Base Set Charizard Value: 1st Edition, Shadowless & Unlimited Sold Prices
What Base Set Charizard #4 actually sells for, by print run and grade, with dated sold ranges, and the blended 'grade 9' price trap explained.
Value context: Base Set Charizard
Pending verificationQuick answer: Value depends first on the print run and second on the grade.
Recent observed sold ranges from PriceCharting (accessed 2026-10-07):
- Unlimited, raw: about $179–$650.
- Unlimited, PSA 9: about $3.1k–$4.1k.
- Shadowless, PSA 9: about $8.1k–$13k.
- 1st Edition, PSA 9: about $54k–$70k.
- PSA 10 1st Edition: six-figure sales, with a $518,500 auction result in March 2026.
Identify your print run before you look at any price: see 1st Edition vs Shadowless vs Unlimited.
These are past sales observed on one aggregator. They are not appraisals or predictions, and prices can move fast.
Card facts
| Field | Detail |
|---|---|
| Card | Charizard, Base Set 4/102, Rare Holo, Fire |
| HP | 120 |
| Artist | Mitsuhiro Arita |
| English release | January 9, 1999 (Base Set) |
| Print runs | 1st Edition, Shadowless, Unlimited, Unlimited ©1999–2000 |
Sources: Bulbapedia Charizard (Base Set 4) and Base Set (TCG), accessed 2026-10-07.
What drives the price
- Print run. In the observations below, 1st Edition PSA 9 sales ran roughly 13–22× Unlimited PSA 9 sales. Shadowless PSA 9 sales ran roughly 2–4× Unlimited PSA 9 in the same period.
- Grading company and grade. PSA, BGS, and CGC slabs of the same number grade sell at different prices (see the trap below).
- Centering and holo surface. Holo scratches and off-center fronts are the usual reasons a clean-looking copy grades lower. See PSA grading scale.
- 1st Edition stamp variant. Collectors describe “thin” and “thick” stamps on holos (unconfirmed: we found no PSA or CGC label convention for it). We have not established whether either carries a consistent price difference.
- Authenticity. Celebrations (2021) and 30th Celebration reprints lack the Wizards of the Coast copyright, and Base Set 2 copies are numbered 4/130 (Bulbapedia). Check before you pay a Base Set price.
The “grade 9” price trap
Many price sites show a single “Grade 9” figure. On PriceCharting, that figure blends PSA 9, BGS 9, and CGC 9 sales. For 1st Edition Charizard, the companies sell very differently.
| 1st Edition Charizard | Observed sold range | Period |
|---|---|---|
| PriceCharting “Grade 9” summary (blended) | $30,910 (algorithmic summary) | as of 2026-10-07 |
| PSA 9 | $53,681 – $69,900 (4 sales), plus one $30,000 eBay sale (May 14) that sits far below the rest | Mar–Jun 2026 |
| BGS 9 | $37,272.22 – $55,888 | Mar–Sep 2026 |
| CGC 9 | $31,665 (May 14) · $27,700 (May 18) | May 2026 |
Source: PriceCharting 1st Edition Charizard, accessed 2026-10-07.
Takeaway: if you own a PSA 9, the blended number understates it. If you own a CGC 9, it overstates it. Always filter sales by company.
BGS 9 and CGC 9 rows were re-pulled with dates on 2026-10-07. Treat the $30,000 PSA 9 row with caution: we can’t see its cert, and it may be mislabeled.
Value context: Unlimited Charizard
Sold (completed) prices, PriceCharting, accessed 2026-10-07:
| Condition | Observed sold range | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Raw (ungraded) | ~$179 – $650 | late Sep – Oct 7, 2026 (eBay) |
| PSA 1 | ~$292 – $410 | 2026 |
| PSA 7 | $635 – $1,101.48 | Aug 25 – Sep 22, 2026 |
| PSA 8 | $1,225 – $1,625 eBay; one Goldin sale at $1,708 (Sep 14) | Sep 5 – Oct 4, 2026 |
| PSA 9 | $3,096 – $4,050 eBay; one Goldin sale at $4,636 (Sep 28) | Aug 24 – Sep 29, 2026 |
| CGC 9 | ~$1,375 – $2,009 | 2026 |
| PSA 10 | $20,000 (Jan 26) · $21,790 (Feb 26) · $37,100 (Mar 26) · $34,755 (Apr 4) · $30,100 (May 4) · $31,000 (Sep 9, eBay best offer; listed at $35,000) · $28,750 (Oct 1, Heritage) | Jan – Oct 2026 |
Two August 2026 rows ($10,300 on Aug 14 and $8,000 on Aug 16, the latter listed at $9,629) have generic titles that don’t say “Unlimited”. They sit far below every other 2026 PSA 10 sale, so we’ve left them out of the range. What those two rows actually are is unconfirmed. Correction: an earlier draft quoted $9,629 and $35,000 as sold prices. Both were listing prices; the sold figures were $8,000 and $31,000.
