Zapdos

Numbered 20 of 130 in Base Set 2, released in February 2000, Zapdos is a Rare Holo, a Basic Lightning-type carrying 90 HP.

As a Basic Pokémon, Zapdos 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.

Zapdos carries this Pokédex flavor text: "A legendary bird Pokémon said to appear from clouds while wielding enormous lightning bolts."

A Legendary Electric-Flying bird. The Electric of the three Legendary birds. Both Base Set holo Zapdos and Fossil holo Zapdos exist. The Base Set print is more famous and more valuable.

Zapdos is a holo rare, one of the cards that holds Base Set 2'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, Base Set 2 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.

Base Set 2 produced Unlimited prints. For Zapdos, the print variant can change the price several times over, so identify it before you buy.

For graded buyers, the holo window on Zapdos 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 lightning foil at a 45-degree angle under strong light before committing.

When you go to buy Zapdos, settle three things in order: the print variant, the condition, and a comp for that exact combination. A blended average across variants will mislead you on Zapdos, so price the specific copy in front of you.