"1999 Pokémon trading card could rake in $500K at auction"

[T206BrownHindu]

Originally Posted by peanuts

Couple things:
- This is from the initial print run of the first edition of cards. The distinguishing visual feature is that there isn't a drop shadow to help accentuate the character portraits (Hence "shadowless"). The short print run was due to questions around how strong the Pokemon brand was in the US and whether the hype would carry over to the TCG. Shadowless only represents about 15% of the total population for the First Edition set.
- Charizard is functionally the Mantle of the entire Pokemon hobby – just an iconic card, the chase that everyone was looking for. It also took on a bit of meme status in a positive way around the early 2010s.
- Demographics. Huge interest from the tech crowd. For us dorks, Pokemon TCG was what we cared about and collected. Tons of disposable income, and folks are just getting into the more formal collecting hobby.
- The Pokemon scene is still going through a price discovery phase. Since corona, values have gone parabolic. People are starting to grade more, so expect values to come down, but it's still WILD out there right now. Lots of FOMO, lots of people looking to stunt, etc.

Basically the perfect storm converging for a wild valuation.

I think there is real long term value on the Pokemon front. These are icons of the millenial/Gen-Z childhood and there is a SERIOUS sentimental attachment to the cards and the characters on them. That said... I would not want to move large sums of cash right now to get into this market. Far too many question marks.

Were these first edition cards available in packs in 1999 or were they direct from the company?

[peanuts]

Originally Posted by notfast

I agree with all of this. Just had a friend find her collection and we moved the heavily played non rare stuff for $450 and still have the “high end’ stuff out at PSA.

I bought a beat up base unlimited charizard for $55 to send to PSA. Will fit well with my prewar psa 1-4’s

Nice! Anything super exciting from her haul that's in for grading?
I really wonder how the market will react to the incoming flood of low-to-mid grade cards. I know a ton of friends who pulled their old collection, took one look at centering, and shipped their cards off.... but without looking at whitening or scuffing on holo foil.

Originally Posted by T206BrownHindu

Were these first edition cards available in packs in 1999 or were they direct from the company?

Distributed in packs, decks, and boxes from the get-go. Pokemon Company licensed US production and distro out to Wizards of the Coast (Magic the Gathering creators). Wizards used their existing distribution network to sell the cards.

[notfast]

Originally Posted by peanuts

Nice! Anything super exciting from her haul that's in for grading?
I really wonder how the market will react to the incoming flood of low-to-mid grade cards. I know a ton of friends who pulled their old collection, took one look at centering, and shipped their cards off.... but without looking at whitening or scuffing on holo foil.

Nothing crazy and everything was in rough shape. Best card was a 96 Japanese Charizard that might get a psa 2. PSA 9’s are a few grand so its worth sending off in any grade. We graded a few 1st edition shadowless Machamp, Blastoise base unlimited and a couple random holos that looked like 8-9’s....1st edition fossils

She had decent stuff it was just very well “loved” and heavily played. Holos were destroyed. Had 42 total and 2 might grade higher than a 6