Pokemon TCG: 20 Most Valuable Legendary Collection Cards

The Pokemon TCG’s Legendary Collection released in May 2002 and featured reprints of famed cards from the game’s first four sets: Base Set, Jungle, Fossil, and Team Rocket. While many of the cards from those first sets are among the most valuable Pokemon cards of all time, Legendary Collection featured one card in each pack with a special foiling method – deemed “Fireworks” by fans and collectors – that are supremely valuable and scarce.

This foiling method is quite striking, and even common-rarity cards with this treatment, such as Abra or Dratini, are worth well over $40. In fact, the lowest-priced fireworks reverse holo card from Legendary Collection is the rare Trainer card Pokemon Breeder at a cool $28 median value. But what are the most valuable cards from this cherished Pokemon TCG set? Let’s dive in.

Note: All prices are via PriceCharting and reference ungraded copies of the card; graded copies of any of these cards are worth significantly more. All prices are subject to change based on market conditions.

20. Charizard – Holo

Market Price: $116.70

The only non-fireworks card on this list is, unsurprisingly, another version of one of the most iconic Pokemon cards ever: Base Set Charizard. Seeing as Legendary Collection is home to reprints of the most popular and famous cards from previous sets, finding Base Set Charizard in the set is to be expected.

With tremendous and immediately recognizable art from legendary Pokemon TCG illustrator Mitsuhiro Arita, this Legendary Collection version of Charizard looks no different than the Base Set one, but because it hails from an exceedingly rare and highly sought-after set, rising tides (or in this case flames) lift all boats, so this card is worth well over $100 on the secondary market.

19. Jolteon – Reverse Holo (Fireworks)

Market Price: $124.25

This striking Jolteon originally released as part of the TCG’s second-ever set, Jungle, which debuted the beloved Basic Pokemon Eevee and its (at the time) three evolutions: Flareon, Jolteon and Vaporeon. Since Generation One, five more Eeveelutions have been unveiled and have become major chase cards throughout the game’s history, with Umbreon in particular being a fan-favorite with numerous big-money cards.

With the lovely fireworks holo finish that is Legendary Collection’s trademark and strong artwork from Kagemaru Himeno of a rosy-cheeked Jolteon with its tongue sticking out delivering some sort of electricity-based attack, this card is a real beauty and represents the second-most valuable Eeveelution card from this set behind…

18. Flareon – Reverse Holo (Fireworks)

Market Price: $125.00

Eevee’s Fire-type evolution card from LC is worth just a hair more than its Electric-type sibling, and it’s easy to see why: the artwork! Originally released in the Jungle set, this Flareon card features a gorgeous representation of Flareon, once again by Kagemaru Himeno, set against a bejeweled, rainbow-colored background.

The combination of the glitzy fireworks holo pattern and Himeno’s memorable artwork make this card a hot ticket among Flareon collectors, and it remains one of the top five most valuable Flareon cards ever released over 20 years after it debuted in this set.

17. Bulbasaur – Reverse Holo (Fireworks)

Market Price: $127.77

The Kanto starters (Bulbasaur, Charmander and Squirtle) are among the most notable Pokemon of all time, so it’s no surprise to see all three starters on this list in their fireworks reverse holo guises. The first Pokemon ever (according to Pokedex number at least), Bulbasaur, kicks things off.

With another brilliantly illustrated card from Mitsuhiro Arita, first debuting in Base Set, and the truly singular fireworks holo finish, seeing this ultra-rare Bulbasaur card be worth nearly $130 on the secondary market is no surprise, and it remains the single-most valuable Bulbasaur Pokemon TCG card (non-Topps variety, that is).

16. Squirtle – Reverse Holo (Fireworks)

Market Price: $128.75

Following up the first-ever Grass-type starter Pokemon in the franchise’s history is the first-ever Water-type starter, Squirtle. This beloved shell-bound cutie is using one of its attacks, Bubble, in yet another wonderfully illustrated card from Mitsuhiro Arita – who was responsible for six of the nine cards in Base Set that make up the Kanto starter evolutionary lines.

Much like Bulbasaur’s Legendary Collection fireworks card, this Squirtle card is the most valuable one featuring this fan favorite from the TCG – not counting the Pokemon Snap Best Photo Contest promo card, of which only 20 copies were ever created. The fireworks pattern, in this Pokemon trainer’s opinion, looks stupendous on Water-type cards and especially good when paired with the best Kanto starter (don’t @ me).

15. Mewtwo – Box Topper Reverse Holo

Market Price: $129.91

The first of four Box Topper cards featured here was originally printed as a non-holo Black Star Promo (#12) with artwork from legendary Magic: The Gathering illustrator Christopher Rush, who was responsible for the artwork on instantly recognizable cards like Black Lotus, Lightning Bolt, Mana Leak and Rod of Ruin. This was the only card that Rush illustrated for the Pokemon TCG.

Box Topper cards were bonus cards introduced in Legendary Collection that were inserted into sealed booster boxes and featured larger dimensions than regular cards (126.5 × 90.0 mm vs. 87.0 × 63.0 mm), but smaller dimensions than jumbo cards (205.5 × 145.5 mm). Box Toppers would become standard-sized promo cards starting with 2004’s Team Magma vs. Team Aqua release.

