Magikarp

Numbered 35 of 102 in Base Set, released in January 1999, Magikarp is an Uncommon, a Basic Water-type carrying 30 HP.

As a Basic Pokémon, Magikarp 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.

Magikarp carries this Pokédex flavor text: "In the distant past, it was stronger than its horribly weak descendants that exist today."

A water-type fish famous for being almost useless until it evolves into Gyarados. Base Set Common. Sentimental and emotionally significant for many collectors.

Based on recent eBay sales, raw copies trade from $3.72 to $129 depending on the print and a PSA 10 runs from $350 to $3,450. The 1st Edition print is the most valuable, with a PSA 10 near $3,450. The table on this page breaks the price down by print and grade, updated 2026-05-22.

Base Set produced three print waves that collectors track separately: 1st Edition (the launch print, with an Edition 1 stamp under the artwork), Shadowless (no stamp and no drop shadow on the right of the frame), and Unlimited (the long-running print with the drop shadow restored). On Magikarp, the price gap between these prints can run 10x or more, so confirm the variant before any purchase.

Magikarp grades forgivingly, but the same centering and edge standards apply. Pack-fresh raw copies are easy to find, which makes a clean PSA 10 submission a low-cost way to learn how the cardstock behaves under grading.

Raw copies of Magikarp are inexpensive enough that grading rarely pays unless you have a clearly pack-fresh example. For set completion, a clean sleeved Magikarp is the practical move.