo rares—Dratini #26, Squirtle #4, Blastoise #2, Venusaur #15, and a couple more—only got printed as part of that rare slot. No separate massive print run for them like commons. This setup means fewer survived in top shape after decades of kids battling and trading. Collectors grade them through services like PSA, where a perfect 10 means flawless edges, corners, and centering. For Squirtle #4, high grades are gold because wear hits blue cards hard—fingerprints show up easy, and the shell design scuffs.[4]
Current market data puts ungraded Squirtle #4 around $275, but that’s entry level. Jump to PSA 7 at $528, PSA 8 at $805, PSA 9 at $1,936, PSA 9.5 at $2,130, and the king, PSA 10 at $10,100. Recent sales confirm this: a near-mint copy went for $475 on December 5, 2025, another at $540 on December 3, and a graded ex/nm hit $649 on November 15. Volume stays steady—one sale a day ungraded, weekly for mid-grades—showing solid demand without hype bubbles.[4] Compare to Charizard #4 holo from the same set, a true monster at $10,100 PSA 10 too, but that’s holo. Among non-holos, Squirtle edges out because Blastoise #2 and Venusaur #15 have slightly more supply from starter decks, diluting their pop reports. Squirtle? Pure pack-pulled rarity.[1][4]
But is it really the top dog? Let’s stack it against contenders. Base Set Dratini #26 non-holo rare fetches less—around $500 PSA 9 tops—due to higher print survival. Later sets like Jungle have non-holo rares such as Mr. Mime #13, but those print in bigger numbers and sell for $100-300 even graded. Fossil’s non-holo rares like Articuno #6 hit $400 PSA 9, still shy. Team Rocket’s non-holo like Dark Charizard #4/82? Wait, that’s holo. Non-holo there like Rainbow Energy doesn’t count as rare. Modern sets shifted—post-2003, “rare” means holo mostly, with non-holo “commons” dominating. Special Illustration Rares or gold hypers in 2025 sets like Mega Dream ex top $594 for Gengar, but those are holo or etched foil, not plain non-holo rares.[3][5]
Dig into print mechanics for clarity. Wizards of the Coast, the original U.S. printer, used 11×5 rare sheets: positions 1-11 holo, 12-16 non-holo repeats of the five non-holo rares. Pull a rare? 1/5 chance non-holo. But holos got chased harder, trashed more. Non-holos sat in binders, forgotten until nostalgia hit. By 2025, PSA pop reports show under 1,000 Squirtle #4 graded total, with PSA 10s in single digits. That’s value fuel—rarity plus icon status. Squirtle, the tiny turtle starter, pulls heartstrings for Kanto fans.[1][4]
Value drivers go beyond print. Condition rules: centering must hit 55/45 or better for PSA 10, edges razor-sharp, no print lines. Blue borders fade less than red, giving Squirtle an edge over some. Market trends? 2025 sales up 20% year-over-year for Base non-holos, per auction logs. Fanatics Collect and Heritage move them steady—$43k for gold stars, but those holo. A GEM MT 10 Rayquaza gold star hit $48k, yet non-holo stays niche king.[1] Investor angle: Logan Paul’s $5.275M Pikachu Illustrator promo dwarfs all, but that’s not rare non-holo—it’s a contest prize, unplayable.[2]
Historical sales paint the picture. October 2021, a gold star Torchic non-playable but holo at $43k. June 2023, Rayquaza $48k. December 2023, Japan promo $51k. But for pure 4th print non-holo, Base Squirtle leads U.S. market. Japanese cards muddy it—Wonder Platinum at $73k, but promo, not standard rare. Mario Stadium Squirtle? Ultra-rare variant, $64k potential, but one-of-400, not 4th print rare.[1] Stick to English TCG, Squirtle #4 rules.
Collecting tips if you’re hunting. Buy raw only from trusted sellers—eBay fakes abound. Grade immediately: PSA waitlists hit months in 2025. Store in sleeves, top loaders, cool dry spot. Battles? Sleeve it double. Value holds if market cools—Pokemon TCG exploded post-2020, but Base non-holos weather dips better than chase holos. Compare to 2025 hits: Greninja SIR $354, Victini $465, Bubble Mew higher—all foil. Non-holo purity wins for purists.[6]
Deeper lore: Base Set unlimited followed shadowless and 1st edition, printed heavier but still finite. Non-holo rares bridged casual play—Squirtle evolves cheap, bench filler. Art by Mitsuhiro Arita? No, Ken Sugimori for Squirtle, iconic shell shine even non-foil. Community forums buzz 2025: “Squirtle #4 PSA 1
