Spearow · Base Set 2, what to know.
About the Spearow card
Spearow is card 92 of 130 in Base Set 2, released in February 2000, a Common. It is a Basic Colorless-type with 50 HP.
As a Basic Pokémon, Spearow 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.
The Pokédex entry printed on Spearow reads: "Eats bugs in grassy areas. It has to flap its short wings at high speeds to stay airborne."
About Spearow in the Pokémon world
A small angry brown bird with red plumage. The first wild Pokémon Ash encounters in the anime, which becomes a defining sequence. Common Base Set card. Quietly collectible because of its anime significance.
What is Spearow worth?
Spearow 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 Spearow, the print variant can change the price several times over, so identify it before you buy.
Grading and condition
Spearow 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 Spearow
Raw copies of Spearow are inexpensive enough that grading rarely pays unless you have a clearly pack-fresh example. For set completion, a clean sleeved Spearow is the practical move.
