For collectors and players of the Pokémon Trading Card Game (TCG), Venusaur probably holds a special place in the heart. As the final evolution of one of the original starter Pokémon, Venusaur has appeared in numerous card sets throughout the years, captivating the imaginations of fans and collectors alike.
In this article, we’ll take you on a journey through the most valuable and rarest Venusaur cards available. From the earliest days of the franchise to special editions celebrating the legacy of Pokémon, you’ll get a glimpse at some of the best versions of Venusaur over the years. Get ready to embark on an exciting journey through the world of Venusaur card collecting!
A quick note to say that we’ve limited this list to individual sales of Venusaur cards. Because of Venusaur’s iconic status, cards featuring this Grass-type Pokémon have often been sold in sets with other older cards. We’ve excluded these so we can focus on the sole value of Venusaur cards.
15. 2016 20th Anniversary Japanese Pokémon Starter Pack Mega Venusaur #2 - $950
The only venusaur card on our list to not break the thousand dollar mark is this utterly gorgeous Mega Venusaur from the 20th Anniversary Japanese Pokémon set. The Venusaur came in the starter pack, so they were widely available back in 2016. The card art is stunning, with the super-powered Mega Venusaur taking a swipe in the shot, with the words “Bloom Buster” forming in his wake. The energy and force of the image makes it really dynamic and certainly one of the best cards featuring the Grass-loving Pokémon.
If the design and exclusivity of the card wasn’t enough to drive this pricing, the copy that set the record price here is a truly rare article. This is one of the very few Black Label BGS 10 Pristine rated cards I’ve seen. That is, the card is a perfect 10 on all four subcategories that BGS rates on. In retrospect, the pricing of $950 for this copy sold in August 2023 feels like kind of a steal for an out of print card in this exceptional shape. A perfect card like this is a worthy addition to any collection.
14. 2004 Pokémon EX Fire Red Leaf Green Holo Venusaur #112 - $1,075
The Pokémon EX Fire Red Leaf Green Holo Venusaur card is part of the EX Fire Red Leaf Green set, which was released in 2004 to accompany the FireRed and LeafGreen versions of the Pokémon video game for the Game Boy Advance. As remakes of the original Red and Blue games, this set has a nostalgic pull for fans of the early Pokémon universe. Venusaur is frequently the cornerstone of Grass-type decks and this iteration of the monster can be a game-changer on the table.
Within the 2004 EX Fire Red Leaf Green set, the card is a rare holo card and that helps increase its value even in a list full of older cards and promos. The record price of $1,075 was set by the sale of a PSA 10 Gem Mint copy in December 2020. There hasn’t been a lot of movement on the price since then, so this one might be an investment to wait and see on.
13. 1998 Pokémon Japanese CD Promo Holo Venusaur #3 - $1,299
This 1998 Japanese Venusaur Holo CD Promo card is an unusual entry on a list that already has a lot of unique cards. This iteration of Venusaur was released with Pokémon music CDs in Japan. This limited distribution method makes the card rare and somewhat hard to find, which has helped drive up the price. This Venusaur was never available through standard Pokémon TCG boosters, so most people will never have seen it. Though it was a promo card sold with music CDs, it still is a functional TCG card. The stats are nothing special, so it’s best to simply get this one graded and add it to your collection.
The limited and unusual distribution has helped set a record price for a PSA 10 Gem Mint copy, which sold in January 2021 for $1,299. The sky’s the limit on such an exclusive card continuing to appreciate.
12. 1996 Bandai Carddass Japanese Pokémon Red Venusaur #003 - $1,525
Before the Pokémon TCG brought the franchise to the world, Bandai had the rights to produce trading cards for Pokémon. This particular Venusaur card is one of first appearances of the character on a trading card and it was part of the “Red” set that was released in 1996. Bandai used colors to categorize sets in their short-lived series.
The Bandai Carddass cards have proven popular with collectors and investors alike, shown in how this PSA 10 Gem Mint copy sold for $1,525 in August 2023. This price is a record for the Red series, but you may just see another copy further up the list that is even more valuable.
11. 2002 Pokémon Japanese Lottery eCard Holo Promo Venusaur #012/P - $1,145
The 2002 Venusaur Holo Lottery eCard Promo card is a truly unusual and rare collectible featuring the favorite Pokémon. This special type ofVenusaur card was released in Japan as part of a lottery promotion during the eCard era, a time when cards had a strip of dot code on the side that could be Nintendo e-Reader device to unlock additional content, like minigames or extra options. Between those two features, this is a winner for collectors and investors. The holo design on top of an unusual new piece of Venusaur artwork just adds to the desirability of this excellent card.
