- Jon Gilbert
- August 10, 2023
The most valuable Venusaur Pokemon cards in 2023 have a strong following among collectors and fans. While Charizard cards usually make headlines with their astronomical prices, Venusaur cards from across the TCG’s history regularly sell for thousands of dollars.
Venusaur isn’t as popular as Charizard or Blastoise, but plenty of people hold the venerable Grass-type Pokemon in particular regard. Others find its numerous iterations over the years create a worthy challenge to collect ‘em all.
We’ve found the ten most valuable Venusaur cards in 2023 by exploring recently sold cards. While you may find alternative prices for these cards elsewhere, these are the prices you should expect to buy or sell these Venusaur cards for.
We’ve only included English-language cards playable in the TCG game. While oversized promotional cards occasionally fetch high prices, we have not included them here. Japanese cards also can fetch higher prices, as the Pokemon Company printed them earlier than English-language cards.
Table of Contents
1. 1st Edition Base Set Venusaur (15/102) – $18,500
The first ever printed Venusaur card was part of the 1999 Base Set. Marked with a “1st Edition” logo on the left of the card, this is the oldest and most valuable Venusaur card available. Auction prices vary, but you can expect up to $18,500 for a PSA 10 condition 1st Edition Venusaur. However, to fetch this price, the card must have no defects, a challenging prospect in 2023.
Prices for this Venusaur card are nowhere near what we’ve seen for Charizard or even Blastoise, but canny collectors shouldn’t ignore this valuable card. PSA 9 cards are significantly cheaper, usually around $3,500.
Similar cards with shadowed art or the Poke Ball symbol also sell for thousands, but if you’re looking for the most valuable Venusaur card, keep an eye out for that “1st Edition” logo.
2. 1st Edition Erika’s Venusaur (4/132) – $3,200
Erika’s Venusaur is part of the Gym Challenge expansion, where every Pokemon Card was associated with a trainer, usually, the Gym Leaders you encountered in Pokemon Red & Blue.
Each of these cards was marked with the named Trainer’s portrait in the bottom-right corner of the card; in this case, the fourth Gym Leader, Erika, is featured.
Erika’s Venusaur features a brand new move set, albeit with a lower HP stat. Its artwork features the Pokemon in a more aggressive stance against a dark background.
As the second Venusaur card printed after the Base Set Venusaur (barring reprints in Base Set 2), it fetches a high price among collectors.
In 2023, it’s worth up to $3,000. But if you want a lower-graded card for your collection, you can pick up near-perfect prints for around $600.
3. Venusaur EX Red & Blue Promo(XY123) – $2,280
Included in a box set to celebrate Pokemon’s 20th anniversary, this Venusaur EX card might not seem like the kind of card that would initially fetch a high price. However, PSA 10 condition prints regularly change hands for over $1000; one recently sold for $2,280.
This card’s price is unusual because it was available in a boxed collection, making it an easy buy for anyone who wanted one at the time. The price has skyrocketed over the years, unlike many other promotional boxset cards, which have depreciated in value. Indeed, until the latter half of 2020, this card sold for a maximum of $80.
4. Legendary Collection Venusaur Reverse Foil (18/110) – $1,780
The 2002 Legendary Collection featured reprints of many Base Set Pokemon cards, but new variants like this Reverse Foil Venusaur card are some of the most valuable Pokemon cards. In 2023, a perfect quality print of this Venusaur card is worth $1,780, but finding a PSA 10 card is more challenging than most other Venusaur cards.
The thin layer of foil that makes these reverse foil cards unique is prone to peeling unless buyers immediately sleeved them; otherwise, the cards would quickly become damaged.
Lower-quality Legendary Collection Venusaur cards are common, selling for around $700, but if you’re searching for perfect quality prints, you may have to be patient before you can get one.
5. FireRed LeafGreen Venusaur EX (112/112) – $940
The FireRed & LeafGreen expansion introduced EX cards, bringing us the first Venusaur EX card. Unlike the Legendary Collection Venusaur, a PSA 10 2004 Venusaur EX frequently changes hands for around $940.
