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Bulbasaur

Bulbasaur — Base Set #44/102

Grass Common · Basic

The Bulbasaur is card #44/102 in the 1999 Pokemon Game Base Set (Wizards of the Coast) — the set that launched the Pokemon Trading Card Game. It is a common Grass-type Basic card, issued across four printings: 1st Edition, Shadowless, Unlimited and the 1999-2000 (4th) print. Across PSA and SGC, roughly 23,503 copies have been graded, with only 3,783 earning a PSA 10 (Gem Mint) — a sense of how scarce top-grade examples are.

Print variants & how to tell them apart

Bulbasaur 1st Edition — 1st Edition
The 'Edition 1' stamp — a black circle containing the number 1 — sits just left of the artwork, below the art box. Shadowless template (no drop shadow). Rarest / most valuable.

Bulbasaur Shadowless — Shadowless
Same first-print template as 1st Edition but WITHOUT the stamp. No drop shadow behind the art box; brighter, more zoomed-in art. Key tell vs Unlimited: the extra '99' in the copyright line.

Bulbasaur Unlimited — Unlimited
No stamp; a drop shadow appears behind the right edge of the art box (Pokémon only — Trainers never got the shadow). Bolder HP text, slightly zoomed-out art. Copyright omits the '99'. By far the most common (print runs 2–7).

Bulbasaur 1999–2000 (4th Print) — 1999–2000 (4th Print)
Visually identical to Unlimited EXCEPT the copyright reads ©1999-2000. The eighth and final (smallest) English print run — collector shorthand calls it the '4th print'. Distributed mainly in the UK, also Australia and the USA.
Shown: the Unlimited scan -- the 1999-2000 print is identical except the (c)1999-2000 date. A true scan is coming.

Graded population (PSA & SGC)

Grader	Total	10	9	8	7	2–6	1	Auth
1st Edition
PSA	3,537	360	1,169	780	471	728	21	8
SGC	22	1	8	6	3	3	0	1
Shadowless
PSA	5,880	777	1,689	1,217	797	1,291	67	42
SGC	52	1	14	15	3	16	0	3
Unlimited
PSA	12,923	2,218	4,671	2,818	1,350	1,814	49	3
SGC	141	7	52	32	17	33	0	0
1999–2000 (4th Print)
PSA	948	419	302	108	52	67	0	0

PSA & SGC graded population by printing & grade. PSA Unlimited includes copies graded before PSA flagged the 1st Edition / Shadowless varieties; SGC does not separate the 1999-2000 print.

Card details

Type

Grass

Stage

Basic

Weakness

Fire ×2

Retreat

Artist

Mitsuhiro Arita

Pokedex #

Attacks

20Leech Seed [Grass Grass]

Unless all damage from this attack is prevented, you may remove 1 damage counter from Bulbasaur.

A strange seed was planted on its back at birth. Thus, a plant sprouted and now grows with this Pokémon.

Prices & where to buy

Unlimited market $3.24 via TCGplayer

Variant	Market	TCGplayer	eBay
1st Edition	$281.91	TCGplayer	eBay
Shadowless	$23.06	TCGplayer	eBay
Unlimited	$3.24	TCGplayer	eBay
1999–2000 (4th Print)	—	—	eBay

Market values are live TCGplayer prices for each printing. A dash means TCGplayer has no separate or active listing for that variant (e.g. 1999-2000). As an eBay Partner & affiliate we may earn from qualifying purchases.

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Notable variant / error

All 1st Edition and Shadowless Bulbasaur print the weight value under the 'length' label.

About the print variants

Base Set cards come in four printings: 1st Edition (Edition-1 stamp), Shadowless (no stamp, no drop shadow, the extra '99' in the copyright), Unlimited (drop shadow, most common), and the 1999-2000 (4th print) (like Unlimited but the copyright reads (c)1999-2000). Machamp is the exception -- it is always 1st-Edition-stamped.

Frequently asked questions

What is the 1999 Pokemon Base Set Bulbasaur card?

The Bulbasaur is card #44/102 in the 1999 Pokemon Game Base Set by Wizards of the Coast, the first English Pokemon Trading Card Game set. It is a common Grass-type card and exists in four printings: 1st Edition, Shadowless, Unlimited and the 1999-2000 print.

How can I tell which printing of the Bulbasaur I have?

Check three tells: a 1st Edition has the black 'Edition 1' stamp at the lower-left of the artwork; a Shadowless has no stamp AND no drop shadow on the right of the art box (plus an extra '99' in the copyright line); Unlimited has the drop shadow and is by far the most common; the 1999-2000 print looks like Unlimited but its copyright reads (c)1999-2000.

How rare is a graded Bulbasaur?

Across PSA and SGC, roughly 23,503 copies of the Bulbasaur have been graded, of which only 3,783 earned a PSA 10 (Gem Mint). Mid-grade copies are obtainable, but gem-mint examples are genuinely scarce.

Which printing of the Bulbasaur is most valuable?

The 1st Edition is the most valuable printing - around $281.91 on TCGplayer versus about $3.24 for Unlimited, with Shadowless in between. Holofoil and condition push values higher still.

More Grass-type Base Set cards

Sources: pokemontcg.io, PSA & SGC population reports, and live TCGplayer market data. Card data, variants & population compiled and maintained by T206Cards.com. Page last updated 2026-06-30.

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