When people start collecting Pokémon cards, they usually gravitate towards one of two sides: the classic ’90s era or the modern sets.
In this guide, we’ll break down the differences between collecting vintage Pokémon cards and modern ones, touching on history, production, appeal, aesthetics, rarity and investment potential… all the facts to decide which side you’re on.
Seasoned collectors typically consider vintage Pokémon cards to be those released in the early years of the game, roughly from 1996 to 2003.
This period began with the first Japanese releases in 1996, including the Bandai Carddass, which were sold through small vending machines on shop counters.
The vintage timeline includes several phases. It all began with the Early Pocket Monsters Card Game in 1996. Then came the Base era and Gym series in the late 1990s. Neo and promo expansion were released around the turn of the millennium.
The appeal of older Pokémon trading cards has to do with more than just their resale value. They take people back to the franchise’s roots, when Satoshi Tajiri and Ken Sugimori turned their love of bug collecting and gaming into a global phenomenon.
For many people, pulling a card from a 1999 Base Set feels like teleporting back to childhood; watching the TV show in the morning and trading cards at afternoon recess.
The artwork on vintage Pokémon cards is mostly hand-drawn. Artists like Sugimori give the cards the classic look and feel that loads of collectors love. Compared to today’s polished style, some people prefer the raw, unfiltered charm of the originals.
Over time, these cards exchange countless hands, getting played with, bent, lost and generally worn down. So, mint condition cards from this era are extremely rare.
Scarcity and excellent condition combined especially boost value. For example, a PSA 10 (Gem Mint) graded card can command huge price tags, running into the hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Japan has its own exclusive cards, such as misprints and promo variants (for example, the CoroCoro comics exclusives) with alternate art. Many of these are extremely limited or even one-of-a-kind and weren’t part of any global rollout, so they can reach impressive prices.
The modern Pokémon card era began around 2003-2004. It covers sets like Sun & Moon, Sword & Shield and Scarlet & Violet. These items are known for their eye-catching features seen in the likes of Rainbow Rares, Alt Arts, Illustration Rares (IRs) and Special Illustration Rares (SIRs).
These cards have bigger print runs, so you can grab packs easily at brick-and-mortar or online stores. New releases, particularly flashy chase cards like SIRs, can generate lots of hype and excitement.
The price of modern cards can be attractive too. At around $5 for a single sleeved pack or less than $10 for Mega Heroes Mini Tin, they are often more affordable than their vintage counterparts and more accessible for beginner collectors.
Both vintage and modern Pokémon cards are fun to collect, but they bring different things to the table.
Vintage cards are naturally limited because print runs back in the day were much shorter.
For instance, the 1996 Bandai Carddass set we mentioned earlier was distributed only through vending machines. These cards are not being printed anymore, so the supply can only go down as cards get lost or damaged. This makes those that survive all the more valuable.
Meanwhile, modern cards control rarity and value artificially through variants like Secret Rares or Rainbow Rares. However, mass production means more copies enter the market and PSA 10 population numbers for new releases can grow extremely quickly.
Thanks to longtime fans, demand for vintage Pokémon cards has stayed relatively steady.
This is especially true for examples like Pikachu Illustrator or the PSA 10 Topsun Charizard Blue Back Card that went for nearly half a million dollars at an auction in 2021.
By comparison, modern demand follows trends. For instance, an influencer's unboxing video may drive up prices in the short term. This appeals more to younger collectors, who may want to share their pulls on platforms like TikTok or Discord and show off rarer items.
Vintage cards have decades of steady growth to show for. A PSA 10 Base Set Charizard sold for a whopping $264,000, and even non-Charizard cards are consistently growing in value over time thanks to the limited supply of high-grade copies.
Modern sets can swing a lot in price. They often soar right after launch and then drop once the buzz dies down and more copies hit the market, which makes their long-term value a little harder to predict.
The vintage market doesn’t typically face oversupply, as time only makes those cards harder to find.
Modern cards can run into the opposite problem. With thousands of PSA 10 copies of popular cards, high grades are much easier to come by, which lowers their rarity.
Still, fakes can trouble both categories, so third-party authentication by a professional grading company like PSA, BGS, CGC or Beckett is important. These services provide standardized assessments of a card’s condition, authenticity and overall quality, graded on a 10-point scale.
Older Pokémon cards stick to simple borders and bold colors, giving them a classic, instantly recognizable look. Meanwhile, modern style usually has shiny details, textured foils, 3D effects, crossover art, etc.
Vintage cards have a long track record of holding and gaining value, adding to their scarcity and cultural significance. With that said, markets may fluctuate and past trends don’t guarantee future ones. Modern cards bring excitement but saturation risks too. At the end of the day, neither is strictly better and the choice is always up to what you prefer.
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Generally, a Pokémon card is considered ‘vintage’ if it was released between 1996 and 2003. The vintage timeline includes the Early Pocket Monsters Card Game, the Base era and Gym series and the Neo and promo expansion.
Some vintage Pokémon cards can stand out more than others thanks to their rarity, condition or unique print features, like shadowless borders or holo variants. A vintage card in a particularly good state, like a PSA 10 (Gem Mint) one, can reach prices in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.
If you’re looking for scarcity, stability, nostalgia and history, then vintage Pokémon cards can be worth it. They do demand a higher budget, but their value can grow over time as more cards disappear from circulation and others get damaged. They also tend to hold their value better than modern cards when the market dips.
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