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Card Rarities
Every Pokémon card carries a rarity symbol in its bottom corner: a circle for common, a diamond for uncommon and a star for rare. Holofoil rares, with their shining illustration, are the classic chase cards of every booster pack, joined from 2002 onward by reverse holos where the rest of the card shines instead.
Above the standard rarities sit the special cards of each era: Pokémon ex, Pokémon LV.X in the Diamond and Pearl sets, secret rares numbered beyond the official set count, and full-art or gold cards in the modern eras.
For collectors, rarity is only the starting point of value: the age of the set, the print run (first edition versus unlimited), the popularity of the Pokémon on the card and above all its physical condition weigh just as heavily. A well-kept card can be worth many times the value of a played copy of the same print.
The rarity symbols
| Circle | Common: the workhorses of every set |
|---|---|
| Diamond | Uncommon: trainers and mid-line evolutions |
| Star | Rare: the guaranteed slot of every booster |
| Holo star | Holofoil rare: shining artwork, roughly one pack in three in the classic eras |
| Beyond | Ultra rares of each era (ex, LV.X, full art) and secret rares numbered past the set total |
The chase cards of each era
Wizards-era value concentrates in first edition stamps and the shadowless early print of the Base Set. The EX era's crown jewels are the gold star shiny Pokémon, pulled at roughly one in two booster boxes. The Diamond and Pearl era chased Pokémon LV.X, and later eras added full arts, rainbow and gold cards, and alternate art secret rares, today's most hunted pulls.
What actually sets the price
Five factors dominate: the card itself (Charizard and Pikachu carry a permanent premium), the set and print run, the era, condition, and whether it is graded. The same card can differ in value by a factor of twenty between a played copy and a gem mint graded one, which is why condition and card care deserve their own page.
None of that tells you what a card is worth today, which only the market can answer. Before buying or selling, compare listings across sellers rather than trusting a single asking price: the spread between the cheapest and dearest copy of the same card in the same condition is often wider than newcomers expect. Read our collecting and card care guide for how to judge the condition being claimed.