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Base Set

Series: Base

Release date: January 9, 1999

Cards: 102

Set code: BASE1

Pop report

Wizards of the Coast opened the English game with this expansion on January 9, 1999, more than two years after the same cards had gone on sale in Japan as Expansion Pack. Almost every rule the game still runs on is printed here for the first time: Basic and Stage Pokémon, Trainer cards, Energy cards, weakness, resistance and retreat cost. The English list is ordered by card type and then by rarity, so the sixteen holofoils take the first sixteen numbers and run alphabetically from Alakazam to Zapdos. Ken Sugimori painted twelve of them, Mitsuhiro Arita took Charizard, Venusaur and Gyarados, and Keiji Kinebuchi signed Magneton. Four theme decks were sold beside the boosters, each built on a pair of types: Overgrowth, Zap!, Brushfire and Blackout. English copies split into four print runs: the two earliest carry no drop shadow beside the illustration window, and only the first of those bears the 1st Edition stamp. Base Set (BASE1) was released on January 9, 1999 in the Base series, with 102 cards. Its most expensive card is Charizard #4 (Rare Holo), at $248.11 (median of 55 sales over 7 days, September 28, 2026). A sealed booster box sells for $38,387.89 (median of 4 sales over 90 days, September 25, 2026).

Base Set Card List

Base Set Sealed Products (10)

Base Set 2-Player Starter Set

Base Set 2-Player Starter Set

Base Set

Pokemon

—

Qty: 0
Base Set Pokemon Blister Pack

Base Set Pokemon Blister Pack

Base Set

Pokemon

$34.41

Qty: 0
Base Set Pokemon Booster Box

Base Set Pokemon Booster Box

Base Set

Pokemon

$38,387.89

Qty: 0
Base Set Pokemon Booster Pack

Base Set Pokemon Booster Pack

Base Set

Pokemon

$561.77

Qty: 0
Base Set Theme Deck - Blackout

Base Set Theme Deck - Blackout

Base Set

Pokemon

—

Qty: 0
Base Set Theme Deck - Brushfire

Base Set Theme Deck - Brushfire

Base Set

Pokemon

—

Qty: 0
Base Set Theme Deck - Overgrowth

Base Set Theme Deck - Overgrowth

Base Set

Pokemon

—

Qty: 0
Base Set Theme Deck - Zap!

Base Set Theme Deck - Zap!

Base Set

Pokemon

—

Qty: 0
Demo Game Pack (1998)

Demo Game Pack (1998)

Base Set

Pokemon

$682.06

Qty: 0
Starter Gift Box (1999)

Starter Gift Box (1999)

Base Set

Pokemon

—

Qty: 0

Base Set Chase Cards

1
Charizard #4 — Base Set
CharizardRare Holo · #4$248.11
2
Blastoise #2 — Base Set
BlastoiseRare Holo · #2$113.55
3
Venusaur #15 — Base Set
VenusaurRare Holo · #15$70.70
4
Alakazam #1 — Base Set
AlakazamRare Holo · #1$35.53
5
Raichu #14 — Base Set
RaichuRare Holo · #14$35.11
6
Mewtwo #10 — Base Set
MewtwoRare Holo · #10$29.93
7
Zapdos #16 — Base Set
ZapdosRare Holo · #16$22.06
8
Clefairy #5 — Base Set
ClefairyRare Holo · #5$19.84
9
Nidoking #11 — Base Set
NidokingRare Holo · #11$19.77
10
Gyarados #6 — Base Set
GyaradosRare Holo · #6$18.37

Base Set illustrators

Frequently asked questions

When was Base Set released?

Base Set released on January 9, 1999.

How many cards are in Base Set?

Base Set contains 102 cards.

What is the most expensive card in Base Set?

The most expensive card in Base Set is Charizard #4 (Rare Holo), at $248.11: the median of 55 completed sales over the last 7 days, as of September 28, 2026.

How much is a Base Set booster box?

A sealed Base Set booster box sells for $38,387.89: the median of 4 completed sales over the last 90 days, as of September 25, 2026.

Was every Base Set card obtainable from booster packs?

No. Machamp, number 8, was sold only inside the 2-Player Starter Set, Shadowless in the first printing of that box and regular in the second, and it was the only Stage 2 Pokémon there. Every commercial copy carries the 1st Edition stamp, because Wizards of the Coast never released an Unlimited print of the card.

Other sets in this series

Team RocketBase Set 2FossilJungleTrainer Deck ATrainer Deck B