What’s the value differential on a Base 1999-2000 (aka 4th print) Blastoise VS. regular Unlimited?
(Assuming the condition is the same.)
I can’t seem to find much if any data on this. Appreciate your input as always!
@bartallen2 You seem to be buying all the 1999-2000 cards, so maybe you know?
Greetz,
Quuador
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I had an offer for Blastoise PSA8 4th print 700$ when Unlimited was about 400$. So was for Venusaur, so for me almost x2 regular value.
Thanks, @quuador , and @oscibosci isn’t too far off ~
For example, I’ll use various eBay sales in this instance:
Between September 10th and 27th:
PSA 10 Base Zapdos: $327
PSA 10 Base 2000 Zapdos: $660
Between August 2nd and 16th:
PSA 9 Venusaur $300
PSA 9 Base 2000 Venusaur $500
Between August 10th and 15th:
PSA 8 Charizard $450
PSA 8 Base 200 Charizard $720 (best offer accepted)
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I bought a PSA7 in Aprils PWCC auction block for 150 USD for my binder set. Not sure what regular unlimited was priced at back then. Considering that the 1999-2000 base holos by far are the rarest English variant, I would not be too concerned with price differences. If you see a decent deal go for it. I still need 3 holos and regularly search ebay, but they very rarely pop up in decent condition and at a reasonable price.
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Nice!
I always have to mention that just because you have a 1999-2000 pack doesn’t mean you’ll 100% pull a 1999-2000 holo, as there’ve been quite a great many cases were it was a 1999 holo ~ But yeah, the prices have been increasing since post-February ~
What is the physical difference between a base 1999-2000 and a regular unlimited?
The only definitive difference is literally just the copyright date 1999-2000 instead of 1999. Some say there is also an overall colour difference, but that’s more subtle and varies from card to card.
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The aesthetic differences are more than just the copyright:
• Copyright Date becomes “1999-2000 Wizards”
• Lighter colour shades on the cards
• Vulpix HP is corrected
• Charizard background stripes
• They also feel quite different
As provided by @styluspt :
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@bartallen2 I knew you would quote me on that, lol.
It’s fine and understandable that you as a 4th print collector like to seek out the quirks and featutes of those cards. Fair enough, 2 out of 102 cards (Vulpix and Zard) have a major design difference.
However I generally don’t take variations in colour saturation as distinction, because there always is a range for all cards across a set.
Objectively, the copyright date is by far the most distinct feature and the thing that people should look out for when searching for them.
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Lmfao 
But I whole heartedly agree with you on all of that ~
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The difference in color saturation/washed out look is much more striking in person. Once you start noticing it, it becomes quite easy to spot 1999-2000 cards in person without checking the date. Similarly, new collectors that are unaware of the shadowless variant also typically needs to have the differences from regular unlimited pointed out first, even though those differences are less subtle. So for people that do not care for 1999-2000 base, it is very easy to dismiss any differences as being unimportant or uninteresting. However, the set as a whole has a distinct vibe that clearly sets it apart from regular unlimited in my opinion.
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Well, my goal is not to attack any Base 2000 fans and I only have one single Base 2000 card myself which I don’t inspect on a regular basis. But looking at the Zard that @bartallen2 posted, it actually seems that the Base 2000 one is even *more* saturated than the regular unlimited.
I’m not quite convinced yet, but whatever. Maybe the differnce isn’t as clear in photos.
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Yeah, the color differences are generally most apparent on the non holos! You can clearly see it on the vulpix. I believe the difference in the stripe color on the 1999-2000 Charizard is similar to the various foreign language versions printed in 2000 (interestingly, Base set 2 Charizard maintained the original black stripe). Maybe the 1999-2000 holos have a different/obscure printing history, for as we know, 1999-2000 packs can also contain regular 1999 holos. I still need a few cards to complete my set, so I do not mind at all that most people still do not care for this variant…
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