#10 most precious Venusaur playing cards – Destructoid

The Kanto starters are among the many most recognizable Pokémon of all time throughout the complete franchise – the highest-grossing throughout all media, in addition – and their ultimate evolutions marked a number of the hottest and highly effective ‘mon from the primary era of video games.

Within the TCG, Charizard’s historic cachet from the unique Base Set printing and its many different highly effective and uncommon variants make it essentially the most well-known Pokémon card of all time. However what of ‘Zard’s Grass-type rival: Venusaur?

Venusaur debuted again within the TCG’s Base Set in 1999 alongside ‘Zard and Blastoise, and it stays one of the vital iconic playing cards from that launch. However what’s the most precious Venusaur card of all time? Frenzy Plant your self on the sofa, and let’s have a look.

Notice: All costs are through PriceCharting and TCGPlayer and characterize ungraded copies of those playing cards. Graded copies fetch far increased premiums.

10. Holofoil Venusaur 198/165 (Particular Illustration Uncommon) – Scarlet & Violet 151

Market Value: $77.14

The latest card on this checklist is from the eminently fashionable Scarlet & Violet 151 set from 2023. This set solely featured playing cards from the primary era of Pokémon video games (aka the “authentic 151”) and had a plethora of particular illustration rares, full-art playing cards, and loads of different goodies that saved collectors and devoted followers joyful.

This gorgeous SIR Venusaur card is a part of a collection of 9 full-art playing cards that includes the primary 9 Pokémon of all time (by Pokedex quantity, that’s): Bulbasaur, Ivysaur, Venusaur, Charmander, Charmeleon, Charizard, Squirtle, Wartortle, and Blastoise. All arts are stunning and thematically linked primarily based on their evolution line – with this beautiful Venusaur card resting peacefully in a verdant, flowering area. An incredible card that kicks off the checklist auspiciously.

Market Value: $79.29

A massively uncommon card, this Darkish Venusaur marks the one card within the TCG’s historical past that turns the unique Grass-type ultimate starter evolution into an “evil” model of itself. This card is extraordinarily laborious to search out, because it was solely launched throughout BattleZone Pokémon TCG tournaments in Could 2003.

This card’s fascinating, moody artwork (I like the yellowish flower atop Venusaur’s again that’s usually pink) and supreme shortage imply that discovering a good-quality copy of this card is sort of tough, not to mention a highly-graded one.

Market Value: $90.47

One other extremely uncommon promo card, this Venusaur represented a reprinting of the Venusaur EX discovered within the fashionable XY Evolutions set from 2016. It was included in special-edition “Purple & Blue Assortment Containers” alongside numerous packs from the X&Y period of the TCG.

This card’s beautiful, action-packed Naoki Saito paintings includes a lunging Venusaur smashing by some barrier with a menacing Scyther in flight beneath Venusaur and an excited-looking Vileplume holding onto one in every of Venusaur’s potent vines. An incredible – and uncommon – card; it’s no shock to see its worth above $90 on the secondary market almost 10 years after launch.

7. Holofoil Venusaur – Expedition

Market Value: $96.77

The eReader collection of Pokémon TCG playing cards is definitely divisive. Whether or not or not it’s the artwork model of this period or the large honking yellow border on playing cards that was expanded to accommodate the eReader barcode for choose Sport Boy Advance titles, you both love these playing cards or hate them.

No matter your opinion, playing cards from the three eReader units (Expedition, Aquapolis, Skyridge) are value a premium on the secondary market as a consequence of restricted print runs, uncommon card designs, and hanging paintings. All of these traits lead this holo Venusaur card to be value almost $100 on the secondary market. Notably, there was a non-holo Venusaur card from this set as nicely (#67), however, in fact, the holographic card is value much more.

6. Holofoil Venusaur (Shadowless) – Base Set

Market Value: $108.23

Essentially the most notable characteristic of the primary two Pokémon TCG units launched was that each boasted a notable misprint. This “shadowless” end appears to be like starkly completely different from the common Base Set playing cards, and that distinction is sufficient to make shadowless playing cards among the many most precious within the recreation’s historical past.

