Squirtle · Base Set 2, what to know.
About the Squirtle card
Numbered 93 of 130 in Base Set 2, released in February 2000, Squirtle is a Common, a Basic Water-type carrying 40 HP.
As a Basic Pokémon, Squirtle 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.
Printed on the card, the Squirtle Pokédex entry reads: "After birth, its back swells and hardens into a shell. It powerfully sprays foam from its mouth."
About Squirtle in the Pokémon world
The water starter. A bipedal blue turtle with a brown shell. Tactically the most defensive of the three starters in the games. Steady raw market driven by completionists. The Base Set Squirtle in PSA 10 has appreciated quietly without the headlines of its evolved forms.
What is Squirtle worth?
Squirtle 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 Squirtle, the print variant can change the price several times over, so identify it before you buy.
Grading and condition
Squirtle 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 Squirtle
Raw copies of Squirtle are inexpensive enough that grading rarely pays unless you have a clearly pack-fresh example. For set completion, a clean sleeved Squirtle is the practical move.
