Base Set's starter trio gets treated as a package deal, but ask most collectors to name the least talked-about of the three and Venusaur wins every time.
The Grass-type of the group
Reportedly card 15/102, Base Set Venusaur completed the original 1999 holo rare trio alongside Charizard and Blastoise, sharing the same print run, the same 'shadowless versus unlimited' variant quirks, and broadly the same era-driven scarcity.
A quieter presence by design
Where Charizard drew on dragon-like imagery and Blastoise had raw cannon-toting firepower, Venusaur's design - a large, plant-covered turtle-esque creature - was comparatively understated. That visual quietness carried through into the secondary market, where Venusaur has never commanded the same headline prices as its set-mates despite comparable rarity.
An underrated entry point
For collectors chasing a full Base Set starter run, Venusaur is often the most attainable of the three, letting newer collectors get a genuine shadowless or first-edition holo in hand without Charizard-level pricing. Its relative obscurity hasn't dented its historical importance as one of the original 102 Base Set cards.
Frequently asked questions
What number is Venusaur in the Base Set?
Base Set Venusaur is reportedly card number 15 out of 102 in the original 1999 Base Set, printed as a holofoil rare.
Why does Venusaur get less attention than Charizard and Blastoise?
As the Grass-type member of the original starter trio, Venusaur lacked the dramatic, fire-breathing imagery that made Charizard iconic, and it never developed the same secondary reputation that even elevated Blastoise, leaving it as the quietest of the three by collector demand.
Is Base Set Venusaur still worth collecting?
Yes - it shares the same print run and era scarcity as its more famous set-mates, and graded copies reportedly sell for a solid few hundred dollars and up, making it an accessible entry point into original Base Set holo collecting.