Base Set

Base Set is where the English Pokémon Trading Card Game began: 102 cards released in January 1999, featuring the original 16 holos including Charizard, Blastoise, and Venusaur. It remains the most collected vintage set in the hobby.

Base Set exists in several print runs — 1st Edition, shadowless, and Unlimited — and identifying which version you hold is the first step in figuring out what a card is worth, since prices between runs differ enormously. Later variations like the UK "1999-2000" copyright print add further wrinkles. Because so many copies were played by children, well-preserved Base Set cards are genuinely hard to find, which is why high-grade examples command such strong prices.