Those looking to pick up an imperfect print will be pleased to see even PSA 9 cards selling for less than $500. For those who think FireRed and LeafGreen were the peak of Pokemon games, this is an affordable way to celebrate this era of Pokemon.
All the cards from this expansion featured Pokemon from the original 151 lineup, although not all are represented in the 112-card list.
6. Base Set 2 Venusaur (15/130) – $815
Base Set 2 featured reprints of cards from Base Set 1 and the Jungle expansion, including Venusaur. This version differed slightly from its original printing, featuring a drop shadow under the art and a Pokeball symbol on the right.
These differences mean Base Set 2 Venusaur is worth less than the original iteration but can be overlooked by those unfamiliar with the subtle differences between the oldest Pokemon cards. It can also be confused with the Legendary Collection Venusaur, where the only difference is the Pokeball symbol.
In 2023, you can buy a PSA 10-graded Base Set 2 Venusaur for roughly $815. Lower grades can be found for under $100, making this expansion the perfect way to build a collection of vintage Pokemon cards for cheap.
7. POP 2 Venusaur (06/17) – $666
First available in the second Pokemon Organized Play promotional set, this Venusaur card could only be found at Organized Play events. However, the EX Holon Phantoms Blister Packs released in 2007 could contain this Venusaur card.
Due to its rarity, POP 2 Venusaur is worth up to $666 in 2023. Lower grades are low in value, so we recommend only investing in the highest quality POP 2 Venusaur cards.
The Pop 2 set this Venusaur card was included in is notable for kicking off the TCG’s regular six-month rota for each series of cards. This pattern is still in practice today.
8. Expedition Venusaur (030/165) – $450
Introduced in the first e-Card expansion of the Pokemon TCG, Expedition Venusaur was found in the 2002 Expedition Base Set. In 2023, this card is worth up to $450, but you can find lower-graded cards for less than $100.
Expedition Venusaur was scannable with the Nintendo e-Reader accessory, used to unlock various Game Boy Advance content and reveal a hidden move for the card (which was illegal in tournament play).
Pokemon cards in this expansion were completely redesigned to accommodate the accessory, giving this era of cards a unique design we likely won’t ever see again.
This card was one of three different Venusaur e-Cards. One is the more common non-Holo Venusaur Expedition, while the slightly less valuable Dark Venusaur card was only available as part of the Pokemon TCG Players Guide for Game Boy.
9. 2000 Black Star Promo Venusaur – $320
This unique Venusaur card was created for the Game Boy Color Pokemon TCG game and later printed as a physical card. However, the only way to acquire this promotional Venusaur card was by buying the Pokemon TCG Official Players Guide, which included the Venusaur card for free.
This unusual method of acquiring this card means perfect condition prints are nearly impossible to find. While PSA 9 graded cards are regularly sold for up to $320, there have been no listed sales of PSA 10 grades in recent years.
While this card may be too niche for its own good, it’s still one of the rarest Venusaur cards. And if you find a new copy of the Pokemon TCG Players Guide, you can snap up a card that way.
10. Best of Game Dark Venusaur – $310
Despite its name, Dark Venusaur is unrelated to the other “Dark” Pokemon cards featured in the Team Rocket expansion. Dark Venusaur was released in 2003 as part of the Best of Game collection, marking the end of Wizards of the Coast’s license to produce Pokemon cards.
Unlike most other cards in the Best of Game collection, Dark Venusaur did not have an existing English print. However, a Japanese version was printed in reference to its presence in the Game Boy Color game, Pokemon Trading Card Game 2.
Unlike the Japanese card, the English-language variant was redesigned with e-Card features but retained the same stats.
Despite Dark Venusaur’s rarity and unique appearance (It has more in common with the Shiny Venusaur’s yellow coloration), a PSA 10 print is rarely worth more than $310. Most copies instead go for under $200, while lower grades rarely breach the $100 mark.
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