The Pokémon 30th Celebration Reprints vs The OGs: Part 1
One of the biggest selling points of the 30th Celebration, the Pokémon TCG's latest set, which celebrates three decades of the iconic franchise, is the number of reprints from various generations of the card game.
While some cards are still more iconic than others, each of the 30 reprinted cards are more than deserving of their spot on the checklist. We're taking a look at each and every single one of them, including how they compare in price to the original releases. Here are the first five.
"Chonkachu" Base Set Pikachu
One of the most legendary Pokémon cards of all time has to be the face of the franchise. The 30th Celebration Classic Collection comes with a reprint of the famous "Chonkachu" Pikachu from Base Set, this time in holo version.
An equally iconic printing variant is the "Red Cheeks" version of the original card, which is essentially the same thing except Pikachu has red cheeks instead of the typical yellow color.
As of the time of writing, the 30th Celebration Pikachu reprint has been trending around $30, nearly a week since the release date. The Base Set variant is cheaper by a little more than 50%, currently selling for $14.
Base Set Charizard
The greatest Pokémon card ever made gets yet another reprint, and years later, it's still one of the biggest chases to come with the set. No, it's not the most valuable, and yes, the artwork is definitely dated especially for newer collectors, but those things don't quite matter do they.
At the end of the day, it's still a Base Set (reprint) Charizard.
The holo pattern is vastly different, and the massive Pikachu 30th anniversary logo in the bottom right of the frame is what differentiates this newer copy from the original. If social media has anything to say about it, though, the excitement of pulling a Base Set Charizard, even as a modern reprint, is truly unmatched.
The 30th Celebration Charizard is currently worth around $180, while the original in ungraded Near Mint condition is worth close to $1,000 these days.
Gym Heroes Misty
Unlike the first two cards, Misty from Gym Heroes isn't considered one of the most iconic cards of its day. The character herself, however, is a fan favorite and one of the first companions Ash meets during his journey through the anime.
On top of that, the Misty Trainer card was one of the first of its kind to come in a holographic version since those were considered hits back then.
The 30th Celebration reprint is only worth around $11 as of writing, but the original card from Gym Heroes is still worth a pretty penny at $180 on average.
Gym Challenge Erika's Jigglypuff
Erika's Jigglypuff was a competitively viable card during the Gym Challenge era thanks in large part to its second attack, Pulled Punch. One Double Colorless Energy was all you needed to deal 40 base damage to your opponent's Active Pokémon.
That was already a huge deal in those days as majority of the Pokémon never even hit 100HP with the exception of fully evolved starters such as Charizard.
Like many cards that were competitively viable in previous generations, Erika's Jigglypuff is far from expensive, and the original copy is significantly cheaper than the 30th Celebration reprint. The Classic Collection holo is currently worth around $17, while you can snag a copy of the OG for less than $3.
Neo Genesis Sneasel
Do you know how overpowered you have to be to earn the title of the very first banned card in competitive Pokémon TCG history? Sneasel from Neo Genesis does.
Fury Swipes is a strong attack on its own, but Beat Up was what really took the cake. For two Darkness energy, you could knock out virtually every card that your opponent could play, especially if you were lucky (or great) at coin tosses.
Combine such an overpowered attack with no type weakness and no retreat cost, and this was by far the strongest card in the entire TCG at the time.
The reprint carries the exact same features as the original, still without any type weakness or retreat cost. The 30th Celebration version is currently worth just over $6, while the Neo Genesis copy is a little more expensive at $8.
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Joaqin is a journalist with a strong passion for the Hobby. He has published work for HLTV.org, Rappler.com, and DLSU Sports. A decade-long Pokémon TCG collector, he recently shifted into sports cards to collect Lakers, Dodgers and Chargers players with growing PCs of Shohei Ohtani and Justin Herbert.