With more and more collectors entering the market for Pokemon Cards every day, we continue to get questions regarding which sets are most collectible and sought after. It's an obvious choice to start at the beginning of the hobby, the 1st Edition Base Set.
Our 'Guide to Vintage Pokemon Cards' is a multi-part series focused on some of Pokemon TCG's most iconic and sought after sets. We discuss how to distinguish between the earliest sets. Also what Pokemon Cards are worth. We also discuss where to sell your old Pokemon cards and view recent sale prices.
1999 Pokemon 1st Edition Base Set
The 1999 Pokemon 1st Edition Base Set was the first US release of the Pokemon TCG. It had a very limited print run and was only distributed on the West Coast. Product sold out quickly and there was no addition print run of this set, making some of these cards the most collectable in the hobby.
There are two key ways to see if your cards are of the 1st Edition Base Set. This series included a 1st Edition Stamp on the left middle side of the cards. In addition, you can distinguish the 1st Edition Base Set by the Shadowless card frame. Both of these factors must be in place for your card to be part of the orginal English release of the Pokemon 1999 1st Edition Base Set. Later on in our guide when we get to discussing the Unlimited Base Set, it will be clearer what the difference between a 'shadowless' and 'shadowed' card is.
Here's an example: Pokemon TCG 1999 First Edition Base Set Alakazam
So What are My Old Pokemon 1st Edition Base Set Cards Worth???
This is one of the most common questions we get and the simplest answer is: it depends! If you own cards from the 1999 1st Edition English Pokemon Base Set, you own a piece of Pokemon TCG history and are in the right place. However, then it comes down to the details. Which cards do you own? What condition are they in? Some cards like the Charizard 1st Edition Base Set Holo sell at Auction for $10,000+ in pristine condition, while some common cards even in absolutely perfect condition sell for $30-40.
If I own Old Pokemon Cards, where can I look up Pricing for what they are worth and where can I sell them?
At FED USA Gaming we are buying vintage Pokemon collections all the time. If you own vintage Pokemon Cards, we offer a service where you can send us pictures of your collection to fedusagaming@gmail.com and we will assess and give you an estimate of the value we can pay for the cards. In many cases, we need to see the cards in person to make an accurate judgement on condition, so we ask that you mail us the cards. We pay for shipping and if in any case the cards aren't in the condition expected or we cannot come to a deal once the items are received on our end, we ship them back to you for free.
Another great place to check the value of your Pokemon Collection is Ebay. Check sold listings for the specific card you have in your collection to see where the last auctions are selling at.
Want to purchase Vintage Pokemon Cards? Send us an email at fedusagaming@gmail.com to let us know what you are looking for. Or, search "Pokemon Graded" on our webpage to see a portion of our current collection of graded cards for sale.
Hope this has been a helpful guide for past, present, and future Pokemon TCG Collectors out there. Next, learn about the 1999 Shadowless Base Set or the Pokemon TCG Unlimited Base Set as part of our multi-part vintage Pokemon collection series.
**Check out of 2021 Pricing Update Here
1st Edition Base Set Card List:
