Zapdos · Vivid Voltage, what to know.
About the Zapdos card
Numbered 48 of 203 in Vivid Voltage, released in November 2020, Zapdos is a Rare Holo, a Basic Lightning-type carrying 110 HP.
As a Basic Pokémon, Zapdos needs no prior evolution to put into play, which made it a practical card in the era's decks.
Illustrated by AKIRA EGAWA.
Zapdos carries this Pokédex flavor text: "A legendary Pokémon that is said to live in thunderclouds. It freely controls lightning bolts."
About Zapdos in the Pokémon world
A Legendary Electric-Flying bird. The Electric of the three Legendary birds. Both Base Set holo Zapdos and Fossil holo Zapdos exist. The Base Set print is more famous and more valuable.
What is Zapdos worth?
Zapdos is a holo rare, one of the cards that holds Vivid Voltage's value. The rarity tier decides most of it, since the same card prints at several tiers with very different prices. In top-grade 1st Edition, Vivid Voltage holos range from the mid hundreds for the lesser cards up to the set's marquee chase; raw and Unlimited copies trade for a fraction of that. The live market price above shows the current figure by grade.
Print variants and how to spot them
Confirm the print and finish on Zapdos before pricing it, since variant and rarity set the market more than the card name alone.
Grading and condition
Expect the holo window to set the grade on Zapdos. Print misregistration and fine scratches in the lightning foil are the usual reasons a copy lands at a 9, and edge whitening against the frame is the next thing a grader notes.
If you are collecting Zapdos
When you go to buy Zapdos, settle three things in order: the print variant, the condition, and a comp for that exact combination. A blended average across variants will mislead you on Zapdos, so price the specific copy in front of you.
