Why Is Base Set Gust of Wind Becoming Harder to Afford?
If you collect Pokemon cards from the original Base Set, you might have noticed something odd about Gust of Wind. This common trainer card, number 93 out of 102, used to be super cheap and easy to grab. Now, prices are climbing, and raw copies or even graded ones like CGC 10 GEM MINT are pushing past what many collectors expected.[1] So what is driving this up?
First, understand the card itself. Gust of Wind comes from the 1999 Base Set Unlimited release, the big first expansion with 102 cards full of icons like Charizard and Blastoise.[4] As a basic common, it lets you switch an opponent’s active Pokemon with one from their bench. Simple tool, nothing flashy. Back in the day, these printed in huge numbers, so supply seemed endless. You could find them for pennies on sites like TCGPlayer, often under a dollar even recently.[2]
But that low price is changing fast. Look at recent sales: a pristine CGC 10 GEM MINT version sold for just $22.[1] That might sound low, but compare it to older trends. Commons like this rarely hit grading services before, yet now they do. Why grade a common? It points to collectors hunting rarities in plain sight. Base Set cards overall have exploded in value since the pandemic boom. People want complete sets, and commons fill those gaps. With fewer low-grade or ungraded copies surfacing from old collections, even basics get scarcer.
Grading adds fuel. Services like CGC and PSA are swamped. A GEM MINT 10 on a card this old is tough to hit because Base Set paper yellows and edges chip over time. That $22 sale shows demand for top grades, even on commons.[1] If you want a raw copy for your binder, TCGPlayer lists start at $0.10, but market price sits around $0.31 for Base Set versions.[2] Those numbers are up from a year ago, and with holiday buying in full swing, they keep rising.
Error hunting plays a role too. The Pokemon error card market has blown up in the last five or six years. Shows like Pawn Stars highlight unique print mistakes fetching thousands, even on common cards.[3] Gust of Wind might not be famous for errors yet, but any Base Set card with a miscut, off-center print, or ink flaw can spike. Collectors scour bulk lots for these, pulling commons out of circulation. A “blatantly obvious” error avoided production fixes, making survivors valuable.[3] Not every Gust of Wind has one, but the chase reduces overall supply.
Set completionists are another factor. Base Set Unlimited checklists draw serious builders.[4] With holos like Alakazam or Zapdos commanding hundreds, collectors grab everything to finish. Gust of Wind slots in late, around card 93, so it’s often the last piece. As vintage stock dries up, prices tick higher.
Finally, the market shift to graded cards hurts affordability. Raw commons were disposable before. Now, everyone slabs them, locking away supply. If you see a near-mint raw Gust of Wind, snag it quick. Prices for these are not crazy yet, but the trend mirrors other Base Set commons. Watch TCGPlayer or grading sites closely, because what costs $0.30 today could double by next year.[2][1]
