Cloyster · Fossil, what to know.
About the Cloyster card
Numbered 32 of 62 in Fossil, released in October 1999, Cloyster is an Uncommon, a Stage 1 Water-type carrying 50 HP.
It evolves from Shellder, so Cloyster is a later-stage card that set-builders usually slot into a full evolution run rather than buy alone.
Illustrated by Kagemaru Himeno. Himeno is one of the most-recognized vintage illustrators, with a softer, more textured style that shows up across the Jungle and Neo runs.
Printed on the card, the Cloyster Pokédex entry reads: "When attacked, it launches its horns in quick volleys. Its innards have never been seen."
About Cloyster in the Pokémon world
The fully evolved Shellder. Spiked shell with a face visible inside. Standard Rare. Niche collector interest.
What is Cloyster worth?
Cloyster is an Uncommon, so raw copies are inexpensive and easy to find. The value is in condition: a genuine PSA 10, especially 1st Edition, can still reach a surprising figure for an otherwise common card. The live price above breaks it down by grade.
Print variants and how to spot them
Fossil shipped in 1st Edition and Unlimited, with no Shadowless print. The Edition 1 stamp under the artwork separates the scarcer 1st Edition Cloyster from the Unlimited copy.
Grading and condition
Cloyster grades forgivingly, but the same centering and edge standards apply. Pack-fresh raw copies are easy to find, which makes a clean PSA 10 submission a low-cost way to learn how the cardstock behaves under grading.
If you are collecting Cloyster
Raw copies of Cloyster are inexpensive enough that grading rarely pays unless you have a clearly pack-fresh example. For set completion, a clean sleeved Cloyster 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.
