Although the earliest Pokemon cards are not equally worth it, Charmander is one of the exceptions. Being a fan favorite Pokemon of all time for Generation I of Pokemon, even its earliest cards from the Base Set are very sought after. After all, the adorable and alluring look of Charmander is very hard to resist, as are its further evolutions.
Even in the animated series, Charmander makes an appearance early in the series, stealing the hearts of the series fans which then lived on through different Charmander card collections and editions. Being one of the most popular Pokemon to have, it made an appearance in various collections.
It’s no secret that finding a Charmander Pokemon card is extremely valuable for many then children who’d look forward to finding it in the booster package. Now, it’s an extremely valuable trading card, especially if it’s not in heavily played condition and belongs to one of the rarer packs.
When it comes to Charmander cards, the most sought-after ones are those from the Base Set, along with other starter sets because there aren’t as many Charmander cards then as they are in today’s set. Exclusives are of course much more valuable, and it doesn’t surprise us because Charmander’s appearance is very important and prominent in the series.
Pokemon trading cards aren’t here to leave any time soon, so it doesn’t surprise us that many people still trade for them. In mint condition, professionally graded Pokemon cards with history and great value can be sold for thousands of dollars, making it a trading discipline that is here to stay for many years.
But, if you’re looking to find vintage Charmander cards in the mint condition it’s more difficult than it seems. Many cards are in played condition, but have a good selling point and can be found for cheap. Collectors who are so eager to make a full collection of Charmander cards will settle even for the lower-quality cards until they find better options.
But, if you recently discovered an old stash of Pokemon cards and Charmander cards from an early collection there, you may be in luck. Collectors will buy absolutely any Pokemon card that they can find, but chances are, they’re more likely to spend more money on more valuable cards.
If you think your card is valuable and you can sell it for a lot of money, continue reading this article. We’ll introduce you to the earliest Charmander cards set, and explain how its value ranges from collection to collection. We’ll also feature the most valuable Charmander cards to own. Keep reading!
Quick Summary: Charmander is one of the most loved and sought after Pokemon cards. With that in mind, the abundance of its cards shouldn’t surprise you. Some are as cheap as $1, whereas some can reach thousands of dollars. Base Set Charmander editions are most valuable and can reach up to $10,000.
About Charmander Pokemon Card
Charmander is one of the most popular Pokemon as stated earlier, so there are a lot of amazing Charmander cards that have great value today. Even the newer cards which are probably considered less valuable still have great value as many collectors want to complete the entire collection of Charmander cards.
That being said, there are the Base Set Charmander cards, as well as various holographic cards that are very sought after and desired by players. However, if you have a good starter card Charmander, chances are you can sell it for decent money if it’s in a condition that is good enough.
Another thing that people forget is that a lot of Charmander’s value is also sentimental. Many people remember the days when they used to trade Pokemon cards and how much joy it brought them. However, now some of those cards are worth thousands of dollars. While it’s not 100% certain your card is worth that much, you can still get decent money for selling your old Charmander cards.
Now, let’s talk more about Charmander, which is a Pokemon on fire element. That is easily distinguishable thanks to the flame at the end of its tail. It’s not just an indication that Charmander is a fire-type Pokemon, but it also says whether the Pokemon is healthy or not. It’s the 4th out of 900 Pokemon that featured then.
When the first Charizard card was released in 1966 in Japan, Charmander could be found in the Base Set deck. Later on, the cards were released in the USA in 1999, by Wizards of the Coast and then in even more countries in the later years.
Charmander was later on found in 28 English card expansions, along with 34 Japanese expansions. It’s worth mentioning that Charmander has 27 TCG cards. When it comes to popularity Charmander is the most rather searched in the Base Set.
Featured in January 1999 in the USA the set consists of 102 cards that are both in play and mint condition. Collectors will always try to collect these cards first and will look for mint-grade cards. The same goes for Charmander who has multiple editions of the cards.
The 1st Edition cards are quite valuable when it comes to Base Set, so if you’re trying to collect Charmander, this is the first set you want to go after. The second card is called Shadowless. They’re called that way because of the missing Pokemon mark. The same goes for Unlimited editions.
Shadowless cards are also called Shadowless because they don’t have a shadow that drops around the character in the drawing. The 1st Edition mark is also not there. The least valuable cards are the Unlimited Edition, because they’re widely available and abundant, both among the players and collectors.
