A particularly passionate fan of the Pokemon TCG has made it their mission to collect every copy of one specific card, already boasting over 1,700 in their collection. The trading card game branch of the beloved monster-catching franchise has easily been one of its most successful throughout the nearly three decades since Pokemon‘s debut. Following the launch of Pokemon‘s Base Set expansion, The Pokemon Company has launched 125 different sets for the TCG’s English-language version, with “Phantasmal Flames” serving as the most recent release. Now, one Pokemon TCG fan is trying to obtain every copy of an old card.
The Fossil expansion, released in 1997 in Japan and 1999 worldwide, is easily one of the most fondly remembered sets in Pokemon TCG history. The set saw the debut of the titular fossil Pokemon featured in Pokemon Red and Blue, with Kabuto, Omanyte, and Aerodactyl making their first appearance within the card game. The expansion also added Kanto’s legendary bird Pokemon to the TCG, with Articuno, Moltres, and Zapdos being some of the most highly sought-after cards from the set. Fossil even introduced one of the game’s most iconic Trainer cards, with Energy Search being a staple of the game to this day. However, one fossil Pokemon has captured the eye of a passionate fan.
Upcoming Unreleased Pokemon TCG Cards Are Selling for Hundreds of Dollars
Pokemon TCG cards from an upcoming set that hasn’t even been released yet are already selling for hundreds of dollars online.
A Pokemon Fan is Trying to Collect Every 1st Edition Kabuto Card
A Pokemon TCG fan who goes by Kabuto King is sharing their journey trying to collect every single copy of a Pokemon from the game’s Fossil expansion. The Pokemon fan regularly shares updates to their collection, with the collector trying to acquire every single 1st Edition copy ever created of the Kabuto card featured in Fossil. Kabuto King has already amassed a sizable quantity of Kabuto cards, with their current “Total Kabuto Count” sitting at more than 1,700 copies of the card. The Kabuto fan’s showcase even includes several graded copies of the Kabuto, dedicating themselves to owning every single copy of the classic fossil Pokemon.
The Kabuto collector’s impressive journey brings up plenty of questions about the mission’s feasibility. While official numbers are not widely available, boxes of Pokemon‘s Fossil expansion are believed to have been printed in batches of roughly 60,000 per print run. With the Pokemon TCG set’s frequent reprints during the game’s early days, there have likely been several hundreds of thousands of boxes printed of the Fossil expansion. Kabuto’s position as a Common within the set likely means that there could potentially be multiple Kabuto cards per box, with the total number potentially sitting in the high hundred-thousands or even millions.
Fossil Kabuto’s Value is Rising with Kabuto Fan’s Collection
While Kabuto King’s dream of owning every 1st Edition Kabuto may be a way off, the growing popularity of the Pokemon fan has caused a ripple effect on the card. Listings for the 1st Edition Fossil Kabuto on TCGPlayer have spiked throughout recent weeks, with the lowest prices among the card’s 1st Edition printing at more than $20 USD. The heightened value of the Pokemon TCG card also starkly contrasts the cost for its Unlimited printing, with a listed market price of less than 50 cents.
The worldwide popularity of the Pokemon franchise has often led to some of its most dedicated fans developing their own unusual collections. One Pokemon fan previously shared a particularly fascinating card in their personal library, having Pope Leo sign a Popplio card from the game’s Sun & Moon era. Some fans have even made it a point to collect some of the game’s priciest cards, with highly sought-after cards like the Base Set Charizard and Pikachu with Grey Felt Hat often selling for thousands of dollars. The ongoing success of Pokemon and the Pokemon TCG will continue to inspire fans of the franchise to collect in their own, unique ways.
