Pokemon TCG: 10 Most Valuable Blastoise Cards

Blastoise, the final evolution of the original Generation One Water-type starter Squirtle, was the box-art Pokemon for Pokemon Blue, which, along with Pokemon Red and Green, are the best-selling Pokemon games of all time.

While the most valuable Charizard cards of all time remain the holy grail for Pokemon TCG collectors and fans due to their scarcity and popularity, Blastoise cards are no slouch in terms of monetary value on the secondary market.

While this list won’t be featuring holy grail cards such as Test Print Blastoise, which was used to demo the TCG to investors and actually features a Blastoise card with an amusing comic sans font as well as a Magic: The Gathering card back, it does feature some of the most notable Blastoise cards of all time that were found in sets. Let’s take a look.

Note: The prices quoted all come from TCGPlayer.com’s market price history, which can fluctuate over time and are reliant on sales of each card on the platform. Supplementary price information for each card, if necessary, came from PriceCharting.com.

10. Holofoil Dark Blastoise – Legendary Collection

Market Price: $88.30

The Legendary Collection featured cards from the TCG’s first four sets: Base Set, Jungle, Fossil, and Team Rocket, but for the holofoils, all of them had the original Starlight holofoil method – something that cards from the original Team Rocket set lacked.

The first of three appearances of this card on this list, it served as a “glass cannon” version of the original Base Set Blastoise: it had fewer hit points at 70, but it actually packed a bigger punch with its Hydrocannon attack than the original Blastoise did with its Hydro Pump.

9. Holofoil Blastoise GX (Secret) – Unbroken Bonds

Market Price: $95.48

This Blastoise card from 2019’s Unbroken Bonds set features the popular (and now defunct) rainbow foiling treatment. The card’s art itself shows a rather girthy Blastoise simply standing there… menacingly.

With its Solid Shell ability, this ‘Stoise takes 30 less damage from attacks and its single-shot Giant Geyser GX attack allows you to attach any number of water energies to your Pokemon from your hand – much like the original Base Set Blastoise’s Pokemon Power: Rain Dance.

8. Holofoil Blastoise – Base Set 2

Market Price: $99.45

Base Set 2 was the TCG’s first-ever “reprint” set, as it featured cards from the original Base Set and Jungle expansions, but featured the sharper, fresher-looking cosmos holofoil method, which would be the game’s default foiling method starting with the Team Rocket expansion.

While Base Set 2 lacks the overall value of most of the sets surrounding its release, the chase cards still pack quite a monetary punch, and this nearly $100 Blastoise card is indicative of that. For novice collectors, some of Base Set 2’s chase cards – like this Blastoise – might be a good starting point for getting into vintage sets.

7. Holofoil Blastoise – Base Set

Market Price: $169.56

Here it is, the Blastoise card that started it all – though not in its earliest printing, mind you; that will come later. This card was hugely impactful upon release as it birthed one of the strongest deck archetypes in the early history of the TCG: Rain Dance.

Using Blastoise’s Pokemon Power: Rain Dance, you could put any number of water energies in your hand into play as often as you like during your turn (an ability that has been reprinted a few times with different names). Often, you were simply powering up Blastoise’s own Hydro Pump attack, but fully charging up a Base Set Gyarados or a Fossil Articuno was also equally attractive.

6. Reverse Holofoil Dark Blastoise (Fireworks) – Legendary Collection

Market Price: $170.01 (per PriceCharting.com)

The “fireworks” reverse holofoil cards from 2002’s Legendary Collection are among the top chase cards of all time – and certainly from their own set. As such, this Dark Blastoise is worth nearly double the amount of its standard holofoil version from the set.

Also, because this card is so scarce on the secondary market, TCGPlayer does not even list a median price for this version. So, if you cracked this card in a booster pack way back in 2002… a hearty congratulations.

5. Holofoil Blastoise & Piplup GX (Alternate Full Art) – Cosmic Eclipse

Market Price: $171.02

A truly awesome card with delightful artwork showcasing the cutest Water-type starter of all time (Piplup from Generation Four) paired with a smiling, happy Blastoise as part of the “Tag Team” subtype of cards.

The duo are shown in an interesting, seafoam green-colored oceanic environment surrounded by bubbles, and they truly look as if they’re having the time of their lives. A beautiful card that certainly deserves its over $170 price tag.

4. Holofoil Blastoise – Plasma Storm

Market Price: $180.85

One thing this writer is usually effusive about is the artwork in the Pokemon TCG. However, in this case… if you can’t say something nice, it’s better to keep quiet.

Despite that, this is a truly notable Blastoise chase card, as it was a secret rare from 2013’s Plasma Storm, which is also home to one of the most valuable Charizard cards of all time (a shiny variant). This Blastoise is also of the shiny variety, though it is almost impossible to tell because Blastoise’s shiny form is nearly identical to its standard one (a shiny ‘Stoise is slightly lighter and more purple-hued with a greenish shell as opposed to the darker, bluer standard version with a tan/brown shell).

3. Holofoil Dark Blastoise – Team Rocket

Market Price: $210.77

The final appearance of the original printing of Dark Blastoise on this list also happens to be one of the most valuable cards from 2000’s Team Rocket expansion – and with good reason. It’s got great art, strong attacks, and features one of the most popular and well-known ‘mon of all time.

While the Hydrocannon attack was the main feature for the season when this card released, Rocket Tackle could also be game-warping – especially if you got a little lucky with your coin flips (always a “fun” part of the TCG’s gameplay).

2. Holofoil Shadowless Blastoise – Base Set

Market Price: $225.00

Shadowless Holofoil Base Set Blastoise is the second-most valuable ‘Stoise of all time and is worth around $50 more than its standard Base Set sibling. Shadowless Base Set cards are always hot commodities among collectors, so this card’s price point is no surprise.

Of course, if you can nab a first edition of this card, you’re really sitting pretty, as those cards fetch well into the thousands, and if you get them graded professionally and they score highly, you could be looking at a notable financial windfall – all thanks to the first-ever Water-type starter’s final evolution.

1. Holofoil Blastoise – Expedition

Market Price: $325.00

Expedition was part of the e-Reader series of cards that was released in the early 2000s, and it also ranks as one of the most valuable Pokemon TCG sets of all time. As such, this set’s rarest cards also rank highly across the board in terms of the most valuable cards ever made – and that applies to the most valuable Blastoise cards as well. Cards from the eReader era of the TCG have risen dramatically in recent years, and this Blastoise card is no exception.

This might be one of the most unusual Blastoise cards on this list – both due to its striking yet divisive e-Reader card style as well as its frankly frightening Kimiya Masago artwork, which shows a thuggish-looking Blastoise lurking underwater – a far more naturalistic representation than one would expect from the TCG.

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