Telling Pokémon card variants apart

Practical guide

Two Pokémon cards with the same artwork and the same number can be worth very different amounts depending on the printing. These are the signs that tell them apart.

First edition

Look for the round "Edition 1" stamp on the left edge of the artwork (for English Wizards-era cards, roughly 1999-2000). If it's there, it's first edition; if it's not, it's unlimited. It's the distinction that moves the price most on valuable old cards.

Shadowless (Base Set only)

Look at the right side of the artwork box: in the "shadowed" printing (unlimited) there's a thin grey shadow giving the box depth; in the "shadowless" one that shadow is absent and the colors are generally lighter and flatter. Shadowless sits, by value, between first edition and unlimited. There's also an intermediate phase called "1st Edition Shadowless".

Holo, reverse holo, non-holo

• Classic holo — only the artwork is shiny/holographic, the rest of the card is matte.
• Reverse holo — the opposite: the artwork is matte and everything else (frame, text, background) is shiny. Introduced in 2002, it exists for almost every common/uncommon card in modern sets.
• Non-holo — no effect. For rares in modern sets it can coexist with a holo version of the same number.

Promos and special printings

Promotional cards often have a black-star set symbol with "PROMO" and come from event distributions, collectible products or magazines. The same artwork as a promo and as a set card is, to the market, a different card. Also watch for cards from anniversary collections (e.g. Celebrations, with a small dedicated logo) and printings with a gold border or a special stamp.

Language

The language isn't always obvious: Japanese cards have Japanese text and often a slightly different layout; non-English European cards (Italian, German, French, Spanish) have separate and generally smaller markets. Always note the language when valuing a card.

If you're unsure of the printing, a scan cross-checks the identification against a public database and recognizes set and number; the fine distinction between variants still needs to be checked by eye with the signs above.