The Lottery eCard Venusaur is gaining value as time passes, with a record sale in January 2021 of $1,145 for a PSA 10 Gem Mint copy. The likelihood of eCards or lottery-style giveaways coming back is small, so this card should just keep appreciating further in the days ahead.
10. 2016 Pokémon XY Black Star Promo Venusaur EX #XY123 - $1,226
One of the oldest Venusaur cards on the list, the 2016 Pokémon XY Black Star Promo Venusaur EX card is part of the Red and Blue collection of special promotional cards released with Pokémon-related events - in this case, it was the 20th Anniversary of the Pokémon franchise. As an EX card, this Venusaur is a powerhouse with higher hit points and more powerful attacks than typical Pokémon. The trade-off is that when an EX card is knocked out, the opponent is typically granted two Prize Cards instead of one. High-risk, high reward, as they say.
Artistically, it’s a gorgeous full-art card with a striking image of Venusaur in combat, breaking the frame to add a dynamic feel. That has surely played into its value as well, with a record price of $1,226 was set in May 2023 for a PSA 10 Gem Mint copy.
9. 1996 Bandai Carddass Japanese Pokémon Green Venusaur #003 - $2,000
Yes, if this sounds familiar it’s because the “Red” version of this early Venusaur card from Bandai was already featured above. The Bandai Carddass series of “Pocket Monster” cards was among the earliest cards from the franchise. This shiny holo card was part of the “Green” series, which has become harder to find than the “Red” series.
The Bandai Carddass “Vending Machine” cards (named for their distribution channel) have proven popular with collectors and investors alike, shown in how this CGC 10 Gem Mint copy sold for $2,000 in August 2023. While this Venusaur card might have sold for more if they’d used PSA or BGS, more reputable grading companies, it’s still an impressive sum.
8. 2002 Pokémon Legendary Collection Reverse Holographic #18 Venusaur - $2,325
The look of the Reverse Holo cards from the Pokémon Legendary Collection got some mixed reviews. While the pattern was unique, with a ‘fireworks’ look to them, some players complained about how this unusual pattern made the cards hard to read. For collectors, they just had their cards graded and ready to add to their collections. That was a wise move because these Venusaur cards have appreciated in value since their debut.
In January 2021, a copy in PSA 10 Gem Mint condition was sold for $2,325, setting a then-record price for a reverse holo Venusaur. That said, this card has clearly gone up in value. Pricing for PSA 10 Gem Mint copies has more than doubled, but we’ll see if the market will pay that much for this gorgeous but hard to read Venusaur card.
7. 1999 Base Set Shadowless Venusaur #15- $3,600
While the same card will appear further down our list, this version of the Shadowless card from the Base Set lacks the 1st Edition stamp that distinguishes the first print run. That said, the 1999 Base Set Shadowless Venusaur #15 is no slouch - this card in great shape will still fetch a few thousand dollars. Technically, the run of these cards before the Shadows showed up in the margins of the cards was pretty short, too, so it’s definitely still a valuable collectible.
Pricing is all over the place for Shadowless and 1st Edition Shadowless, but we have seen a record price of $3,600 paid for a PSA 10 Gem Mint copy of the card, which sold in February 2023. The pricing can sometimes be affected by the confusion sometimes created between these similar cards, so read up on our guide to Shadowless cards if you need a refresher.
6. 2000 Topps Chrome Tekno Pokémon Sparkle Venusaur #3 - $3,616
Proving once again that you don’t have to be playable to be a valuable Pokémon card, this 2000 Topps Chrome version of Venusaur is a gorgeous card that is also worth a lot of money despite being useless in play of the Pokémon TCG. Collectors won’t care when they see this Sparkle Venusaur in all its glory. Serious players can sometimes forget that the franchise has hundreds of millions of players who only play the video games and, for them, the Topps Chrome series is a great way to get into collecting cards without worrying about the tabletop game.
Indeed, this Venusaur card has sold well over the years, with its price increasing over time as it became harder to find them. The card that set this record price of $3,616 was sold in December 2021, with a PSA 10 Gem Mint grading. While you can find copies with lower grading for less, this is a valuable Venusaur card and even PSA 9 grade cards are selling for thousands of dollars. If you can snap up a copy, you can expect it to continue to appreciate in value as the fanbase for the Topps Chrome series is still quite strong.
