Erika's Paras · Gym Challenge, what to know.
About the Erika's Paras card
Numbered 71 of 132 in Gym Challenge, released in October 2000, Erika's Paras is a Common, a Basic Grass-type carrying 50 HP.
As a Basic Pokémon, Paras needs no prior evolution to put into play, which made it a practical card in the era's decks.
Erika is the Grass-type Gym Leader of Celadon City, a calm tea enthusiast who tends the city's gardens. Erika's Paras is part of that themed lineup.
Illustrated by Ken Sugimori. Sugimori is the lead character designer of Pokémon itself, so his card art carries the tight, on-model look that defined how the creatures appear in the games.
About Paras in the Pokémon world
A small crab Pokémon with mushrooms growing on its back. Jungle Common. Low collector demand.
What is Erika's Paras worth?
Erika's Paras 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 Erika's Paras carries the Edition 1 stamp and a premium over Unlimited in matching grade.
Grading and condition
Erika's Paras 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 Erika's Paras
Raw copies of Erika's Paras are inexpensive enough that grading rarely pays unless you have a clearly pack-fresh example. For set completion, a clean sleeved Erika's Paras 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.
