First Edition Pokémon cards are highly coveted because they are so rare. They are hard to come by because there aren’t a lot of them, and they were printed about 20 years ago. People are still eager to collect first edition cards, and they look for those printed in 1999. Some of them are worth thousands of dollars, and collectors want to find them.
The first edition cards were released in the first run. They were released in 1999, and after their release a few minor changes were made for the shadowless cards and the Unlimited cards. These were the first three sets of Pokémon cards, and they are the most valuable. The first edition cards are the most valuable of all three. Continue reading to know how to tell if your Pokémon card is a first edition.
Look for the First Edition Stamp
The easiest and most accurate way to find out whether your Pokémon card is a first edition is to look for the first edition stamp. If you look at your card, go down under the left edge of the box that displays the Pokémon. Just below, you will see a darkened circle. It sits just outside of the corner of the Pokémon box, and it should be black. It has the number “1” inside the circle, and it has the letters that spell Edition across the top of the circle. They follow the lines of the circle, so the wording is curved. This symbol is only found on the first edition Pokémon cards, so if you find it, you know you have a first edition.
The most valuable rare first edition card is the Charizard. It can sell for more than $20,000. You can still find first edition boxes, but they are expensive. Whether you want to keep your first edition Pokémon card or sell it, it will be worth more than other cards.
Check to See If There Is a Shadow
Another feature that you will find on first edition Pokémon cards is that they are shadowless. The first edition and the second run cards have the Pokémon inside of a box on the card. If you check the right border of the box, there should not be a shadow along the side. If you look at Pokémon cards that were made after that, there is a shadow down that right side.
This is an important distinguishing feature, but there is one problem. After the first edition, they printed a second run. These cards are also shadowless. The only way to tell the difference is that the second run cards do not have the first edition stamp. Any first edition card will have the stamp, and there will not be a shadow on the right side.
Examine the Copyright Years
One other feature that you will find on first edition cards is the year 99 along the bottom after the copyright symbol. It will have the copyright symbol followed by 1995, 96, 98, 99. The 99 was only printed on the first edition and second run shadowless cards.
When you find this sign that you might have a first edition card, you need to make sure that the card has the first edition symbol. This is another distinguishing feature shared by the first edition and the shadowless cards. However, only these two types of cards have it.
The first edition Pokémon cards are extremely valuable, and they are still collected today. People always hope to find the highly sought after first edition cards and other valuable Pokémon cards. If you found an old pile of Pokémon cards, you can easily determine whether or not they are first editions.
The easiest way to know that you have a first edition card is to look for the first edition symbol. If your card has this symbol, then there is no doubt that it is a first edition.