5. 2000 Pokémon Gym Challenge Erika's Venusaur Holo #4 - $5,491.43
The 2000 Pokémon Gym Challenge Erika's Venusaur Holo #4 card is a quirky collectible from the early days of the Pokémon TCG. The card is part of the 2000 Gym Challenge Pokémon set, which features Pokémon owned by Gym Leaders from the Pokémon series, as opposed to wild Pokémon. The Venusaur is said to belong to Erika, the Celadon City Gym Leader known for running Grass-type Pokémon. Erika’s Venusaur has a big attack and can take a lot of damage. The artwork feels a little off with the Pokémon being pushed onto the right-hand side of the image, but at least the artwork is unique to the card.
As you might expect, this rare Pokémon card has been fetching serious cash on the market. The record amount paid for this valuable card was set in July 2023 for about $5,500. A rare card like this will always be worth a lot, but make sure you get them graded to maximize value.
4. 1995 Pokémon Topsun Venusaur #3- $12,700
While the Topsun line of Pokémon cards are not officially part of the Pokémon TCG, many collectors like to add the Topsun line to their collection so they have the full history of the franchise. Topsun cards were produced later than the erroneous 1995 date that appears on them (more like 1997), but the cards are still difficult to find. The artwork on these cards was notably simpler and the text on them is more about the Pokémon’s general abilities and background than the TCG cards, which focused on game play stats.
That said, Topsun cards are popular because of their place in history and how many of the designs at that time influenced future visions for the original Pokémon. The record-breaking price of the Topsun Venusaur card was set with a PSA 10 Gem Mint condition, which sold in October 2020 for $12,700.
3. 1999 Pokémon Disco Holo Test Print Shadowless Rare Holofoil #15 Venusaur- $13,499
At the risk of filling the list with a lot of the same card, we can’t skip this unusual Venusaur test print card because it’s got such an intriguing backstory. When Wizards of the Coast brought the Pokémon TCG from Japan in 1999, they made a lot of changes like new names that were easier for a Western audience and some changes to the aesthetics of the cards. One of the unpopular decisions they made was shifting the look of Holofoil cards from the traditional "Cosmos" pattern to what was dubbed the "Starlight" pattern. The process of making this change resulted in lots of test prints like this one. This particular card has been deemed the "Disco" pattern by graders for its look and transitory status in the Holofoil series. Lots of details are missing from the card, but since it was a test print, that’s to be expected.
Not too many of these cards have surfaced over the years, so this one with a CGC 8 NM/Mint rating was good enough to sell for a princely sum that broke all records. In September 2023, this copy sold for $13,499.
2. 1996 Pokémon Japanese Base Set Holo Venusaur No Rarity #3 - $21,000
This 1996 Pokémon Japanese Base Set Holo Venusaur No Rarity #3 card is really the original Pokémon Venusaur card, as it dates back to the 1996 Japanese version of the card set. The Japanese Base Set was released in Japan in 1996, after the success of the Pokémon Gameboy games. This edition had a minor error in that the rarity symbol was excluded on this print run, making for one of the first Error-Oriented Pokémon cards to gain in value. The lore is that the "no rarity" cards were only printed for approximately three months (until the end of 1996), making them exceedingly rare (no pun intended).
Venusaur was even the game’s mascot for both the Pokémon Green and LeafGreen versions of the video game. The Venusaur artwork is the work of Mitsuhiro Arita, one of the legendary artists known for the Pokémon franchise. In February 2022, a BGS 9.5 Gem Mint copy was sold for $21,000.
1. 1999 Pokémon Base Set 1st Edition Holo Venusaur #15 - $28,255
The 1999 Pokémon Base Set 1st Edition Holo Venusaur #15 is part of the cornerstone of Pokémon nostalgia. This original set with its holographic cards and iconic imagery for the hobby make for excellent collectibles. As one of the original 151 Pokémon cards, this version of Venusaur card continues to increase in value over time. While this version is similar to the Shadowless edition listed above, adding the 1st Edition stamp onto the side of the card adds quite a bit of additional value to the card.
In October 2020, a PSA 10 Gem Mint copy of the card sold for $28,255, setting a record for this highly sought-after version of the mighty Vensaur. With the popularity of the game and the demand for early cards, we can expect this card to appreciate even more in the future.
Venusaur Cards are Reliably Valuable
Venusaur has been an iconic symbol of the Pokémon franchise for decades, and its cards continue to captivate both players and collectors. Whether it's the nostalgic 1st Edition Holo or a modern full-art version, each Venusaur card tells a unique story. While Venusaur may not have achieved the same level of popularity as Charizard or Pikachu, it has garnered a dedicated following due to its various versions and limited editions, such as the EX models and the Black Star Promos.
However, no Pokémon collection can be considered complete without a diverse set of Venusaur cards. We hope that our overview of the best options available has helped you find the perfect Grass-type monsters to enhance your personal decks and collection. Happy collecting!
