Grimer · Fossil, what to know.
About the Grimer card
Numbered 48 of 62 in Fossil, released in October 1999, Grimer is a Common, a Basic Grass-type carrying 50 HP.
As a Basic Pokémon, Grimer needs no prior evolution to put into play, which made it a practical card in the era's decks.
Illustrated by Mitsuhiro Arita. Arita painted the Base Set Charizard and much of the early holo run, and his work has a painterly weight that set the visual tone of the Wizards era.
Grimer carries this Pokédex flavor text: "Appears in filthy areas. Thrives by sucking up polluted sludge that is pumped out of factories."
About Grimer in the Pokémon world
A pile of sludge with eyes. Poison type. Fossil Common. Cheap and easy.
What is Grimer worth?
Grimer 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
Fossil shipped in 1st Edition and Unlimited, with no Shadowless print. The Edition 1 stamp under the artwork separates the scarcer 1st Edition Grimer from the Unlimited copy.
Grading and condition
Grimer 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 Grimer
Raw copies of Grimer are inexpensive enough that grading rarely pays unless you have a clearly pack-fresh example. For set completion, a clean sleeved Grimer 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.
