Voltorb

Voltorb is card 67 of 102 in Base Set, released in January 1999, a Common. It is a Basic Lightning-type with 40 HP.

As a Basic Pokémon, Voltorb needs no prior evolution to put into play, which made it a practical card in the era's decks.

Illustrated by Keiji Kinebuchi. Kinebuchi contributed a smaller body of Wizards-era cards but is responsible for several memorable holos, with a warm, heavily textured style.

The card's flavor text gives Voltorb a line of lore: "Usually found in power plants. Easily mistaken for a Monster Ball, it has zapped many people."

A Poké Ball-shaped electric Pokémon. Famous for being mistaken for items in the games. Base Set Common. Cheap and sentimental.

Based on recent eBay sales, raw copies trade from $4.65 to $38 depending on the print and a PSA 10 runs from $256 to $486. The 1st Edition print is the most valuable, with a PSA 10 near $486. The table on this page breaks the price down by print and grade, updated 2026-06-05.

Base Set produced three print waves that collectors track separately: 1st Edition (the launch print, with an Edition 1 stamp under the artwork), Shadowless (no stamp and no drop shadow on the right of the frame), and Unlimited (the long-running print with the drop shadow restored). On Voltorb, the price gap between these prints can run 10x or more, so confirm the variant before any purchase.

Voltorb 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.

Raw copies of Voltorb are inexpensive enough that grading rarely pays unless you have a clearly pack-fresh example. For set completion, a clean sleeved Voltorb is the practical move.