Charizard · Legendary Collection, what to know.
About the Charizard card
Charizard is card 3 of 110 in Legendary Collection, released in May 2002, a Rare Holo. It is a Stage 2 Fire-type with 120 HP.
As a Stage 2, it evolves from Charmeleon, which places Charizard deeper in its line and means most collectors hold it alongside the cards it evolves from.
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 Charizard a line of lore: "Spits fire that is hot enough to melt boulders. Known to unintentionally cause forest fires."
About Charizard in the Pokémon world
The fire-flying final form of the Charmander line, and the unofficial mascot of the franchise outside of Pikachu. Massive dragon-shaped silhouette, wings, tail-flame. The single most-recognized trading card of the modern era. Its Base Set holo print drove the entire vintage Pokémon market and continues to set the comp price for every other Wizards-era holo.
What is Charizard worth?
Charizard 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 Charizard before pricing it, since variant and rarity set the market more than the card name alone.
Grading and condition
For graded buyers, the holo window on Charizard is where most points are won or lost. Surface scratches and foil misregistration are common on Wizards-era cards, and centering was inconsistent enough that clean PSA 10s stay scarce. Read the fire foil at a 45-degree angle under strong light before committing.
If you are collecting Charizard
Buying Charizard well means pricing the exact print and grade, not the card name. The 1st Edition Charizard trades above the Unlimited copy, so confirm the stamp before you agree a number. Always see the holo surface in good light first.
