Sandshrew
Sandshrew — Base Set #62/102
Fighting Common · Basic
Print variants & how to tell them apart
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.
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.
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).
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 | 2,550 | 649 | 916 | 561 | 229 | 187 | 6 | 2 |
| SGC | 15 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Shadowless | ||||||||
| PSA | 1,158 | 237 | 444 | 240 | 119 | 111 | 6 | 1 |
| SGC | 5 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unlimited | ||||||||
| PSA | 1,418 | 376 | 558 | 250 | 117 | 115 | 2 | 0 |
| SGC | 15 | 1 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 1999–2000 (4th Print) | ||||||||
| PSA | 209 | 92 | 88 | 19 | 5 | 5 | 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
Fighting
Stage
Basic
HP
40
Weakness
Grass ×2
Resistance
Lightning -30
Retreat
1
Artist
Ken Sugimori
Pokedex #
27
Attacks
10Sand-attack [Fighting]
If the Defending Pokémon tries to attack during your opponent's next turn, your opponent flips a coin. If tails, that attack does nothing.
Burrows deep underground in arid locations far from water. It only emerges to hunt for food.
Prices & where to buy
Unlimited market $1.01 via TCGplayer
| Variant | Market | TCGplayer | eBay |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Edition | TCGplayer | eBay | |
| Shadowless | TCGplayer | eBay | |
| Unlimited | $1.01 | TCGplayer | eBay |
| 1999–2000 (4th Print) | — | eBay |
Market = the Unlimited printing, live from TCGplayer. As an eBay Partner & affiliate we may earn from qualifying purchases.
Notable variant / error
All 1st Edition and Shadowless Sandshrew read 'this attack does nothing' instead of 'that attack does nothing'.
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.