Blaine's Mankey · Gym Challenge, what to know.
About the Blaine's Mankey card
Numbered 63 of 132 in Gym Challenge, released in October 2000, Blaine's Mankey is a Common, a Basic Fighting-type carrying 40 HP.
As a Basic Pokémon, Mankey needs no prior evolution to put into play, which made it a practical card in the era's decks.
Blaine is the Fire-type Gym Leader of Cinnabar Island, the quiz-loving scientist behind the island's lab. Blaine's Mankey is part of that themed lineup.
Illustrated by Atsuko Nishida. Nishida is the original designer of Pikachu and many Gen 1 Pokémon, and her card work has a soft, rounded warmth that suits the friendlier creatures.
About Mankey in the Pokémon world
A pig-monkey Fighting type with a hot temper. Jungle Common. Niche collector demand.
What is Blaine's Mankey worth?
Blaine's Mankey 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
Gym Challenge shipped in 1st Edition and Unlimited, with no Shadowless print. The trainer-prefix naming runs across the set, and the 1st Edition Blaine's Mankey carries the Edition 1 stamp and a premium over Unlimited in matching grade.
Grading and condition
Blaine's Mankey 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 Blaine's Mankey
Raw copies of Blaine's Mankey are inexpensive enough that grading rarely pays unless you have a clearly pack-fresh example. For set completion, a clean sleeved Blaine's Mankey is the practical move.
Three prints, three markets.
Edition 1 stamp under the artwork. Trades above Unlimited in matching grade.
No stamp. The standard, more affordable print.