When it comes to Charmander, it has its Unlimited Edition and it’s quite popular among collectors, and many people who used to buy those collections in the past still have it. That being said, you can still get decent money for Unlimited cards.
Still, the cards with Shadowless and First Edition features are way more valuable for the Charmander collections and those cards are going to have more value. If you’re unsure which card yours is, Unlimited Cards have a visible shadow that drops around the drawing’s window. Some of them also have the copyright date.
Is Charmander Pokemon Card Worth Anything?
Given that Charmander is 4th Pokemon out of them all, it’s more valuable than the majority of valuable cards, but you can say that it’s pretty common too, given that it’s one of the more important Pokemon for the show and everything else.
Rare Pokemon such as Blastoise is likely more valuable, but the popularity of Charmander is close to that of Pikachu, which just adds up to its overall value.
You will be able to find Charmander Pokemon cards for a cheap amount of money online, but keep in mind that those collections may not be so significant compared to some other ones. Sentimentally, some Charmander collections will be more valuable just because of the sentimental value they carry with them.
Most Charmander Pokemon cards are considered relatively common compared to some other Pokemon cards, but you will be able to find the cards listed on different auction cards for a lot of money exactly because some collectors desperately want to complete the collection.
It’s worth mentioning that the evolved version of Charmander, Charizard has extremely valuable and rare cards, like the one from 1999 First Edition Holographic Charizard, but it’s just because Charmander as such created a great popular ground for fans of Charizard cards.
Many people are also curious about how they should go around collecting the Charmander cards once they start their Charmander collection. With that in mind, the best idea is to first collect Charmander cards from previous years and see where that gets you. After that, you should hop on the Base Set bandwagon.
The easiest cards to collect are those from the Unlimited Edition, after which you should focus on First Edition and Shadowless Charmander.
Also Read:
- Most Valuable Gold Pokémon Card List (Your Gold-Plated Cards from Burger King Aren’t Worth Squat)
- Rarest & Most Valuable Raichu Pokemon Cards (Worth Up to $9,000)
- Most Valuable Blastoise Pokemon Card (Rare One Sold For $216,000 in 2021)
- Pikachu Pokémon Card Value Guide (Most Valuable Rare One Sold For $840,000)
- Pokemon Card Grading Explained (Best Grading Service For Pokemon Cards)
Charmander Pokemon Card Value
Now that we established what you should primarily focus on when starting your Charmander collection, let’s get onto the most important things. What is the real worth of the Charmander cards? For starters, all Charmander cards are found across different auction websites, the most popular one being eBay.
However, the prices for different card collections vary. You will be able to find recent Charmander card editions for as little as $5 to $20. Interestingly, the same applies to the cards from the old condition. If the card was used frequently and looks like it is in played condition, you will be able to find it for very cheap.
However, some cards can be found for a much higher value, regardless of whether it’s the card from the Base Set or some newer editions of the card. A lot of the value depends on sentimental value, but also the condition and grade of the card.
Some Base Set cards may be in mint condition and cost around $200 to $500. However, some Shadowless and First Edition cards can have a value of more than $1,000 with value extending into the thousands of dollars.
Let’s look at the example, we’re sure that the first example is going to make you a bit jealous. This Shadowless Charmander card from the Base Set is in excellent condition and has been sold for an incredible $10,000.
This skyrocketed value is just proof of how early versions of Charmander Pokemon cards are valuable. But this is not the only Charmander card that has such a high value.
This Charmander card was also in excellent shape and was sold for a little over $9,000 on eBay last year. It is in mint condition and features a relatively rare Black Star Promo, which gives this Charmander card additional value.
What will also give Charmander cards such high values? The most valuable cards are also those that are more unique than others. For example, some cards have printing, alignment, or some other type of error that makes them different than others. However, many collectors think such cards will be exquisite additions to their collections.
When a card has been printed badly, has some coloring error, or text and drawing are off the center, they are considered error cards. They can still be graded and they are extremely valuable on the market. This Topsun Charmander card has a small error and is in a near-mint state, which comes with great value.
Rarest & Most Valuable Charmander Pokemon Cards
So, you’re trying to sell a Charmander Pokemon card but you don’t know how valuable your card is? Check the five cards below and see whether your card is among the rarest and most valuable Charmander Pokemon cards.