14. Dark Raichu – Box Topper Reverse Holo

Market Price: $146.56

This larger-scale version of Dark Raichu represented a special reprinting of the first secret rare in the TCG’s history. Somewhat surprisingly, the standard fireworks reverse holo of Dark Raichu is not one of the most valuable cards from Legendary Collection, only clocking in with a value of $87.04.

The Box Topper version, however, is quite the chase card, as collectors and fans first had to obtain a booster box of this product – not as common back then as it is today – and then pull one of four options for the Box Topper. The larger size of this card makes it an intriguing curio for fans.

13. Alakazam – Reverse Holo (Fireworks)

Market Price: $156.38

The final evolution of Abra will always hold a special place in the Pokemon TCG canon as it’s the first card (by set number) in the game’s history when it debuted as a holofoil in Base Set all the way back in 1999.

Alakazam has a number of big-money cards on the secondary market, including this one, though this Psychic-type’s most valuable cards hail from the e-Card series of sets: Expedition, Aquapolis, and Skyridge. Still, the fireworks reverse holo version of ‘Zam is striking and it’s understandable that it’s worth over $150 on the secondary market.

12. Dark Blastoise – Box Topper Reverse Holo

Market Price: $158.76

The second-most valuable Box Topper out of four in LC is the dark variant of Squirtle’s final form, Blastoise. Dark Pokemon in the TCG were introduced in the Team Rocket expansion and represent corrupted versions of Pokemon that were raised negligently by their trainers (think about the hard-hearted way Silver treats his ‘mon in the early goings of Pokemon Gold & Silver).

Once again, the larger scale of this card coupled with the singular reverse holo pattern found on the earliest Box Toppers (a variant of the “cracked ice” holo method) make it a top choice for Blastoise fans. Curiously, unlike Dark Raichu, the Box Topper version of this card is actually not as valuable as the standard fireworks reverse holo.

11. Dark Dragonite – Reverse Holo (Fireworks)

Market Price: $165.55

Another dark Pokemon variant that originally released in the beloved Team Rocket expansion, this card transformed the Pokemon universe’s first pseudolegendary Pokemon (aka Powerhouse Pokemon, the official name) from a gentle, sweet-looking creature into an angry, vengeful beast.

The Pokemon TCG would revisit Dark Dragonite as a Darkness-type card instead of a Normal-type one in 2004’s Team Rocket Returns expansion, which is a highly sought-after set with a supremely high median value that sometimes actually outpaces the amazingly pricey Legendary Collection.

10. Mewtwo – Reverse Holo (Fireworks)

Market Price: $170.00

A normal-sized version of the aforementioned Box Topper reverse holo Mewtwo, this card once again features the amazing, and unusual, artwork of Christopher Rush of Magic fame. While the Box Topper version of this card might be far rarer, the standard version is actually the more valuable one.

Why is that? It’s likely due to the fact that this card simply has more sales data than the slightly larger Box Topper version. As such, graded copies of this card can truly break the bank, with cards graded with a nine reaching a price tag close to $700. If you can manage to grade this card out at a 10, you’re looking at over $3,000 – though those only come along roughly once a year.

9. Dark Blastoise – Reverse Holo (Fireworks)

Market Price: $177.00

Much like the standard-sized Mewtwo fireworks reverse holo, the normal Dark Blastoise reverse holo is worth more than the unusually sized Box Topper version. Though Mewtwo cards are hot tickets, they often don’t quite reach the cache that cards featuring the final forms of the original Kanto starters reach.

Though many of the cards on this list were never major competitive threats in the early days of the TCG, Dark Blastoise was an exception, as it served as a strong finisher in Rain Dance decks that employed Base Set Blastoise’s eponymous Pokemon Power: Rain Dance. Seeing as the cards had different names, decks of this ilk could feature up to four of both standard Blastoise and Dark Blastoise. While Blastoise boasted more HP and the deck’s namesake, Pokemon Power: Rain Dance, Dark Blastoise was able to up the maximum damage from 60 to 70, making it a more effective finisher for the archetype.

8. Pikachu – Reverse Holo (Fireworks)

Market Price: $199.99

Starting a run of three consecutive cards that were of the common rarity when they were originally printed is one of the most recognizable characters across all of gaming. Of course, it’s Pikachu. The mascot of the Pokemon franchise is this adorable little electric mouse, who saw printings in two straight sets at the TCG’s origins: Base Set and Jungle.

This fireworks reverse holo version is a reprint of the Jungle printing, which is a good thing, as it was the better card all-around. As someone who traded Pokemon cards on the playground (where I spent most of my days) as a wee lad, the Base Set Pikachu was not regarded highly, as its artwork was not quite as clean and recognizable as Ken Sugimori’s from Jungle. Still, seeing a card that was originally a common hit nearly $200 on the secondary market is fairly surprising – but that shows the scarcity and wide appeal of the one-off fireworks reverse holo pattern.

