Zapdos
Zapdos — Base Set #16/102
Lightning Rare Holo · Holofoil · 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 | 2,880 | 136 | 619 | 542 | 372 | 1,162 | 42 | 7 |
| SGC | 18 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| Shadowless | ||||||||
| PSA | 3,525 | 65 | 545 | 757 | 620 | 1,457 | 77 | 4 |
| SGC | 40 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 9 | 21 | 2 | 0 |
| Unlimited | ||||||||
| PSA | 18,601 | 685 | 4,159 | 4,764 | 3,132 | 5,674 | 183 | 4 |
| SGC | 329 | 3 | 38 | 86 | 67 | 130 | 4 | 1 |
| 1999–2000 (4th Print) | ||||||||
| PSA | 147 | 9 | 29 | 33 | 29 | 45 | 2 | 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
Lightning
Stage
Basic
HP
90
Resistance
Fighting -30
Retreat
3
Artist
Ken Sugimori
Pokedex #
145
Attacks
60Thunder [Lightning Lightning Lightning Colorless]
Flip a coin. If tails, Zapdos does 30 damage to itself.
100Thunderbolt [Lightning Lightning Lightning Lightning]
Discard all Energy cards attached to Zapdos in order to use this attack.
A legendary bird Pokémon said to appear from clouds while wielding enormous lightning bolts.
Prices & where to buy
Unlimited market $55.48 via TCGplayer (holofoil)
| Variant | Market | TCGplayer | eBay |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Edition | TCGplayer | eBay | |
| Shadowless | TCGplayer | eBay | |
| Unlimited | $55.48 | 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.
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.