Shellder · Fossil, what to know.
About the Shellder card
Numbered 54 of 62 in Fossil, released in October 1999, Shellder is a Common, a Basic Water-type carrying 30 HP.
As a Basic Pokémon, Shellder 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.
Shellder carries this Pokédex flavor text: "Its hard shell repels any kind of attack. It is vulnerable only when its shell is open."
About Shellder in the Pokémon world
A bivalve Pokémon. Famously bites Slowpoke tails to trigger evolution. Jungle Common with thin demand.
What is Shellder worth?
Shellder 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 Shellder from the Unlimited copy.
Grading and condition
Shellder 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 Shellder
Raw copies of Shellder are inexpensive enough that grading rarely pays unless you have a clearly pack-fresh example. For set completion, a clean sleeved Shellder 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.
