Pidgey · Base Set 2, what to know.
About the Pidgey card
Pidgey is card 86 of 130 in Base Set 2, released in February 2000, a Common. It is a Basic Colorless-type with 40 HP.
As a Basic Pokémon, Pidgey needs no prior evolution to put into play, which made it a practical card in the era's decks.
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 Pokédex entry printed on Pidgey reads: "A common sight in forests and woods. It flaps its wings at ground level to kick up blinding sand."
About Pidgey in the Pokémon world
The first normal-flying Pokémon collectors meet in the games. Brown sparrow silhouette. Vintage Pidgey is a budget collector entry point. PSA 10 prints from Base Set are inexpensive and a good first grading submission.
What is Pidgey worth?
Pidgey 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 Pidgey, the print variant can change the price several times over, so identify it before you buy.
Grading and condition
Pidgey 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 Pidgey
Raw copies of Pidgey are inexpensive enough that grading rarely pays unless you have a clearly pack-fresh example. For set completion, a clean sleeved Pidgey is the practical move.
