Blastoise in 2026: From Base Set Holo to the SV:151 SIR
By Dexhaul Team · August 26, 2026
Blastoise has spent twenty-five years in Charizard's shadow, and that undervaluation is the entire point.
The Water-type starter from the original 1999 Base Set sits at a collector sweet spot that Charizard can't offer: meaningful vintage cards at accessible prices, a standout modern SIR, and a reprint that perfectly mirrors the original artwork for under $20. Blastoise's TCG history runs from that iconic Base Set holo through the e-Card era, XY, Sword and Shield, and into Scarlet and Violet, with a different price story at each stop. This guide walks each milestone card, explains what separates them, and identifies where the value actually sits right now.
The Card That Started Everything: Base Set 2/102
Blastoise (2/102) from the 1999 Base Set is the defining card for the character. It is one of 16 holofoil rares in that set, illustrated by Mitsuhiro Arita, and it has circulated in three distinct print waves: 1st Edition (the rarest), Shadowless (no drop shadow on the card frame), and Unlimited (standard border with shadow).
Unlimited raw copies in played condition list between $60 and $80. Near-mint raw copies sit closer to $180. PSA 9 grades have sold above $300 at peak demand, though raw NM is the more accessible entry for most collectors who want the card on display rather than in a slab.
The 1st Edition print commands a steep premium above Unlimited and is not realistically within reach for most starting collections. Shadowless is the middle ground: distinctive for collectors who can identify the border difference, priced meaningfully above Unlimited, but below the 1st Edition ceiling.
The Smarter Entry: Celebrations Classic Collection
This is where Blastoise offers something Charizard's market rarely does: a genuine shortcut.
The 2021 Celebrations set included a Classic Collection sub-set that reprinted 25 iconic cards using the original artwork, identical card numbering, and a near-identical layout to the originals. Blastoise (2/102) in the Celebrations Classic Collection is the same Mitsuhiro Arita illustration, the same number, the same feel. The only difference is the Celebrations logo on the back and the "Classic Collection" stamp on the front.
At $15.99, the Celebrations 2/102 sits more than $160 below a raw NM Base Set copy. For collectors who want the original artwork in their collection without grading for resale, it is the most efficient card in Kanto TCG history.
The Base Set Unlimited remains the right choice if you want the authentic 1999 print: the card stock, the era, the unmodified back. The Celebrations copy is a legitimate display piece, not a substitute, and the two serve different collecting goals.
The XY Bridge: Evolutions and the EX Format
XY Evolutions (2016) was the set designed to mark Pokémon's 20th anniversary by reprinting the original Base Set layout almost card for card. Blastoise EX (21/108) appeared in that set: a modern EX mechanic card wearing the visual language of the original series.
At under $8 raw, the Evolutions Blastoise EX is the most affordable way to own a card from that anniversary set. It does not carry the same weight as the Base Set holo, but it represents a specific moment in the TCG timeline when The Pokémon Company chose to look back.
The Modern Collector Tier: SV:151
Scarlet and Violet 151 (released September 2023) covered all 151 original Pokémon, and Blastoise received two ex cards in the set. The standard double-rare, Blastoise ex (184/165), is the accessible modern entry at $22. The Special Illustration Rare, Blastoise ex (200/165), is the collector's tier.
The SIR (200/165) features a full-art illustration style with Blastoise in a vivid water environment, a format that has defined the premium collector card tier across the Scarlet and Violet era. At $146, it is the most expensive modern Blastoise card currently available from independent sellers on DexHaul, and it functions as the contemporary answer to the original Base Set holo: a card that represents Blastoise at its most visually ambitious.
SV:151 printed in high volume, which keeps single prices stable and in-stock from multiple sellers. That availability makes it a low-friction target compared to hunting for a specific graded vintage copy.
The Plush Option
Not every Blastoise collector starts with TCG cards.
The 10-inch Blastoise plush is the standard entry for display collectors and fans who want a physical presence on the shelf without committing to card collecting. At $45.99, it sits comfortably between the Celebrations card ($15.99) and the Blastoise ex standard double-rare ($22) if you are thinking in budget tiers rather than collecting categories.
The Deep End: Expedition Holofoil
If you want the rarest Blastoise card currently listed on DexHaul, it is the Expedition Holofoil (4/165) at $208.
Expedition Base Set was released in 2002 as part of the e-Card series, the first generation of Pokémon cards to include an e-Reader dot code along the card's edge. That e-Card era is one of the least-collected periods in the TCG timeline: the sets had a short print run, the e-Reader peripheral was discontinued quickly, and many copies have not aged well. Finding a Blastoise (4/165) Expedition in near-mint condition requires patience.
The Expedition Holo costs more than the Base Set Unlimited ($180) not because the character is more prominent in that set, but because the print run was smaller, the era has fewer collectors competing for it, and the supply of NM copies is genuinely limited. It is the kind of card a Blastoise collector reaches for after everything else has been checked off, not a starting point.
How to Think About the Collection Arc
Blastoise's collector market rewards a sequential approach.
Start with the Celebrations 2/102 ($15.99): same artwork as the Base Set original, no compromise on the illustration, low friction to acquire. Add the Blastoise ex double-rare from SV:151 ($22) for the modern era.
From there, the Base Set Unlimited ($60 played, $180 NM) is the next meaningful jump: the authentic 1999 print, and the difference in card stock is immediately visible side by side. The SV:151 SIR ($146) and the Expedition Holo ($208) are the specialist tiers for a complete collection.
None of those steps requires buying everything at once. Blastoise has one of the most clearly defined price ladders in Kanto TCG collecting, which makes it a character worth building toward deliberately.
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