Paras · Base Set 2, what to know.
About the Paras card
Paras is card 85 of 130 in Base Set 2, released in February 2000, a Common. It is a Basic Grass-type with 40 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.
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 Paras reads: "Burrows to suck tree roots. The mushrooms on its back grow by drawing nutrients from the bug host."
About Paras in the Pokémon world
A small crab Pokémon with mushrooms growing on its back. Jungle Common. Low collector demand.
What is Paras worth?
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
Base Set 2 produced Unlimited prints. For Paras, the print variant can change the price several times over, so identify it before you buy.
Grading and condition
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 Paras
Raw copies of Paras are inexpensive enough that grading rarely pays unless you have a clearly pack-fresh example. For set completion, a clean sleeved Paras is the practical move.
