PSA 10 GEM MINT Blastoise 4/165 HOLO RARE Expedition Base Set Pokemon Card

Price: $18,995.00

Blastoise from Base Set, Holo Rare, in PSA 10. This one’s the heavy hitter from the original lineup, card number 2/102. That artwork shows Blastoise mid-blast, cannons extended like it’s about to flood the battlefield—simple but hits different when you see it up close.

On the card text, it’s a Water type with 100 HP. Pokémon Power is Rain Dance, letting you attach extra Water Energy to your bench without limits during your turn. Attacks wrap up with Hydro Pump, dishing 40 plus 10 more for each extra Water Energy, up to three. Solid for building a watery swarm back in the day.

Base Set dropped in 1999, the very first English Pokémon TCG release from Wizards of the Coast. What makes this printing stand out is how it kicked off the whole phenomenon—Blastoise as the final evolution of Squirtle, one of the three starters. Unlimited edition print runs were massive, but finding clean copies wasn’t easy with those thin card stocks and factory edges that loved to chip. It’s got that nostalgic pull, especially if you remember cracking packs as a kid.

In a PSA 10 slab, you’re looking at gem mint perfection: edges sharp as a razor, no whitening, corners pinpoint. Centering’s often the killer on these—aim for 50/50 or better all around, which this grade demands. Eye appeal is strong with the holo foil popping under light, that blue shell gleaming without haze or scratches. Pop reports put PSA 10s for this card around 236 total, not a ton considering how many were printed, but survivors in this shape are rare beasts. BGS and CGC have their own counts, usually lower for pristine 10s.

I’d stash this one in a display case where the light catches the holo just right, maybe next to its evo line for the full effect.

Quick Facts:
– Card Title: Blastoise
– Set: Base Set
– Rarity: Holo Rare
– Condition: PSA 10

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