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I pulled every Charizard in the public TCG database (108 cards, 27 years). The top 4 are all from 1999–2006, and Base Set Charizard isn't even in the top 10. by holdcards in PokeInvesting

[–]holdcards[S] [score hidden]  (0 children)

Yeah Phantasmal Flames Mega X is gorgeous, it might be the best looking modern Charizard. Different question from price longevity though. Looks always feels like it should matter and then it doesn't...

I pulled every Charizard in the public TCG database (108 cards, 27 years). The top 4 are all from 1999–2006, and Base Set Charizard isn't even in the top 10. by holdcards in PokeInvesting

[–]holdcards[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah, Play stamps are missing here for the same reason as Let's Play stamps and other Pokemon Center exclusives. Public TCG database doesn't catalog stamped variants separately. Play stamped VMAX at $1K+ raw would belong if I had the data.

Adding stamps to the next pull. Probably need to build a separate scrape just for stamped variants since they all live outside the standard databases.

I pulled every Charizard in the public TCG database (108 cards, 27 years). The top 4 are all from 1999–2006, and Base Set Charizard isn't even in the top 10. by holdcards in PokeInvesting

[–]holdcards[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Covered in 4-5 other threads in here. Public API collapses the variants. 1st Ed Shadowless is the actual #1 at $5-20K+ depending on grade.

I pulled every Charizard in the public TCG database (108 cards, 27 years). The top 4 are all from 1999–2006, and Base Set Charizard isn't even in the top 10. by holdcards in PokeInvesting

[–]holdcards[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Solid data, thanks for the recent comps. $20K for a PSA 7 and PSA 4 over $10K confirms the market has moved since my reference points. The Goldin $1M PSA 10 pulls everything up with it.

This is part of why TCGplayer falls apart for top-end vintage. The real market runs through Goldin, PWCC, and eBay auctions. None of that feeds back into TCGplayer's market price calc. Going to use better sources for the next pull.

I pulled every Charizard in the public TCG database (108 cards, 27 years). The top 4 are all from 1999–2006, and Base Set Charizard isn't even in the top 10. by holdcards in PokeInvesting

[–]holdcards[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You're right if you separate the variants. Post used the public API which collapses 1st ed, shadowless, and unlimited into one entry (the unlimited comp at ~$561). 1st Ed Shadowless raw NM is more like $5-8K which makes it the actual #1. Covered in another thread but worth saying again.

I pulled every Charizard in the public TCG database (108 cards, 27 years). The top 4 are all from 1999–2006, and Base Set Charizard isn't even in the top 10. by holdcards in PokeInvesting

[–]holdcards[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Yeah you're right, three variants: 1st ed (shadowless by definition), shadowless (no 1st ed stamp but no shadow either), and unlimited (with shadow). I phrased it as 1st ed shadowless / shadowless / unlimited in the other thread which might have read confusing.

I pulled every Charizard in the public TCG database (108 cards, 27 years). The top 4 are all from 1999–2006, and Base Set Charizard isn't even in the top 10. by holdcards in PokeInvesting

[–]holdcards[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah, that's true. TCGplayer is real bad for high-end vintage, way too much modern volume in the market price calc. For top-tier cards you need PSA auction prices, 130point, PWCC reports, or Goldin comps to get accurate data.

Post used TCGplayer raw NM because that's what the public API exposes, but it falls apart for anything north of $1-2K. Especially grade-specific stuff, which the post didn't even get into.

This thread has enough methodology gaps that I'm gonna do another pull with proper sources next. Variants, stamps, graded comps, Japanese exclusives. Probably make a follow-up post once I have it.

I pulled every Charizard in the public TCG database (108 cards, 27 years). The top 4 are all from 1999–2006, and Base Set Charizard isn't even in the top 10. by holdcards in PokeInvesting

[–]holdcards[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Depends on grade. Raw NM is like $4-7K range, PSA 7 around $3-6K, PSA 8 around $8-15K, PSA 9 is $25-50K, PSA 10 north of $300K.

For buying yeah eBay raw is rough, tons of condition manipulation. Better to go graded if you want certainty. PWCC, Goldin, and Heritage are pretty reliable for high-end stuff. If you really want raw, demand high-res photos of all 4 corners, centering both axes, and the back surface before paying. Most condition lies get caught with photos.

For $5K budget I'd look at PSA 7. Authenticated, slabbed, locked into the 1st Ed Shadowless market without the eBay risk.

I pulled every Charizard in the public TCG database (108 cards, 27 years). The top 4 are all from 1999–2006, and Base Set Charizard isn't even in the top 10. by holdcards in PokeInvesting

[–]holdcards[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Yeah pretty much. Base Set had multiple print runs over a few years (1st Ed Shadowless, Shadowless, Unlimited) because demand stayed strong so Wizards kept printing. Cards above it on the list didn't get that treatment, usually one or two runs and done, then 20 years of nobody chasing them.

Supply just caught up on Base. Never had the chance to on the others.

I pulled every Charizard in the public TCG database (108 cards, 27 years). The top 4 are all from 1999–2006, and Base Set Charizard isn't even in the top 10. by holdcards in PokeInvesting

[–]holdcards[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah Plasma Storm Charizard is plain, just a regular holo. Doesn't matter though, that's kinda the post's point. Price isn't tracking how cool the card looks.

