Bulbasaur · Base Set 2, what to know.
About the Bulbasaur card
Bulbasaur is card 67 of 130 in Base Set 2, released in February 2000, a Common. It is a Basic Grass-type with 40 HP.
As a Basic Pokémon, Bulbasaur 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 Bulbasaur a line of lore: "A strange seed was planted on its back at birth. Thus, a plant sprouted and now grows with this Pokémon."
About Bulbasaur in the Pokémon world
The grass starter from Red and Blue. A small quadruped with a plant bulb growing on its back that flowers as it evolves. The first Pokémon in the National Pokédex. Bulbasaur prints sit one tier below the holo starters in collector demand, but the Base Set Bulbasaur sees real movement among set completionists chasing a full 1st Edition run.
What is Bulbasaur worth?
Bulbasaur is a Common, so raw copies trade for very little and most of the print run survives. The only real value is in pristine, high-grade copies, where even a Common can reach low triple digits in 1st Edition PSA 10. See the live price above for the current figure by grade.
Print variants and how to spot them
Base Set 2 produced Unlimited prints. For Bulbasaur, the print variant can change the price several times over, so identify it before you buy.
Grading and condition
Bulbasaur is the most forgiving tier to grade in the set. Centering on the framed border is the usual cap, and the soft Wizards-era cardstock picks up edge whitening easily, but high print runs keep clean copies affordable.
If you are collecting Bulbasaur
Raw copies of Bulbasaur are inexpensive enough that grading rarely pays unless you have a clearly pack-fresh example. For set completion, a clean sleeved Bulbasaur is the practical move.
