So I’m hoping to get a base set charizard. For nostalgia and because I kinda want to collect base set a bit.
Now here is where I’m stuck. 1st Ed is out of the question. Way too expensive.
That leaves me with either a PSA 9 unlimited or a PSA 8 shadowless. Now the price point between the two is about 600-800 dollars.
I can’t decide which one I want. What are your thoughts?
Option 3: a PSA 6 Shadowless that is clean with an indent you can’t even see
Unless the difference in condition is massive (like PSA 5 vs PSA 8/9, although even those can have similar eye appeal), I would always choose shadowless.
Go for the first edition! I believe!
Personally, I prefer shadowless over all others. Is it something you might want to sell, or something you have NO intention of selling? If the latter, I’d go with the one that brings more nostalgia or enjoyment, forget the price. And, as @eeveeteam suggested, there are some great lower grade copies that may have minty eye appeal. If you don’t mind the label and taking the time to find them. (I certainly wouldn’t, but again, that’s IMO.)
Not looking to sell. Only want an 8 or 9 because it’s what all my other cards are. Same with the PSA preference. I think I’ll go with shadowless
Or - hear me out - get a beautiful Dragonite card for a fraction of the price. 
I’d rather the shadowless card over unlimited. I feel like the shadowless would be more likely to become out of reach while unlimited wouldn’t 
Could always go for a low to mid grade 1st edition
Even a low grade 1st Ed is like 4k 
It kinda depends on how you wanna collect base set! I prefer shadowless, so im collecting the base set that way, which will include a zard (it is definitely more money that way lol). Either way, im sure theyre both solid options!
Shadowless all the way. People talk of Shadowless as if it’s a midpoint between 1st edition and unlimited, but I’ve always considered it to lean heavily towards 1st edition.
I think I’d start by deciding if you want a full Unlimited Base Set or Shadowless complete set, if you plan to collect it all that is. Because if you get a Shadowless Charizard, you’ll probably want to do a full Shadowless set instead of mixing it all up. However, it all depends on how you want to collect your cards. Some people are fine with mixing things up.
Another thing to consider is the print of each is quite different. The Shadowless colours are much more bold and vibrant compared to Unlimited. I personally think the Shadowless looks best overall, but it’s also a subjective thing.
As other mentions, don’t rule out the lower grades. Sometimes a 5 or 6 can look great, and once it’s in a binder, you won’t really care about the minor whitening or light scratch. I bought a PSA 5 last year that has minor whitening and a tiny dent on the back that looks great in the binder set I built. It has great eye appeal and the holo is very clean:
You say you want to collect it a bit.
My advice would be to start with the unlimited, try to get the 9 holo set.
This is still quite easy to do, it gives a nice feeling of acomplishment.
And if you later decide you want to go for shadowless, the 9’s unlimited are quite liquid so you should be able to sell them and buy the shadowless or even 1st adition quite easily in a later stage too.
Shadowless
I think I’ll go with shadowless. You guys convinced me 
Update! Ordered my shadowless today! 
Congratulations!
Thank you!