Actually, that impacts the Base Set printing of Venusaur, as a shadowless model is value near double what a non-shadowless model is (about $53). Whereas customary Base Set playing cards certainly look extra “full,” there’s one thing concerning the shadowless variations which are tremendously engaging. Maybe it’s the sky-high worth tags!

Market Value: $110.84

The primary card that includes Ken Sugimori’s authentic Venusaur paintings was not the Base Set model – which boasted paintings by legendary Pokémon TCG artist Mitsuhiro Arita – however reasonably this WoTC Black Star Promo (#13).

That includes the hanging cosmos holofoil end and an fascinating Pokémon Energy: Photo voltaic Energy, this card was solely out there within the Pokémon Buying and selling Card Sport: Official Nintendo Participant’s Information, which was launched in March 2000—therefore its over $110 worth level and supreme shortage right now.

4. Holofoil Venusaur ex – Fireplace Purple & Leaf Inexperienced

Market Value: $115.50

The Ruby & Sapphire period of the Pokémon TCG launched high-powered “ex” playing cards to the sport, which have gone by a number of iterations (EX, GX, V, VMAX, and so on.) earlier than lastly settling as soon as once more, within the Scarlet & Violet period, again into the “ex” realm.

The primary Venusaur ex card was discovered within the Fireplace Purple & Leaf Inexperienced set from 2004 and boasted some hanging computer-generated paintings from Ryo Ueda. Maybe essentially the most notable characteristic of the ex playing cards from this period of the TCG is that the cosmos holofoil methodology expands all the way in which to the silver border of the playing cards – making them each stunning and invaluable collectors’ objects.

3. Holofoil Erika’s Venusaur (First Version) – Health club Problem

Market Value: $172.50

The primary accomplice Pokémon playing cards within the TCG had been discovered within the Health club Heroes and Health club Problem units. These playing cards had been represented as ‘mon that belonged to particular trainers within the recreation, akin to Misty, Giovanni, Lt. Surge and – most notably for Venusaur – Erika.

Erika, the Celadon Metropolis health club chief in Pokémon Purple & Blue, Gold & Silver, and different mainline video games from the franchise, doesn’t boast a Venusaur within the video games themselves however does have a strong ultimate evolution of Bulbasaur within the TCG. With superior Ken Sugimori paintings and that eminently invaluable “First Version” image, this card’s worth level approaches $200 25 years after it launched.

2. Reverse Holofoil Venusaur (Fireworks) – Legendary Assortment

Market Value: $186.25

As evidenced by essentially the most invaluable playing cards from Legendary Assortment, reverse holos from that set (that includes the superb “fireworks” end) are among the many most precious playing cards of all time – and that development holds true for the Legendary Assortment reverse holo model of Venusaur as nicely.

Grass-types look particularly good with the fireworks holo end, as there’s one thing about that mint-green coloration that pairs completely with the cascading holographics of the fireworks holofoil model. Whereas Charizard and Darkish Blastoise are the extra invaluable playing cards from that set, the Legendary Assortment Venusaur is the second-most invaluable Venusaur card of all time, behind solely…

1. Holofoil Venusaur (First Version Shadowless) – Base Set

Market Value: $747.64

Unsurprisingly, essentially the most invaluable Venusaur card is the First Version Shadowless copy of the cardboard from the TCG’s first-ever launch: Base Set. This card is straight away recognizable and particular, as are nearly all playing cards from the set – even lowly trainers akin to Defender or Upkeep.

There’s merely one thing ineffable about Pokémon TCG’s Base Set playing cards. Maybe it’s nostalgia, or maybe it’s the unique paintings, however it doesn’t matter what, getting your arms on a replica of a First Version Venusaur from Base Set will set you again near $800. In fact, in order for you a graded copy, count on to shell out anyplace from $850 (PSA 5) to – gulp – $30,000 (BGS Black Label 10).