1st Edition Charizard: Prices by Grade and How to Spot One
A 1st Edition Charizard, the English Base Set Charizard 4/102 with the 1st Edition stamp, sold for about $7,000 raw in October 2026 and about $335,000 in a PSA 10, per PriceCharting. The gap comes from scarcity: PSA has graded only 123 copies a 10. Before any of those numbers apply, make sure the card really is 1st Edition, since added stamps and mislabeled listings are common.
Key takeaways
- A 1st Edition Charizard is the English Base Set Charizard 4/102 from the first print run in 1999, with the black 1st Edition stamp under the left side of the art.
- In October 2026 PriceCharting had it at $6,956.11 raw, $36,735.00 in grade 9, and $335,000.48 in a PSA 10.
- Only 123 PSA 10s and 38 CGC 10s exist, out of almost 6,000 graded copies.
- The best known sale is a PSA 10 for $420,000 in March 2022.
- Every 1st Edition Base Set card is shadowless. A Base Set card with the stamp and a drop shadow is a fake stamp.
Prices are PriceCharting's as shown in October 2026, unless a sale is named. They change with every sale, so check sold listings for your exact grade before you buy or sell.
How much is a 1st Edition Charizard worth?
It depends almost entirely on the grade. These are PriceCharting's prices for the 1st Edition Base Set Charizard 4/102 in October 2026 (PriceCharting, Charizard 1st Edition):
| Grade | Price |
|---|---|
| Ungraded | $6,956.11 |
| Grade 5 | $14,432.15 |
| Grade 7 | $24,957.58 |
| Grade 8 | $33,395.26 |
| Grade 9 | $36,735.00 |
| Grade 9.5 | $70,401.00 |
| CGC 10 | $37,142.98 |
| PSA 10 | $335,000.48 |
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The numbered grades mix grading companies. The PSA 10 price rests on very few sales: PriceCharting counts about two a year, so one sale can move it a long way.
Why a PSA 10 is worth so much more than a 9
A 9 and a 10 look alike to most people, but the price jumps about nine times. The reason is the population. PriceCharting's population page, built from PSA and CGC's counts, shows 5,383 copies graded by PSA, and only 123 of them got a 10. PSA graded 729 copies a 9, almost six times as many (PriceCharting, 1st Edition Charizard population). CGC 10s sell for far less than PSA 10s on this card, so grading company matters as much as the number. You can check the latest counts in PSA's population report.
What has a 1st Edition Charizard sold for?
The best known sale is a PSA 10 for $420,000 at PWCC in March 2022 (CNN). Logan Paul's Pikachu Illustrator has since passed it as the most expensive Pokemon card, but the 1st Edition Charizard is still the card most people mean when they talk about valuable Pokemon cards.
Raw copies sell far more often. PriceCharting's list of ungraded sales shows raw copies selling from about $4,000 to about $15,000 between April and October 2026, depending on condition. For example, one sold for $12,700 on September 4, 2026, and another for $6,472.44 on September 14.
Read the listing, not just the price
That same sales list shows why you should check every comp yourself. A few sales in it are titled only "Charizard 4/102 Base Set Holo," with no mention of 1st Edition, and sold for a fraction of the rest. They're probably Unlimited copies that landed in the wrong list. Look at the photos of every sale you use and confirm the stamp.
How do you tell if a Charizard is 1st Edition?
Check these in order:
- The number. Base Set Charizard is 4/102. Base Set has no set symbol beside the art.
- The stamp. Look just under the bottom left corner of the artwork for a small black circle with a "1" and the word "EDITION." No stamp means it isn't 1st Edition.
- The shadow. Every 1st Edition Base Set card is shadowless: no gray drop shadow along the right side of the art box. Listings often say "1st Edition Shadowless," which is the same card.
- The HP text. 1st Edition and shadowless cards print the HP and attack text in a thinner font than Unlimited.
- The copyright line. It should read "©1995, 96, 98, 99 Nintendo, Creatures, GAMEFREAK." Cards that read 1999-2000 are the late print.
