Cubone · Expedition Base Set, what to know.
About the Cubone card
Numbered 103 of 165 in Expedition Base Set, released in September 2002, Cubone is a Common, a Basic Fighting-type carrying 40 HP.
As a Basic Pokémon, Cubone needs no prior evolution to put into play, which made it a practical card in the era's decks.
Illustrated by Tomokazu Komiya.
About Cubone in the Pokémon world
A small ground Pokémon that wears its mother's skull as a helmet. Significant tragic backstory in the games. Fossil Common. Emotional collector draw.
What is Cubone worth?
Cubone 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
Confirm the print and finish on Cubone before pricing it, since variant and rarity set the market more than the card name alone.
Grading and condition
Cubone 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 Cubone
Raw copies of Cubone are inexpensive enough that grading rarely pays unless you have a clearly pack-fresh example. For set completion, a clean sleeved Cubone is the practical move.
