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Charizard

Charizard — Base Set #4/102

Fire Rare Holo · Holofoil · Stage 2

The Charizard is card #4/102 in the 1999 Pokemon Game Base Set (Wizards of the Coast) — the set that launched the Pokemon Trading Card Game. It is a rare holo Fire-type Stage 2 card, issued across four printings: 1st Edition, Shadowless, Unlimited and the 1999-2000 (4th) print. Across PSA and SGC, roughly 122,298 copies have been graded, with only 687 earning a PSA 10 (Gem Mint) — a sense of how scarce top-grade examples are.

Print variants & how to tell them apart

Charizard 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.

Charizard 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.

Charizard 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).

Charizard 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	5,518	124	732	806	635	2,918	256	47
SGC	47	4	3	4	2	23	4	7
Shadowless
PSA	14,018	58	848	1,590	1,734	8,787	963	38
SGC	175	2	9	10	18	118	14	4
Unlimited
PSA	99,846	486	8,451	16,443	16,989	53,158	4,234	85
SGC	1,901	6	53	311	343	1,105	56	27
1999–2000 (4th Print)
PSA	793	7	55	99	115	446	69	2

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

Fire

Stage

Stage 2

120

Evolves from

Charmeleon

Weakness

Water ×2

Resistance

Fighting -30

Retreat

Artist

Mitsuhiro Arita

Pokedex #

Attacks

100Fire Spin [Fire Fire Fire Fire]

Discard 2 Energy cards attached to Charizard in order to use this attack.

Pokémon Power: Energy Burn

As often as you like during your turn (before your attack), you may turn all Energy attached to Charizard into Fire Energy for the rest of the turn. This power can't be used if Charizard is Asleep, Confused, or Paralyzed.

Spits fire that is hot enough to melt boulders. Known to unintentionally cause forest fires.

Prices & where to buy

Unlimited market $644.27 via TCGplayer (holofoil)

Variant	Market	TCGplayer	eBay
1st Edition	—	TCGplayer	eBay
Shadowless	$2146.38	TCGplayer	eBay
Unlimited	$644.27	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

The set's marquee chase card; #1 PSA 10 1st Edition Charizard is among the most valuable modern cards.

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 Charizard card?

The Charizard is card #4/102 in the 1999 Pokemon Game Base Set by Wizards of the Coast, the first English Pokemon Trading Card Game set. It is a rare holo Fire-type card and exists in four printings: 1st Edition, Shadowless, Unlimited and the 1999-2000 print.

How can I tell which printing of the Charizard 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 Charizard?

Across PSA and SGC, roughly 122,298 copies of the Charizard have been graded, of which only 687 earned a PSA 10 (Gem Mint). Mid-grade copies are obtainable, but gem-mint examples are genuinely scarce.

Which printing of the Charizard is most valuable?

1st Edition copies command the highest premium, followed by Shadowless, with Unlimited the most affordable. See the live per-printing TCGplayer prices above.

More Fire-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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