Pokémon TCG · Series Guide
The Base Series
The first English Pokémon TCG sets, from Base Set in January 1999 to Team Rocket in April 2000, and Legendary Collection, the 2002 set that reprinted them.
The sets in the series
The Base series ran from January 9, 1999 to April 24, 2000: five English sets, plus Legendary Collection (2002), which reprinted them. Together they hold 551 cards, and every one has a full guide.
| Set | Code | Released | Cards | Complete set as singles |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Base Set | BS | January 9, 1999 | 102 | $2,133.39 on Oct 22 |
| Jungle | JU | June 16, 1999 | 64 | $1,103.23 on Oct 22 |
| Fossil | FO | October 10, 1999 | 62 | $1,208.06 on Oct 22 |
| Base Set 2 | B2 | February 24, 2000 | 130 | $1,659.13 on Oct 22 |
| Team Rocket | TR | April 24, 2000 | 83 (82 numbered) | $1,672.37 on Oct 22 |
| Legendary Collection | LC | May 24, 2002 | 110 | $2,157.86 on Oct 22 |
The last column is what one copy of every card cost as singles, each at its cheapest priced variant and TCGplayer market price. For these sets that is usually an Unlimited or Normal copy, so a set in 1st Edition or Reverse Holofoil costs far more. Legendary Collection is the most expensive Base series set to complete, and Jungle the least.
What the Base series changed
Base Set laid down the game: Basic Pokémon and their evolutions, Energy, Trainers, Pokémon Powers and six Prize cards. Jungle and Fossil each added a short list of Pokémon with a holo and a non-holo version of every rare, and Team Rocket added Dark Pokémon and the first card numbered above a printed total, Dark Raichu at 83/82.
Base Set 2 collected Base Set and Jungle into one set in 2000, and Legendary Collection reprinted cards from all four originals in 2002, with the first Reverse Holofoil copies the catalog prices. The catalog files Legendary Collection under "Other"; it is listed here with the sets it reprints.
Each set's chase card
The card each set guide leads with, shown in its ordinary printing.
Rarities across the series
Every Base series set prints Common, Uncommon, Rare and Rare Holo, and Team Rocket adds one secret rare. Counts come from the Pokémon catalog.
| Set | Rare Holo | Rare | Above the printed total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base Set | 16 | 16 | 0 |
| Jungle | 16 | 16 | 0 |
| Fossil | 15 | 15 | 0 |
| Base Set 2 | 20 | 20 | 0 |
| Team Rocket | 17 | 17 | 1 |
| Legendary Collection | 19 | 19 | 0 |
The chase card in each set
Across the series, Base Set's Charizard is the most valuable of the cards the guides lead with. Each price is the printing named in its rarity column.
| Set | Chase card | Printing | Market price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base Set | Charizard | Rare Holo, Unlimited | $954.65 on Oct 22 |
| Jungle | Snorlax | Rare Holo, Unlimited | $163.58 on Oct 22 |
| Fossil | Gengar | Rare Holo, Unlimited | $219.87 on Oct 22 |
| Base Set 2 | Charizard | Rare Holo | $414.78 on Oct 22 |
| Team Rocket | Dark Dragonite | Rare Holo, Unlimited | $226.19 on Oct 22 |
| Legendary Collection | Charizard | Rare Holo | $899.99 on Oct 22 |
Prices are TCGplayer market prices and move daily; a card this old can go days without a sale. Each set guide lists its chase card's other printings and the rest of its chase list. How much are my Pokémon cards worth? →
The set guides
Base Set (January 9, 1999). The first English Pokémon TCG set. Its 16 holofoil Pokémon, Charizard, Blastoise and Venusaur first among them, are still the cards most collectors picture when they hear "vintage."
Jungle (June 16, 1999). The first expansion after Base Set. Each of its 16 holofoil Pokémon was also printed as a non-holo Rare, so every holo has a twin.
Fossil (October 10, 1999). The third Base series set: 62 cards, the three legendary birds, Ditto, and the first Trainer that plays as a Pokémon, Mysterious Fossil.
Base Set 2 (February 24, 2000). A reprint set: 130 cards from Base Set and Jungle in one set, printed only in Unlimited, with its own set symbol.
Team Rocket (April 24, 2000). The set of Dark Pokémon: 45 of its cards are Team Rocket's versions of familiar Pokémon, and Dark Raichu, 83/82, is the first card numbered above a set's printed total.
Legendary Collection (May 24, 2002). A 110-card reprint of the Base series, and the first set the catalog prices in Reverse Holofoil, the copies collectors call firework holos.
What came next
The Gym series followed. The Gym series →
Frequently Asked Questions
What sets are in the Pokémon TCG Base series?
Six English sets: Base Set (January 9, 1999), Jungle (June 16, 1999), Fossil (October 10, 1999), Base Set 2 (February 24, 2000), Team Rocket (April 24, 2000) and Legendary Collection (May 24, 2002). Legendary Collection is filed by the catalog under "Other" and listed here with the sets it reprints.
Which Base series set is the biggest?
Base Set 2, with 130 cards. Fossil is the smallest at 62.
What is the most valuable card in the Base series?
Among the chase cards the set guides lead with, Base Set's Charizard (Rare Holo, Unlimited), at $954.65 on October 22, 2026. Legendary Collection's Charizard was next at $899.99. Prices move daily, and a scarcer printing of the same card can cost far more.
Are Base series cards legal in Standard or Expanded?
No set from this series is. Expanded starts with the Black & White series in 2011. The catalog marks a few cards in each set as legal anyway, basic Energy and cards that share their name and text with a later legal printing, and each set guide lists them.
What is the difference between 1st Edition, Shadowless and Unlimited?
They are print runs of the same card. 1st Edition copies carry the 1st Edition stamp; Base Set's Shadowless copies came next, with no drop shadow beside the art box; Unlimited is the long run after them. The catalog prices each as a variant of one card, and 1st Edition is worth the most.
Track the whole series.
Add your Base series cards, see how much of each set you own, and value every copy from daily TCGplayer prices. Free to start.
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