Pidgeotto · Base Set 2, what to know.
About the Pidgeotto card
Numbered 28 of 130 in Base Set 2, released in February 2000, Pidgeotto is a Rare, a Stage 1 Colorless-type carrying 60 HP.
It evolves from Pidgey, so Pidgeotto is a later-stage card that set-builders usually slot into a full evolution run rather than buy alone.
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.
Printed on the card, the Pidgeotto Pokédex entry reads: "Very protective of its sprawling territory, this Pokémon will fiercely peck at any intruder."
About Pidgeotto in the Pokémon world
The middle Pidgey stage. Sharper silhouette, longer wings, more aggressive coloration. Standard middle-stage card. Bought as part of a Pidgey to Pidgeot run.
What is Pidgeotto worth?
Pidgeotto is a non-holo Rare. In Base Set 2, value concentrates in the holo rares, so a Pidgeotto trades modestly, though a clean, well-centered 1st Edition copy in PSA 10 is scarcer than the print run suggests and carries a real premium. Check the live price above for the figure by grade.
Print variants and how to spot them
Base Set 2 produced Unlimited prints. For Pidgeotto, the print variant can change the price several times over, so identify it before you buy.
Grading and condition
Pidgeotto grades on centering and edges more than surface. The card was played and traded more freely than the holos, so a clean, well-centered Pidgeotto is worth more than collectors assume.
If you are collecting Pidgeotto
For Pidgeotto, check centering by eye, edge whitening on all four sides, and surface under angled light. Non-holo Rares from this era are cheap enough that a PSA 10 submission on a clean Pidgeotto can make sense.