PriceCharting summary values come from its own algorithm, not individual sales. As of 2026-10-07: ungraded $446.29, grade 7 $787.50, grade 8 $1,350, grade 9 $3,309.38, grade 9.5 $7,888.50, PSA 10 $24,077.50, CGC 10 $6,001.50.
Value context: Shadowless Charizard
Sold (completed) prices, PriceCharting, accessed 2026-10-07:
| Condition | Observed sold range | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Raw (ungraded) | $550 – $1,805 (eBay); outliers at $79.50 and $3,516 excluded | Jul 18 – Oct 7, 2026 |
| PSA 1 | $660 – $1,325 | Apr 20 – Sep 14, 2026 |
| PSA 7 | $2,555 – $4,500 (most $3,000–$3,600) | Jul 5 – Sep 22, 2026 |
| PSA 8 | $4,705 – $8,150 (most $5,000–$6,200) | Jun 2 – Oct 6, 2026 |
| PSA 9 | $8,100 – $12,995 | May 14 – Sep 22, 2026 |
| CGC 9 | $5,600 – $8,845 (Goldin, Sep 28) | May 13 – Sep 28, 2026 |
| BGS 9 | $7,250 (Apr 30) · $6,315.94 (Jun 18, Goldin) | 2026 |
| CGC 10 | $11,999 (Jan 6) · $12,999 (Jan 14) · $16,300 (Apr 12) | 2026 |
| PSA 10 | No 2026 sales listed. The page shows only 2021 rows and one misclassified 2024 row | — |
PriceCharting summary values (algorithmic, as of 2026-10-07): ungraded $988, grade 7 $3,356.17, grade 8 $5,874.50, grade 9 $9,387.25, PSA 10 $24,808.28. With no recent PSA 10 sales, treat that PSA 10 figure as an estimate.
Data-quality warning: this page also lists a $34.84 “PSA 7” (Goldin, Jun 18), a $1,250 “PSA 8” that is a graded pack wrapper, and an Arita-signed copy. We excluded all three.
Value context: 1st Edition Charizard
Sold prices, PriceCharting, accessed 2026-10-07:
| Condition | Observed sold | Dates / venue |
|---|---|---|
| Raw | ~$4.5k – $15k | 2026 (condition unknown; raw listings vary a lot) |
| PSA 3 | ~$7.9k – $12.5k | 2026 |
| PSA 7 | ~$19.5k – $32k | Apr – Sep 2026 |
| PSA 9 | $65,611 (Mar 12) · $58,112 (May 21) · $53,681 (Jun 8, Goldin) · $69,900 (Jun 30) | 2026 |
| PSA 10 | $518,500 (Mar 9, Goldin) · $362,900 (May 13, eBay) · $325,700 (May 27, eBay) · $343,098 (Jun 23, eBay) | 2026 |
The May 13 row shows a $362,900 sold price next to a $616,930 listing price. $616,930 was the asking price, not a sale. One more 2026 result: a CGC 10 sold for $81,250 at Heritage (Apr 16).
Data-quality warning: some rows on the source page are obviously misclassified. For example, entries at $171, $292, and $414 are listed against BGS/PSA 8 1st Edition copies. Sale titles are written by sellers. Check outliers before you rely on them.
Asking vs sold
- Asking prices (active listings) set a ceiling a seller hopes for. They aren’t evidence of value.
- Sold prices are evidence, but only for that copy, grade, company, and date.
- PSA’s own guidance is to check sold listings over roughly the last 3–6 months before submitting a card (PSA Get Started, accessed 2026-10-07).
FAQ
My Charizard has no 1st Edition stamp and no shadow. What’s it worth? That’s Shadowless. See the dated Shadowless sales above. Confirm the print run with the identification guide.
Is a CGC 10 worth the same as a PSA 10? Not on the data above. PriceCharting’s summary shows CGC 10 at $6,001.50 vs PSA 10 at $24,077.50 for Unlimited (2026-10-07). See PSA vs BGS vs CGC vs SGC.
Is the Celebrations Charizard the same card? No. It’s a 2021 reprint without the Wizards of the Coast copyright line (Bulbapedia).
Sources
- Charizard #4 (Unlimited) – PriceCharting · accessed October 7, 2026
- Charizard 1st Edition #4 – PriceCharting · accessed October 7, 2026
- Charizard Shadowless #4 – PriceCharting · accessed October 7, 2026
- Charizard (Base Set 4) – Bulbapedia · accessed October 7, 2026
- 1st Edition (TCG) – Bulbapedia · accessed October 7, 2026
Spotted an error? See our corrections policy.