7. Eevee – Reverse Holo (Fireworks)

Market Price: $199.99

One of the most valuable common cards from Legendary Collection, as well as one of the most valuable common Pokemon cards of all time, is this printing of Eevee. Seeing as how Pokemon has turned this Normal-type into a nominal second mascot for the franchise, this reprinted fireworks reverse holo version of Eevee’s first card from Jungle being worth just a hair under $200 makes perfect sense.

Of course, Eevee and its evolutions have long been fan favorites – both in the TCG and in mainline Pokemon games – so this card being extremely valuable is no surprise. What is somewhat of a shock is that this card is worth more than its Eeveelution counterparts. Perhaps the Normal-type coloration simply looks amazing as a fireworks holo, or perhaps it’s the sheer novelty of having a card featuring one of the most famous Pokemon of all time from one of the game’s rarest sets.

6. Charmander – Reverse Holo (Fireworks)

Market Price: $203.84

The most valuable reprinted Kanto starter in Legendary Collection is, unsurprisingly, Charmander, the ever-popular Fire-type. While the original Base Set printing can be had for a relative pittance (sub-$2 per PriceCharting), the fireworks reverse holo version is worth over $200.

With memorable, pastoral artwork from Mitsuhiro Arita that shows Charmander seemingly surprised that its flaming tail has set a tuft of grass alight, this card looks lovely in the fireworks reverse holo finish, and seeing as Charmander and its evolution line is among the most famous in Pokemon history, it’s fitting to see it rank as the most valuable common card from LC.

5. Snorlax – Reverse Holo (Fireworks)

Market Price: $222.91

Snorlax is a beloved Normal-type Pokemon that originally debuted as part of the original 151 Pokemon from the Pokemon Red and Blue games. In the TCG, Snorlax didn’t get released until the Jungle expansion, and this LC card is a reprint of that one with the unique and beautiful fireworks holo pattern. Much like Eevee before it, the Normal typing lends itself to this foiling method.

Featuring original Pokemon designer Ken Sugimori’s classic artwork that shows this beefy ‘mon giving viewers a bemused wave, this card is an amazing chase rare from LC, and even heavily played versions go for well over $100 on the secondary market. If you want a highly graded copy of this card, such as one with a grade of nine, expect to shell out anywhere from $600 to $800.

4. Venusaur – Reverse Holo (Fireworks)

Market Price: $233.80

Despite Venusaur likely being the least popular final evolution of the Kanto starters, its Legendary Collection fireworks holo clocks in with a far higher price point than Blastoise, though nowhere near Charizard (more on that later). Why is that? It’s likely due to the fact that the Blastoise card found in LC is not the original Base Set printing, but rather the less recognizable Dark Blastoise variant from Team Rocket.

As such, Venusaur slots into the number-four spot on this list with a healthy price tag of over $230 on the secondary market over 20 years after this set released. While not as iconic as Base Set Charizard or as powerful as Base Set Blastoise, Base Set Venusaur retains a certain cache among collectors since Venusaur has long been a competitive powerhouse in mainline Pokemon games.

3. Gengar – Reverse Holo (Fireworks)

Market Price: $360.63

Gengar cards are among the most popular and valuable throughout the history of the TCG, so it’s somewhat surprising that Pokemon TCG didn’t release its first Gengar card until the game’s third set, Fossil, released in October 1999. While the Gengar VMAX full art card from Fusion Strike continues to climb to obscene heights in terms of value, this LC Gengar is no slouch in that area.

With a price tag well above $350 and striking computer-generated artwork from original Pokemon TCG illustrator Keiji Kinebuchi, this card is a definite classic – and it looks especially beautiful in its fireworks reverse holo guise. While there are more valuable Gengar cards out there, this one is surely a spectacular addition to any collectors of cards featuring the game’s first final-stage ghost.

2. Charizard – Reverse Holo (Fireworks)

Market Price: $571.88

As you might expect, the two most valuable cards from Legendary Collection are both variants of the original printing of Charizard from Base Set, which is one of the most recognizable cards across the entire spectrum of collecting – not just Pokemon TCG collecting.

This version of the card is, once again, the fireworks reverse holo rendition, which looks absolutely stupendous next to the brilliant original artwork from Mitsuhiro Arita that shows the fire lizard spewing out flames at its foe. While ungraded copies of this card approach a $600 median value, if you get this card graded out a nine, it’s worth about $3,500. And if you’re lucky enough to have over $15,000 lying around, you could be the lucky owner of one with a 10 grade.

1. Charizard – Box Topper Reverse Holo

Market Price: $672.50

And here we have it: the Box Topper reverse holo Charizard is the most valuable card from Legendary Collection. Seeing as Box Topper cards were randomized and only one could be found per booster box of LC, it’s no surprise that this card is worth nearly $700 on the secondary market.

While you’d think that same logic would apply to grading this card, the Box Topper version of LC Charizard is actually, somehow, less valuable in a PSA 10 than the standard version of the card ($7,600 vs. over $15,000). That’s something of a curiosity, but, either way, if you happen to have a shoebox full of Pokemon cards in the closet of your childhood home, be sure to crack it open when you visit your folks. You might find this card and discover that you’re sitting on a goldmine if you were into Pokemon during this era.

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