Articuno · Legendary Collection, what to know.
About the Articuno card
Articuno is card 2 of 110 in Legendary Collection, released in May 2002, a Rare Holo. It is a Basic Water-type with 70 HP.
As a Basic Pokémon, Articuno needs no prior evolution to put into play, which made it a practical card in the era's decks.
Illustrated by Mitsuhiro Arita. Arita painted the Base Set Charizard and much of the early holo run, and his work has a painterly weight that set the visual tone of the Wizards era.
The card's flavor text gives Articuno a line of lore: "A legendary bird Pokémon that is said to appear to doomed people who are lost in icy mountains."
About Articuno in the Pokémon world
A Legendary Ice-Flying bird. One of the three Legendary birds of Kanto. Fossil holo Articuno is a marquee Fossil holo. Strong collector demand thanks to Legendary status.
What is Articuno worth?
Articuno is a holo rare, one of the cards that holds Legendary Collection's value. The print variant decides most of it: a 1st Edition copy in high grade commands a large premium over a Shadowless or Unlimited one. In top-grade 1st Edition, Legendary Collection holos range from the mid hundreds for the lesser cards up to the set's marquee chase; raw and Unlimited copies trade for a fraction of that. The live market price above shows the current figure by grade.
Print variants and how to spot them
Confirm the print and finish on Articuno before pricing it, since variant and rarity set the market more than the card name alone.
Grading and condition
Grading Articuno comes down to the holo surface and the borders. The era's foil scratches easily, so even a pack-fresh Articuno can drop from a 10 to a 9 on a single hairline. Inspect the window at an angle and the corners against the frame.
If you are collecting Articuno
Buying Articuno well means pricing the exact print and grade, not the card name. The 1st Edition Articuno trades above the Unlimited copy, so confirm the stamp before you agree a number. Always see the holo surface in good light first.
