Why Is Base Set Abra Becoming Scarcer in High Grade?
If you collect Pokemon cards from the original Base Set, you might have noticed something odd about Abra, the common psychic Pokemon at card number 43. High grade versions, like PSA 9 or PSA 10, are popping up less often at auctions and marketplaces. Prices for these gems are holding steady or climbing slowly, but the real story is supply. Fewer pristine Abra cards are hitting the market each month compared to just a couple years ago. Let’s break down why this is happening.
First, Abra was never printed in huge numbers as a common card. Base Set had over a million booster packs released back in 1999, but commons like Abra got played hard. Kids loved its teleport ability to dodge attacks, so most copies ended up shuffled, bent, or marked from battles. Survivors in mint condition were rare from the start. Grading services like PSA have popped only a fraction of Base Set commons over the years, and Abra’s share is tiny. Recent sales data shows just a handful of high grade Abra sales per year, down from more frequent pops in the early 2010s.[3]
Time is the biggest thief here. Over 25 years, natural wear takes out even the best stored cards. Sunlight fades colors, humidity warps edges, and simple handling adds micro-scratches. Collectors who held onto unopened packs are opening them now, but Base Set packs are mostly gone. What remains often yields near-mint cards at best, not gem mint. High grade Abra needs perfect centering, sharp corners, and flawless surfaces, which fewer and fewer copies deliver.
Grading trends play a role too. PSA and others cracked down on quality standards around 2020. Old submissions from the 2000s got looser grades, but today’s inspections are stricter. A card that might have scored PSA 9 back then could get an 8 now. This bumps fewer Abra cards into the high grade club. Population reports for Base Set commons show Abra’s PSA 10 count stuck low, with sales volumes dropping to one or two per month.[1]
Hoards are another factor. Some big collectors locked away their high grade Base Set Abra years ago, waiting for nostalgia booms. With Pokemon prices spiking since 2020, they’re not selling. Online listings for raw Abra are plentiful and cheap, around a buck each, but graded high ones? Scarce. Bulk lots of uncommons and rares move faster, leaving commons like Abra underrepresented in modern grading queues.[5]
Market shifts hurt too. Flippers chase chase cards like Charizard, so low-dollar commons get overlooked. When a PSA 10 Abra does sell, it goes for solid money, like 50 to 100 dollars depending on the month, encouraging holders to sit tight. Low supply meets steady demand from completists building perfect Base Set master sets.
Finally, counterfeits and reprints confuse things. Base Set 2 has its own Abra, but savvy buyers stick to Unlimited first edition originals. Fakes flood the low end, pushing real high grade copies into premium sales where they’re harder to find.
This scarcity means if you spot a high grade Base Set Abra, grab it quick. Values could keep rising as the vintage supply dries up even more. Keep an eye on grading pop reports and sales trackers to stay ahead.
