Base Set Charizard #4/102 Price, 1st Edition & PSA 10 Worth
Charizard Holo (#4/102, Base Set (1999 WOTC)) trades at $385.50 Raw Near Mint (€342.00 EUR), $1,450 in PSA 9 Mint, and $10,800 in PSA 10 Gem Mint (28.0x multiplier) — yielding +$9,025.5 net grading profit after PSA service fees and 12.5% seller commission.
| Condition / Slab Tier | Multiplier / Pop | Market Value (USD) | Cardmarket (EUR) | Net Seller Payout (-12.5%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raw Near Mint (NM 7–8) | 100% of Near Mint | $385.50 | €342.00 | $337.31 |
| Raw Lightly Played (LP 5–6) | 78% of Near Mint | $300.69 | €266.76 | $263.10 |
| Raw Moderately Played (MP 4) | 55% of Near Mint | $212.03 | €188.10 | $185.53 |
| Raw Heavily Played (HP 2–3) | 38% of Near Mint | $146.49 | €129.96 | $128.18 |
| Raw Damaged (DMG 1) | 25% of Near Mint | $96.38 | €85.50 | $84.33 |
| PSA 8 NM-Mint Slab | 1.79x Raw NM | $690.00 | €628 | $603.75 |
| PSA 9 Mint Slab | 3.76x Raw · Pop 6,140 | $1,450.00 | €1,320 | $1,268.75 |
| PSA 10 Gem Mint Slab | 28.0x Raw · Pop 472 (1.9% Gem Rate) | $10,800.00 | €9,828 | $9,450.00 |
Should You Grade Charizard Holo #4/102? (PSA Fee Tier ROI Matrix)
Gem Mint Conversion Rate: 1.9%| PSA Service Tier | All-In Cost Basis | PSA 9 Net Profit | PSA 10 Net Profit | Submission Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA Value Bulk ($25 + $14 Ship) | $424.50 | +$844.25 | +$9,025.5 (+2126.1%) | GRADE |
| PSA Regular ($75 + $14 Ship) | $474.50 | +$794.25 | +$8,975.5 (+1891.6%) | GRADE |
| PSA Express ($129 + $14 Ship) | $528.50 | +$740.25 | +$8,921.5 (+1688.1%) | GRADE |
Mitsuhiro Arita’s 1999 Base Set Charizard #4/102 is the foundational blue-chip asset of the Pokémon hobby. Unlike modern Scarlet & Violet cards where PSA 10 Gem Mint copies outnumber PSA 9s, vintage 1999 Wizards of the Coast (WOTC) Unlimited Charizard has a brutal 1.9% PSA 10 conversion rate (only 472 PSA 10s out of 24,800+ submissions), creating a 28.0x multiplier between Raw Near Mint ($385.50) and PSA 10 Gem Mint ($10,800).
Never submit Base Set Charizard #4/102 under PSA Value Bulk ($25) if it has PSA 9+ potential, as declared value insurance caps at $500. Even a PSA 8 ($690) or PSA 9 ($1,450) generates substantial net profit over a $385.50 raw purchase, provided the starlight holofoil is free of deep silvering.
Pull Rate: 1 in 36 Base Set Booster Packs (1:3 Holo slots across 15 Base Set Holos = ~1 in 540 packs). At $485/pack, pulling one copy costs an average of $21,825 in sealed packs vs buying Raw NM directly for $385.50.
1999 Carta Mundi / WOTC print sheets suffer from three notorious defects: (1) Front-edge silvering where holographic foil shows through yellow borders; (2) Vertical holofoil roller scratches; and (3) Back-border whitening on the deep cobalt blue ink.
- Check right border outside artwork frame: 1st Edition & Shadowless lack a drop shadow; Unlimited has a dark shadow.
- Copyright line at bottom: Shadowless reads "1995, 96, 98, 99 Nintendo"; Unlimited reads "1995, 96, 98 Nintendo".
- Authentic WOTC card stock contains a thin black graphite core layer visible on the raw edge under a 10x loupe.
Compare Charizard Holo Against Other Base Set (1999 WOTC) Chase Cards
Base Set (1999 WOTC) (16) · VerifiedClick any card below to load it into the sticky PSA 10 Inspector on the right, or click Report ↗ on flagship grails.
Magneton
Machamp
Hitmonchan
Gyarados
Clefairy
Chansey
Alakazam
Raichu
Zapdos
Nidoking
Ninetales
Poliwrath
Frequently Asked Questions: Charizard Holo #4/102
How do I tell if my Base Set Charizard #4/102 is Shadowless or Unlimited?
Inspect the right outer edge of the artwork frame next to the flame tail: if there is a dark grey drop shadow, it is Unlimited ($385.50 Raw). If the yellow border touches the frame directly with no shadow and the bottom copyright includes "99" ("1995, 96, 98, 99 Nintendo"), it is Shadowless ($1,180 Raw, or $5,850+ Raw with a black Edition 1 stamp).
Is a scratched Base Set Charizard #4/102 still worth grading?
In Heavily Played (HP, ~$135) or Moderately Played (MP, ~$212) condition, grading is primarily useful for authentication and preservation. However, if the copy is clean Near Mint with <=60/40 centering, grading into a PSA 8 ($690) or PSA 9 ($1,450) adds $250 to $1,000+ in net liquid value.
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