When the first English Base Set hit the United States in 1999, and booster packs could be bought with weekly allowances and chore money, the Charizard card ruled over playgrounds everywhere. Today, Charizard card news has brought about a resurgence in the world of Pokémon cards.
In Fall 2020 those childhood feelings of pure jubilation came back thanks to some of Pokemon’s most famous fans. First, on October 9th Logan Paul opened a $200,000 1st Edition Base Set booster box live for charity, and in that break, he pulled the iconic 1st Edition Charizard. Then, just days later, Logic made his world-famous purchase of a 1st Edition Base Set Charizard PSA 10 at auction for $226,000, a card that to date has a population of only 121. This opened the floodgates as every 20 and 30 something who was buying Base Set booster packs for around $3 in 1999 sought to relive the experience of pulling a Charizard.
Of course, the reality is that most don’t have $20,000 to spend on a Base Set Unlimited Print Booster Box, let alone $200K to spend on a 1st Edition Booster Box. In fact, any of the early sets that were manufactured by Wizards of the Coast (the same publisher as Magic: The Gathering and Dungeons & Dragons) from 1999-2003 are not even that accessible. Since 2003 though, the Pokémon Company has held the license to manufacture all Pokémon cards. While it’s a rich gamble to hunt for a Charizard, there are still plenty of cards out there to get your hands on. If you’re on the lookout for your very own Charizard, here’s a guide to work out which one is the best for you.
2016 Pokemon TCG XY Evolutions 11/108
This card has to top the list, period. When XY Evoutions was released in 2016 there was so much excitement behind it because it was a near remake of the celebrated 1999 Base Set. The Charizard Holo #11/108 gives us nearly identical artwork tothe original card. It comes the closest to checking every box on the nostalgia list.
The best place to find this card is in a Pokémon TCG XY Booster Box, as it comes with 360 total cards and guarantees 36 Holographic cards in each box. With the demand for Charizard increasing each day, these boxes have gone up in value significantly as they now trade for around $1,000. At a lower price point, you can cop an XY Evolutions Elite Trainer Box for around $200 for 8 Booster Packs. And in 2020 the Kanto Power Collections were also released, where you can find 10 XY Evolutions booster packs, and these have been trading for right around $250 as of late. Or you can just grab the individual card right now.
2020 Pokémon TCG Sword & Shield Champion’s Path 74/79 and 79/73
Ok admittedly this one might have a bit of recency bias behind it, and maybe this is cheating because it highlights two cards (but they are both so beautiful!). With its late September 2020 release, Champion’s Path benefitted nicely from the recent surge in Pokémon’s popularity.
The set actually offers three total Charizard cards, the promo card you can find in every Elite Trainer box, and then two Secret Rares – the Full Art Charizard VMAX #74/73 and Shiny Charizard V #79/73 . Both cards have very similar graded populations according to PSA, and who wants to choose between a Full Art card and a Shiny Pokémon? Both are an absolute thrill to find, and while Champion’s Path offered a variety of Pin Collections, Collections, and Premium Collections, the best place to find either of these cards is in a Champion’s Path Elite Trainer Box that includes 10 booster packs for around $90.
2019 Pokemon TCG Hidden Fates Full Art SV49/SV94
Continuing with the theme of Shiny Pokémon from the two spot, enter Hidden Fates. Since its release in 2019 Hidden Fates has been hard to find, and a large part of that is due to Charizard GX Hidden Fates Full Art #SV49/SV94.
To start your search you can find Hidden Fates packs in Collection boxes, Pin Collections, Great Ball Collections, Tins, and Elite Trainer Boxes. The Elite Trainer Box once again is going to give you the best chance of finding this Charizard card as it comes with 10 Hidden Fates booster packs, it is currently trading for around $150.
2017 Pokemon TCG Burning Shadows Full Art #150/147
Pulling a secret rare is always a highlight of a box break for any collector, but when that secret rare is also a Charizard, well… there is nothing better. With only 692 PSA 10s, the Charizard GX Sun & Moon Burning Shadows Full Art #150/147 is one of the most valuable modern-day Pokémon cards currently trading for over $3,000. The best opportunity to find one is the Sun & Moon Burning Shadows Booster Box. Again, this comes with the standard 36 booster packs and is trading between $400 and $500 recently. For a slightly better price per pack though, you can pick up a Burning Shadows Elite Trainer Box for around $90 a box and get 8 Burning Shadows booster packs in each box.
2021 Pokémon TCG Sword & Shield Shining Fates SV107/SV122
Yes, Shining Fates is not out yet. But with so much hype surrounding this card, we cannot ignore it! The hunt for Shiny Charizard VMAX will begin for most of us on February 19th when Shining Fates products begin to hit shelves and pre-orders land. You will be able to find this beast of a card in Shining Fates V Tins (which come with 6 booster packs each), the Pikachu V Collection (that comes with 4 booster packs), or in one of the Mad Party Pin Collections (that will give you 3 booster packs). However, if you are serious about finding this grail then the Shining Fates Elite Trainer Box is going to be your go-to with 10 booster packs per box.
If you cannot wait for this (pocket) monster though, you can always search for the Japanese version in the 2020 Pokemon TCG Sword & Shield High-Class Pack Shiny Star V Box.
It’s challenging to pick just five Charizard cards because there are countless arguments to be made that others should have been included. So, for your viewing pleasure here is a slew of some of the best cards left off of this list to gawk at in no particular order. Just click through to cop.
