Magneton

Magneton is card 11 of 62 in Fossil, released in October 1999, a Rare Holo. It is a Stage 1 Lightning-type with 80 HP.

As a Stage 1, it evolves from Magnemite, which places Magneton deeper in its line and means most collectors hold it alongside the cards it evolves from.

Illustrated by Ken Sugimori. Sugimori is the lead character designer of Pokémon itself, so his card art carries the tight, on-model look that defined how the creatures appear in the games.

The card's flavor text gives Magneton a line of lore: "Formed by several Magnemites linked together. They frequently appear when sunspots flare up."

Three Magnemites linked together. Base Set holo Magneton is one of the original 16 holos. Steady graded demand.

Magneton is a holo rare, one of the cards that holds Fossil'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, Fossil holos range from the mid hundreds for the lesser cards up to Dragonite at the top; raw and Unlimited copies trade for a fraction of that. The live market price above shows the current figure by grade.

Fossil shipped in 1st Edition and Unlimited, with no Shadowless print. The Edition 1 stamp under the artwork separates the scarcer 1st Edition Magneton from the Unlimited copy.

Magneton lives and dies on its holo surface in grading. The lightning foil catches light at angles that hide hairlines in a flat photo, so tilt it under a lamp, then measure the borders, where Wizards-era centering is the second-most-common grade cap.

Buying Magneton well means pricing the exact print and grade, not the card name. The 1st Edition Magneton trades above the Unlimited copy, so confirm the stamp before you agree a number. Always see the holo surface in good light first.