Why Base Set is still the benchmark

The 1999 Base Set is the only Pokémon set every collector recognizes by name. Every market discussion eventually circles back to it because it's the closest thing the hobby has to a price index — when Base Set moves, sentiment is shifting.

In 2025 the picture is mixed. The top of the set is at all-time highs in PSA 10 grade. The middle is roughly flat. The bottom — the holos people forget about — is the segment that's actually outperforming.

The 16 holos, ranked by 2025 momentum

The classic Charizard, Blastoise, and Venusaur lead the headline charts as always, but the cards that have shown the strongest year-over-year growth in PSA 9 condition are different:

• Gyarados — Strong run; clean art, strong character recognition.
• Alakazam — Underrated holo, very stable demand.
• Magneton — The classic "undervalued Base Set holo" pick is finally being repriced.
• Hitmonchan — Steady accumulation in raw NM grade.
• Mewtwo — Always solid, accelerating in PSA 8 and below.

What's happened with the chase trio

Charizard, Blastoise, Venusaur. PSA 10 prices on shadowless and unlimited copies have stayed firm. PSA 9s have softened slightly off their 2021 peaks but have stabilized in 2025. Raw NM copies have re-priced upward as graded population pressure pushed buyers back to ungraded supply.

The 1st Edition Shadowless tier sits in its own ecosystem and shouldn't be compared to unlimited copies for momentum analysis — it trades more like a fine-art market than a card market.

What's driving the broader holo lift

Two things. First, the supply of raw NM Base Set holos genuinely keeps shrinking — every year, some copies get graded out of the raw market or damaged out of grade. Second, new entrants to vintage are starting with "complete the 16 holos" as a defined goal, which puts steady demand on the middle and lower tier of the set.

A practical take

If you're entering Base Set today, the holos outside the chase trio are still defensible buys in PSA 8 and PSA 9. The trio is a different conversation — primarily a condition and edition decision. Either way, buy graded if you don't have decades of raw-grading experience.