Pokemon Charmander 004, 25th Anniversary Creatures
Sold for: $4,080
Released in 2021, this card has an incredible value because it marks the 25th anniversary of the original Pokemon games. It’s extremely important to all collectors, especially because it’s in Japanese, so some collectors will find more value in it. It’s been sold for nearly $4,100 which is just a testament to its value, even though the card is just a bit under 2 years old.
This particular card is in near perfect state. As a result of a few minor scratches and signs of tears, the card was graded as 9.5 but still has the well-deserved mint grade. It was graded by CGC Universal Grade. It’s relatively hard to find so you’ll have to conduct serious research to find it.
Sold for: $7,500 As we mentioned earlier, the Base Set Charmander cards are probably the most valuable ones, and this one is no exception. If you were a Pokemon trader from the start, then you probably know how collectors consider these cards so important. This First Edition Charmander has Shadowless features which just adds to its value on the market. It was published in 1999 by Wizards of the Coast, and ever since then, the card maintained its radiance and excellent condition. That being said, PSA graded it with mint 10. There are many of these cards on eBay as seen in the link below, but those in good condition are extremely valuable.
Sold for: $2,000 This card featured in 2023 as part of the EX Dragon collection can be found from $50 to $100 in good condition, but if you’re really lucky to have a card in near mint or mint condition, you’re expected to get much more. The card above was sold for almost $2,000 and was in impeccable condition. It’s worth mentioning that this card is one of the e-reader cards, which just gives additional value to this Charmander variant. This Charmander was also considered to be a secret rare so you can find a lot more value in it if you add it to your Charmander collection.
Sold for: $1,200 This card was featured in 2004, as part of the amazing Ex Fire Red Leaf Green set, and marks another secret rare addition of Charmander. As you know, secret rare cards are harder to obtain and fewer options are available on the market. That being said, whoever gets their hands on them, and at that in excellent condition should consider themselves extremely lucky. This card is incredibly valuable, besides being in near-mint condition. It’s worth mentioning that it features artwork made by Ken Sugimori who’s one of the most talented illustrators. If you ever get this card, you should consider yourself extremely lucky, and your collection is beyond valuable.
Sold for: $2,000 This Charmander card was featured in 2016 as a promo card by Toys R Us and has incredible value because not only is it a promo card, but it also features a holo finish which makes it more valuable on the market. This particular card was sold for $2,000 on the market, but pretty much any valuable variant from this set would cost as little as $1 although there are some more valuable exceptions. This set featured 108 cards and was there to resemble the first 1999 set with a few additional changes made by Toys R Us. This Charmander card features the Mitsuhiro Arita illustration which is very nostalgic for most Pokemon TCG fans.
This FAQ section was made to answer any questions that may have arisen while researching the best value for your Charmander card. Perhaps, your question has been answered below too. The best way to evaluate your Pokemon Card is to take it to PSA or CGC company where it can be graded professionally and evaluated. However, one must first see whether your card is worth grading professionally in the first place. A card shouldn’t look like it has been circulating in the games too much. That being said, there should be no signs of ruined hologram finish, scratches, or wear and tear. A card with an error will also be considered more valuable. The card also shouldn’t look folded in the edges, as grading companies will grade each part of the card, including the surface, center, edges, and more. Error Pokemon cards are indeed more valuable because they’re unique compared to the rest. It can be quite difficult to find an error card cause companies like Warriors of the Coast did everything to destroy the cards that printed with error and prevent them from appearing in the booster packs. Nevertheless, exceptions happen. A card with an error usually has some printing error, or the title, description, or drawing of the Pokemon will appear a little misaligned from the center of the card. All those things mark an error and make the card more valuable. The most reliable place to buy a Charmander Pokemon card is eBay. Although auction sites can sometimes be unreliable, eBay is considered decently secure, although it’s always recommended to stay cautious and record all the conversations you have with the seller.Charmander First Edition Shadowless Base Set
2003 Pokemon EX Dragon Charmander Holo
Pokemon Charmander Secret Rare 113/112
Pokemon XY Evolutions 9/108 Charmander “Cosmos” Holo Toys R Us
Frequently Asked Questions
How to Evaluate Charmander Pokemon Card?
Are Error Cards More Valuable?
What is the Most Reliable Place to Buy Charmander Pokemon Card?
