Base Set buying guide
Base era
Where it all began — the first English set, from 1999. The holo Charizard is the most famous Pokémon card there is, with Blastoise and Venusaur beside it.
About Base Set
Base Set has 102 cards, 16 of them holo rares. It was printed in three main versions: 1st Edition (a small stamp at the left, under the picture), Shadowless (no shadow beside the picture frame) and the later Unlimited print. 1st Edition is the rarest.
Sealed packs and boxes from 1999 are rare and expensive, so buy them only from sellers you trust. Evolutions (2016) uses the same artwork but is a different, much cheaper set — check the listing title.
At a glance
- Release date
- 9 January 1999
Most valuable cards today
What you can buy
The ways Base Set is sold — what each one is, what's inside and who it suits.
Booster BoxBase Set Booster BoxA sealed box of booster packs — the most packs you can buy in one go.Inside: 36 packs in a modern English box. Japanese boxes hold 30 smaller packs.Good for: Opening lots of packs at once, or keeping a whole box sealed.Shop booster boxes 
Booster PackBase Set Booster PackA single pack of random cards from the set.Inside: 10 cards in a modern English pack. Japanese packs usually have 5.Good for: Trying your luck, or a small gift.Shop booster packs 
Blister PackBase Set Blister Pack [Shadowless]Packs on a cardboard backing, often with a promo card or coin you can see through the plastic.Inside: Usually 1 to 3 packs.Good for: An easy, low-cost gift.Shop blister packs 
Starter Sets2-Player Starter SetOpen one in the Shop to see what's inside and what it's worth today.Shop starter sets 
Other sealedEverything else from Base Set: premium and poster collections, figure boxes, decks and more.Inside: Each product page says what's in the box.Good for: Finding something a bit different.Shop other sealed
Base Set sealed products
Open one for what it's worth today and who's selling it.
Singles and graded cards
Skip the packs and pick out the exact Base Set card you want.
Questions collectors ask
- What can I buy for Base Set?
- Base Set comes as Booster Boxes, Booster Packs, Blister Packs and Starter Sets. Each one in the Shop shows what it's worth today and who's selling it.
- How do I know if a price is fair?
- Open the card or product on PokeGoTo first. It shows what it's worth today and how the price has moved, so a listing that's far above that stands out straight away.
- Where can I buy Base Set?
- Every Base Set product and card on PokeGoTo shows its live eBay listings. You compare here, then buy from the seller on eBay.
More Base guides
Prices change every day and differ by grade and seller. PokeGoTo is for collecting — not investment advice.