Poliwag · Base Set 2, what to know.
About the Poliwag card
Numbered 88 of 130 in Base Set 2, released in February 2000, Poliwag is a Common, a Basic Water-type carrying 40 HP.
As a Basic Pokémon, Poliwag 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.
Poliwag carries this Pokédex flavor text: "Its newly grown legs prevent it from running. It appears to prefer swimming over trying to stand."
About Poliwag in the Pokémon world
A water-type tadpole Pokémon. The spiral pattern on its belly is one of the most recognized Pokémon designs. Base Set Common. Easy and cheap.
What is Poliwag worth?
Poliwag 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 Poliwag, the print variant can change the price several times over, so identify it before you buy.
Grading and condition
Poliwag 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 Poliwag
Raw copies of Poliwag are inexpensive enough that grading rarely pays unless you have a clearly pack-fresh example. For set completion, a clean sleeved Poliwag is the practical move.