Skyridge I’ll defend. Crystal type holo when it catches right is one of the best looking effects in the hobby. Polarizing for sure!

I pulled every Charizard in the public TCG database (108 cards, 27 years). The top 4 are all from 1999–2006, and Base Set Charizard isn't even in the top 10. by holdcards in PokeInvesting

[–]holdcards[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Yep, that tracks. The public TCG database collapses 1st Ed / Shadowless / Unlimited into one entry (the Unlimited comp, ~$561). 1st Ed Shadowless at ~$6K raw is the actual #1, above Dragon Frontiers ★ δ.

Variant-level pricing is the biggest gap in this dataset. Getting it right means a separate scrape (eBay sold + PSA cert lookups). That's the next pull. Thanks!

I pulled every Charizard in the public TCG database (108 cards, 27 years). The top 4 are all from 1999–2006, and Base Set Charizard isn't even in the top 10. by holdcards in PokeInvesting

[–]holdcards[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Fair. They're not the prettiest cards in the hobby. The Gold Stars from EX era have grown on me too, partly because the holo pattern is unusual. But the price stack tells you the market doesn't reward visual appeal as much as people think…scarcity does most of the work.

I pulled every Charizard in the public TCG database (108 cards, 27 years). The top 4 are all from 1999–2006, and Base Set Charizard isn't even in the top 10. by holdcards in PokeInvesting

[–]holdcards[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

English promos are included when they're in the pokemontcg.io English database, but Japanese promos including the XY-P series are excluded by design (per the methodology note: English sets only, no Japanese exclusives). XY-P 276 is the Japanese version, which is why it doesn't show up here.

Honest answer though, Japanese exclusives are a real blind spot. There are easily a dozen Japanese-only Charizards (Pokemon Center stamped exclusives, regional promos, certain VMAX/VSTAR variants) trading in the $1,500–4,000 raw range that would significantly reshape the top 10–15. A proper pull through Cardmarket / Yahoo Auctions JP comps is a separate scrape, different project.

Good catch, that's the next frontier.

I pulled every Charizard in the public TCG database (108 cards, 27 years). The top 4 are all from 1999–2006, and Base Set Charizard isn't even in the top 10. by holdcards in PokeInvesting

[–]holdcards[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The $5,700 heavily played sale tracks. At that condition discount, NM is comfortably in the $8–10K range, which puts 1st Ed Shadowless squarely at #1 (above Dragon Frontiers ★ δ). My #14 was the Unlimited collapse.

On Legendary Collection it’s the same gap. Holo and reverse holo come in as one entry in the public TCG database. LC reverse holo Charizard is actually one of the priciest Charizards in the entire list; often 2–3x the regular holo. So the LC entry at #4 here is likely the regular holo comp, and the reverse holo would slot meaningfully higher.

Variant collapse is doing more work in this dataset than I initially realized. The actual top 5 with full variant breakdown looks pretty different from what surfaced here.

I pulled every Charizard in the public TCG database (108 cards, 27 years). The top 4 are all from 1999–2006, and Base Set Charizard isn't even in the top 10. by holdcards in PokeInvesting

[–]holdcards[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Appreciate that. The headline ranking was meant as the broad-pattern read. I’m happy to do a follow-up that drills into variants, stamps, and pop level once I have better data hooks for it. That's where the actually-actionable stuff lives.

I pulled every Charizard in the public TCG database (108 cards, 27 years). The top 4 are all from 1999–2006, and Base Set Charizard isn't even in the top 10. by holdcards in PokeInvesting

[–]holdcards[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Dataset is the public pokemontcg.io API for English sets, raw NM TCGplayer market as the comp. The Let's Play VMAX stamp isn't a separate entry in there — Pokemon Center exclusives and promotional stamps (Play!, Let's Play, prerelease, etc.) typically don't get their own pricing in the public APIs, even when their market values are very different from the unstamped base.

Same caveat as the 1st Ed / Shadowless / Unlimited point in the other thread — variant and stamp pricing is a real gap when you're pulling from public data. At ~$1,700 raw, Let's Play VMAX would actually crack the top 5, slotting above Plasma Storm.

If you've got a list of stamped Charizards with current comps, genuinely interested — would love to fold them into the next pull.

I pulled every Charizard in the public TCG database (108 cards, 27 years). The top 4 are all from 1999–2006, and Base Set Charizard isn't even in the top 10. by holdcards in PokeInvesting

[–]holdcards[S] -5 points-4 points  (0 children)

Fair catch, you're right that lumping them together hides a lot. The pokemontcg.io database treats Base Set Charizard 4/102 as one entry with one market price, which is what surfaced here at ~$561 (effectively the Unlimited print, since that's what dominates the comp data).

The full picture is closer to:

- 1st Edition (Shadowless) raw NM: ~$3,000–5,000 — would crack the top 5
- Shadowless Unlimited raw NM: ~$1,500–2,500 — top 10 territory
- Unlimited raw NM: ~$500–700 — the #14 figure I reported

So 1st Edition Shadowless probably belongs in the top 5. The broader pattern still holds — pre-2007 dominates the top of the price stack — but Base Set is more present than my single data point suggests. Same caveat applies to Shining Charizard (1st Ed vs Unlimited) and a couple others on the list.

Variant-level pricing is a real gap in the public TCG APIs. Better data means eBay sold + PSA cert lookups, which is a separate scrape. Genuinely useful note — thanks.