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Venusaur

Venusaur — Base Set #15/102

Grass Rare Holo · Holofoil · Stage 2

The Venusaur is card #15/102 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 Grass-type Stage 2 card, issued across four printings: 1st Edition, Shadowless, Unlimited and the 1999-2000 (4th) print. Across PSA and SGC, roughly 57,233 copies have been graded, with only 841 earning a PSA 10 (Gem Mint) — a sense of how scarce top-grade examples are.

Print variants & how to tell them apart

Venusaur 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.
Venusaur 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.
Venusaur 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).
Venusaur 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)

GraderTotal109872–61Auth
1st Edition
PSA3,7101457256464811,6217913
SGC2624241301
Shadowless
PSA7,2681018631,1601,0583,8382408
SGC910312135850
Unlimited
PSA44,9435855,7489,1527,90920,65687914
SGC8881491851824471311
1999–2000 (4th Print)
PSA307751595313250
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
Stage 2
HP
100
Evolves from
Ivysaur
Weakness
Fire ×2
Retreat
2
Artist
Mitsuhiro Arita
Pokedex #
3

Attacks

60Solarbeam [Grass Grass Grass Grass]
Pokémon Power: Energy Trans
As often as you like during your turn (before your attack), you may take 1 Grass Energy card attached to 1 of your Pokémon and attach it to a different one. This power can't be used if Venusaur is Asleep, Confused, or Paralyzed.
This plant blooms when it is absorbing solar energy. It stays on the move to seek sunlight.

Prices & where to buy

Unlimited market $154.36 via TCGplayer (holofoil)
VariantMarketTCGplayereBay
1st Edition—TCGplayereBay
Shadowless$501.29TCGplayereBay
Unlimited$154.36TCGplayereBay
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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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 Venusaur card?

The Venusaur is card #15/102 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 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 Venusaur 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 Venusaur?

Across PSA and SGC, roughly 57,233 copies of the Venusaur have been graded, of which only 841 earned a PSA 10 (Gem Mint). Mid-grade copies are obtainable, but gem-mint examples are genuinely scarce.

Which printing of the Venusaur 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 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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