Dragonite · Expedition Base Set, what to know.
About the Dragonite card
Numbered 43 of 165 in Expedition Base Set, released in September 2002, Dragonite is a Rare, a Stage 2 Colorless-type carrying 100 HP.
It evolves from Dragonair, so Dragonite 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.
About Dragonite in the Pokémon world
The fully evolved Dratini line. Friendly orange dragon silhouette. One of the most-beloved Pokémon designs. Fossil holo Dragonite is the marquee chase of the entire Fossil set. PSA 10 1st Edition examples are genuinely scarce and command top of the Fossil price chart.
What is Dragonite worth?
Dragonite is a non-holo Rare. In Expedition Base Set, value concentrates in the holo rares, so a Dragonite trades modestly, though a clean, well-centered 1st Edition copy in PSA 10 is scarcer than the print run suggests and carries a real premium. Check the live price above for the figure by grade.
Print variants and how to spot them
Confirm the print and finish on Dragonite before pricing it, since variant and rarity set the market more than the card name alone.
Grading and condition
Non-holo Rares like Dragonite are easier on surface but no kinder on centering. Wizards-era cards were less protected than the holos, so high-grade Dragonite survivors can be scarcer than expected, with edge whitening the usual cap.
If you are collecting Dragonite
For Dragonite, check centering by eye, edge whitening on all four sides, and surface under angled light. Non-holo Rares from this era are cheap enough that a PSA 10 submission on a clean Dragonite can make sense.
