Long before "chase card" was a phrase collectors used casually, one holo rare in a 1999 set set the template for what the phrase would come to mean.
A stamp that meant a much smaller print run
When Wizards of the Coast launched the English Base Set in January 1999, the earliest boxes carried a small "1st Edition" stamp in the bottom left of the artwork window. That first print run was reportedly dwarfed by the Unlimited reprint that followed almost immediately, so far fewer 1st Edition packs ever reached shelves.
Why Charizard, specifically
Base Set had plenty of holo rares, but Charizard carried an advantage none of the others had: it was already the anime's most recognizable Pokemon, the final form Ash's Charmander was building toward on TV. Combine that existing fame with a striking dragon-on-fire illustration and the rarer 1st Edition stamp, and it's little surprise the card became the one everybody wanted to pull.
From playground trade to auction headline
What started as schoolyard hype in 1999 turned into a fixture of high-end card auctions decades later. Grading changed the game too - once PSA and other services began certifying condition, a pristine PSA 10 1st Edition Charizard became its own category of trophy. Reported sale prices have climbed into the hundreds of thousands of dollars for the best-graded copies, cementing the card's status as the one that arguably kickstarted serious Pokemon card collecting as a hobby.
Frequently asked questions
What does '1st Edition' mean on a Base Set card?
A small stamp marking the first, much smaller print run of the English Base Set, before Wizards of the Coast switched to unlimited printing.
Why did the 1st Edition Charizard become the set's defining chase card?
Its existing anime fame combined with the rarer first print run made it the card collectors chased hardest.
How much can a 1st Edition Charizard sell for today?
Top-graded PSA 10 copies have reportedly sold for hundreds of thousands of dollars at auction.