Ninetales

Ninetales is card 17 of 110 in Legendary Collection, released in May 2002, a Rare Holo. It is a Stage 1 Fire-type with 80 HP.

As a Stage 1, it evolves from Vulpix, which places Ninetales deeper in its line and means most collectors hold it alongside the cards it evolves from.

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.

The Pokédex entry printed on Ninetales reads: "Very smart and very vengeful. Grabbing one of its many tails could result in a 1,000-year curse."

The fully evolved Vulpix. Nine tails, mystical Japanese kitsune influence in the design. Base Set holo Ninetales is one of the more aesthetically beloved holos in the set and a steady performer in graded prices.

Ninetales is a holo rare, one of the cards that holds Legendary Collection's value. The print variant decides most of it: a 1st Edition copy in high grade commands a large premium over a Shadowless or Unlimited one. In top-grade 1st Edition, Legendary Collection holos range from the mid hundreds for the lesser cards up to the set's marquee chase; raw and Unlimited copies trade for a fraction of that. The live market price above shows the current figure by grade.

Confirm the print and finish on Ninetales before pricing it, since variant and rarity set the market more than the card name alone.

For graded buyers, the holo window on Ninetales is where most points are won or lost. Surface scratches and foil misregistration are common on Wizards-era cards, and centering was inconsistent enough that clean PSA 10s stay scarce. Read the fire foil at a 45-degree angle under strong light before committing.

If you are buying Ninetales, work in order: confirm the print variant first, then the grade, then price against recent sales for that exact variant and grade. For a raw Ninetales above a few hundred dollars, insist on angled-light photos of the holo so you can spot hairlines.