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Ninetales

Ninetales — Base Set #12/102

Fire Rare Holo · Holofoil · Stage 1

The Ninetales is card #12/102 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 1 card, issued across four printings: 1st Edition, Shadowless, Unlimited and the 1999-2000 (4th) print. Across PSA and SGC, roughly 28,943 copies have been graded, with only 601 earning a PSA 10 (Gem Mint) — a sense of how scarce top-grade examples are.

Print variants & how to tell them apart

Ninetales 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.

Ninetales 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.

Ninetales 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).

Ninetales 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	2,290	68	493	493	361	841	26	8
SGC	16	0	3	4	2	7	0	0
Shadowless
PSA	5,370	48	605	1,083	930	2,602	94	8
SGC	84	0	6	9	21	44	2	2
Unlimited
PSA	20,505	480	4,166	5,175	3,580	6,888	209	7
SGC	391	1	37	86	94	166	1	6
1999–2000 (4th Print)
PSA	287	4	57	91	46	85	3	1

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 1

Evolves from

Vulpix

Weakness

Water ×2

Retreat

Artist

Ken Sugimori

Pokedex #

Attacks

Lure [Colorless Colorless]

If your opponent has any Benched Pokémon, choose 1 of them and switch it with his or her Active Pokémon.

80Fire Blast [Fire Fire Fire Fire]

Discard 1 Fire Energy card attached to Ninetales in order to use this attack.

Very smart and very vengeful. Grabbing one of its many tails could result in a 1,000-year curse.

Prices & where to buy

Unlimited market $36.85 via TCGplayer (holofoil)

Variant	Market	TCGplayer	eBay
1st Edition	$800	TCGplayer	eBay
Shadowless	$116.06	TCGplayer	eBay
Unlimited	$36.85	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

'No Damage' Ninetales: some Shadowless copies (Bushfire theme deck) omit the Fire Blast damage number.

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 Ninetales card?

The Ninetales is card #12/102 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 Ninetales 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 Ninetales?

Across PSA and SGC, roughly 28,943 copies of the Ninetales have been graded, of which only 601 earned a PSA 10 (Gem Mint). Mid-grade copies are obtainable, but gem-mint examples are genuinely scarce.

Which printing of the Ninetales is most valuable?

The 1st Edition is the most valuable printing - around $800 on TCGplayer versus about $36.85 for Unlimited, with Shadowless in between. Holofoil and condition push values higher still.

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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