Erika's Tangela · Gym Heroes, what to know.
About the Erika's Tangela card
Numbered 79 of 132 in Gym Heroes, released in August 2000, Erika's Tangela is a Common, a Basic Grass-type carrying 60 HP.
As a Basic Pokémon, Tangela 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 Tangela 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 Tangela in the Pokémon world
A mass of blue vines with red shoes. Bizarre design even by Gen 1 standards. Jungle Common. Sentimental.
What is Erika's Tangela worth?
Erika's Tangela 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 Heroes shipped in 1st Edition and Unlimited, with no Shadowless print. The trainer-prefix naming runs across the set, and the 1st Edition Erika's Tangela carries the Edition 1 stamp and a premium over Unlimited in matching grade.
Grading and condition
Erika's Tangela 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 Tangela
Raw copies of Erika's Tangela are inexpensive enough that grading rarely pays unless you have a clearly pack-fresh example. For set completion, a clean sleeved Erika's Tangela 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.