The shadowless Pokemon cards guide walks through each check in more detail, and the 1st Edition Pokemon cards guide explains the print runs.
1st Edition vs shadowless vs Unlimited Charizard
The three English Base Set printings of the same card sell for very different amounts:
| Base Set Charizard 4/102 | Raw | Grade 9 |
|---|---|---|
| 1st Edition | $6,956.11 | $36,735.00 |
| Shadowless | $991.22 | $11,197.00 |
| Unlimited | $449.71 | $3,595.95 |
PriceCharting, October 2026 (Base Set; the shadowless grade 9 price is from October 20, 2026, in our shadowless guide).
How do you spot a fake or an added stamp?
Most fraud on this card is a real Unlimited Charizard with a fake stamp added. Check for:
- A stamp and a shadow together. That combination doesn't exist on a real 1st Edition Base Set card.
- A stamp that looks wrong. Too big, too small, smudged, in the wrong spot, or sitting on top of the print instead of being part of it.
- The wrong copyright line or bold HP text. Both point to an Unlimited card underneath.
- A modern reprint. The Base Set Charizard was reprinted for Celebrations' Classic Collection in 2021, so read the copyright line and the card's markings before you assume a 1999 card.
For a card at this price, buy it graded by PSA, CGC, or BGS, and check the cert number on PSA's cert lookup or the grader's own site. The label should match the card in the slab.
Is it worth grading a raw copy?
Usually yes, if it's real and clean. Even a grade 5 sells for about twice a raw copy, and a 7 for over three times. The risk is a low grade on a card you thought was near mint, or worse, finding out the stamp isn't real. Grading fees go up with the card's declared value and change often, so check PSA's current prices before you send one in.
Where should you buy or sell one?
At this price, where you trade matters almost as much as what you pay.
Buying
On eBay, trading cards that sell for $200 or more qualify for the Authenticity Guarantee when the listing shows the blue checkmark. For a graded card, eBay checks the holder for tampering and confirms the case and label are real before it ships to you, but it doesn't regrade the card (more in the Ancient Mew card guide). High grade copies also go through big auction houses; the $420,000 PSA 10 sold at PWCC. Whichever way you buy, compare the slab's cert number with the grader's record and ask for photos of the actual card, front and back.
Selling
Sell where the buyers for your grade are. Raw and mid grade copies sell steadily on eBay, about one a week at each grade, per PriceCharting. A 9.5 or a 10 sells only a few times a year, so an auction house with collectors who bid on top slabs can be worth its fee. As of October 2026, eBay charged sellers without a Store 13.25% of a trading card sale up to $7,500, plus $0.40 per order. Check eBay's current fee page before you price, especially for a sale over $7,500, since fees change.
How can you keep track of what your Charizard is worth?
A card like this can move thousands of dollars on one sale. TCG Marquee refreshes prices every day for each card's printing and condition, and on the Pro plan for slabs by grading company and grade. You can add cards by scanning them with your phone, and a board or TV can show your Charizard with its price and 7 and 30 day changes.
What it doesn't do: it isn't a sales history archive, so for the individual sales behind a price, use eBay sold listings or PriceCharting. A PSA 10 with two sales a year still needs a sold listing check by hand. TCG Marquee is in open beta.
FAQ
How much is a 1st Edition Charizard worth raw?
About $7,000 in October 2026 on PriceCharting, with real raw sales from about $4,000 to about $15,000 depending on condition. Check the photos of each sale; some lists include Unlimited copies by mistake.
How many PSA 10 copies are there?
PSA has graded 123 copies a 10, out of 5,383 graded, per PriceCharting's population page in October 2026. CGC has graded 38 more a 10.
What is the most one has sold for?
The best known sale is $420,000 for a PSA 10 in March 2022. PriceCharting's current PSA 10 price is about $335,000, based on very few sales.
Is a 1st Edition Charizard also shadowless?
Yes. Every 1st Edition Base Set card is shadowless. A shadowless card without the stamp is the next print run, which sells for much less.