Base Set Zapdos, the iconic electric bird from the original Pokemon trading card game, has seen its prices climb steadily, with recent sales showing raw copies around $22 and graded PSA 10 versions hitting over $500. Experts point to a mix of strong demand, low supply of high-grade cards, and growing collector interest as key drivers keeping its value on an upward path.
This card, number 16 out of 102 in the 1991 Base Set, features a stunning holo artwork of Zapdos unleashing lightning. Prices on sites like PriceCharting tell the story clearly. Ungraded copies recently sold for $22.24, up $2.74 in the latest update as of December 18, 2025. A PSA 7 grade holds at $45, while PSA 9 jumped to $119.60 with a $0.41 gain. The real prize, PSA 10, sits at $538.68, with sales trickling in at just one per week due to rarity.
Trading volume backs the rise too. Grade 9 sees one sale per day, and even lower grades move a few times weekly, showing steady buyer appetite. On TCGPlayer, Shadowless versions list from $20 but carry a market price of $226.49, hinting at premium demand for cleaner prints.
Why the projection for more gains? First, Base Set cards from the Wizards of the Coast era are finite. No new prints mean high-grade survivors like PSA 10 become scarcer over time as cards wear from play or handling. Vintage Pokemon nostalgia fuels this, especially with Zapdos’s powerful in-game role as a lightning attacker.
Second, the broader market supports it. Newer Zapdos cards, like the ex Special Illustration Rare from Scarlet & Violet 151, hold $66.60 per Bleeding Cool’s December 2025 watch, staying solid among top cards. This keeps the Zapdos name hot, drawing eyes back to the original. Even Japanese versions from the same era show graded sales up to $40.99 for CGC 10 pristine.
Listings like a PSA 7 on Solis Depot at $33 underscore accessible entry points, but top grades pull bigger money. Collectors chase perfection, and with sales data showing consistent upticks, Base Set Zapdos looks primed for further climbs in 2026.
Sources
https://www.pricecharting.com/es/game/pokemon-base-set/zapdos-16
https://www.tcgplayer.com/search/pokemon/all?q=Zapdos+Base&productLineName=pokemon&setName=all&view=grid
https://www.pricecharting.com/es/game/pokemon-japanese-scarlet-&-violet-151/zapdos-ex-194
https://bleedingcool.com/games/pokemon-tcg-value-watch-scarlet-violet-151-in-december-2025/
https://solisdepot.com/products/1999-pokemon-base-set-unlimited-16-zapdos-holo-psa-7/9176935/
https://www.etsy.com/listing/1607812304/zapdos-ex-202-sir-pokemon-151-extended
