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History of the Pokémon TCG
The Pokémon card game was born in Japan in October 1996, only months after the Game Boy games, with illustrations by Ken Sugimori, Mitsuhiro Arita and Keiji Kinebuchi. The Western release followed in 1999 with the Base Set, published by Wizards of the Coast: 102 cards that introduced Charizard, Blastoise and Venusaur to playgrounds around the world.
The Wizards era (1999-2003) produced the sets collectors still chase today: Base Set, Jungle, Fossil, Team Rocket and the Neo series. In 2003, The Pokémon Company brought publishing in-house, opening the EX era, then the Diamond and Pearl era in 2007, the one Pokémon Life covered as it happened, which introduced the popular Pokémon LV.X cards.
Each era has left its mark on the collector market: first edition and shadowless Base Set cards, Japanese promotional cards and tournament trophy cards are among the most valuable collectibles in gaming history.
The Wizards of the Coast sets (1999-2003)
| 1999 | Base Set, Jungle, Fossil |
|---|---|
| 2000 | Base Set 2, Team Rocket, Gym Heroes, Gym Challenge, Neo Genesis |
| 2001 | Neo Discovery, Neo Revelation |
| 2002 | Neo Destiny, Legendary Collection, Expedition |
| 2003 | Aquapolis, Skyridge (the last Wizards sets) |
The EX and Diamond & Pearl eras
From 2003, The Pokémon Company published the game itself, opening the EX era (Ruby & Sapphire through Power Keepers) famous for its gold star cards, shiny Pokémon illustrated with star rarities and pulled at odds of roughly one per two booster boxes. The Diamond and Pearl era followed in 2007 with sets like Mysterious Treasures, Secret Wonders and Stormfront, introducing Pokémon LV.X and the Platinum series in 2009.
The cards that made history
A handful of cards define the collector market: the first edition shadowless Base Set Charizard, the gold stars of the EX era, Japanese trophy cards awarded at tournaments, and above them all the Pikachu Illustrator card, the most expensive Pokémon card ever sold. Cards from the sets this site covered in 2007-2009 have themselves become vintage, with LV.X cards and DP-era sealed products climbing steadily.