Zapdos · Hidden Fates, what to know.
About the Zapdos card
Zapdos is card 24 of 69 in Hidden Fates, released in August 2019, a Rare Holo. It is a Basic Lightning-type with 120 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 Shin Nagasawa.
The Pokédex entry printed on Zapdos reads: "A legendary bird Pokémon that is said to appear from clouds while dropping enormous lightning bolts."
About Zapdos in the Pokémon world
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.
What is Zapdos worth?
Zapdos is a holo rare, one of the cards that holds Hidden Fates's value. The rarity tier decides most of it, since the same card prints at several tiers with very different prices. In top-grade 1st Edition, Hidden Fates 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.
Print variants and how to spot them
Confirm the print and finish on Zapdos before pricing it, since variant and rarity set the market more than the card name alone.
Grading and condition
Expect the holo window to set the grade on Zapdos. Print misregistration and fine scratches in the lightning foil are the usual reasons a copy lands at a 9, and edge whitening against the frame is the next thing a grader notes.
If you are collecting Zapdos
If you are buying Zapdos, work in order: confirm the print variant first, then the grade, then price against recent sales for that exact variant and grade. Price the Zapdos against the population report, since modern holo supply is large.
