Free U.S. shipping on orders over $75 · 14-day returns

Old School Cards

Pokemon

March 1997

Topsun

1997 · topsun · 316 cards in print run

ABOUT THE SET

Often miscalled the "oldest" Pokemon cards, the Topsun set is really a 1997 candy-shop run from Top-Seika, packed two-to-a-pack alongside apple-flavored bubble gum. Cards are numbered in National Pokedex order across all 150 first-generation Pokemon, Mew excepted. The thing collectors chase is the back: Blue Backs came first and famously include the "no-number" error cards, while corrected Green Backs followed. From after June 1997, a run of 16 prism holos was added, showing a few different foil patterns. Don't be fooled by the 1995 copyright stamped on the front — that's the Nintendo/Creatures/Game Freak license date, not a print date. Glossy on both faces and prone to soft corners, clean high-grade copies are genuinely tough, and Blue Back no-number Charizard is the white whale.

Vintage / ScarceA short, gum-pack run with no reprints. Blue Backs, no-number errors, and prism holos are genuinely scarce; high-grade copies of any card are hard to find given the thick gloss and soft corners.

150

Cards in set

1997

Japanese release

16

Prism holos

3

Back/edition types

PRINT QUIRKS · WHAT TO LOOK FOR

1
Numbering follows the National Pokedex (1-151) and skips Mew, so the set tops out at 150 cards.
2
Blue Backs are the first printing and include the 'no-number' error cards where the Pokedex number was omitted; Green Backs are the corrected later run.
3
Fronts carry a 1995 Nintendo / Creatures / Game Freak copyright — that is the game license date, NOT the 1997 print date.
4
Thick, glossy finish on both sides; corners and edges soften easily, which keeps high grades scarce.
5
Prism holos were introduced after June 1997 as a later insert (16 cards) and come in a few foil patterns.

GRADING NOTES

Expect soft corners and edge wear from the thick double-sided gloss — clean high grades are tough. The 1995 copyright is normal and not a variant. Confirm Blue vs Green Back, and on Blue Backs whether the card is a 'no-number' error, since both affect value. Surface scratching on prism holos is common.

FULL SET CHECKLIST

Every card in the set, across all 3 editions. Pick an edition to narrow the listed copies; listed cards are clickable.

For sale only

316 OF 316 CARDS6 LISTED

001BulbasaurCommon—001BulbasaurCommon—002IvysaurUncommon—002IvysaurUncommon—003VenusaurRare—003VenusaurRare—003VenusaurPrism—004CharmanderCommon—004CharmanderCommon—005CharmeleonUncommon—005CharmeleonUncommon—006CharizardRare—006CharizardRare—006CharizardPrism—007SquirtleCommon—007SquirtleCommon—008WartortleUncommon—008WartortleUncommon—009BlastoiseRare—009BlastoiseRare—009BlastoisePrism—010CaterpieCommon—010CaterpieCommon—011MetapodUncommon—011MetapodUncommon—012ButterfreeRare—012ButterfreeRare—013WeedleCommon—013WeedleCommon—014KakunaUncommon—014KakunaUncommon—015BeedrillRare—015BeedrillRare—016PidgeyCommon—016PidgeyCommon—017PidgeottoUncommon—017PidgeottoUncommon—018PidgeotRare—018PidgeotRare—019RattataCommon—019RattataCommon—020RaticateUncommon—020RaticateUncommon—021SpearowCommon—021SpearowCommon—022FearowUncommon—022FearowUncommon—023EkansCommon—023EkansCommon—024ArbokUncommon—024ArbokUncommon—025PikachuCommon—025PikachuCommon—025PikachuPrism—026RaichuRare—026RaichuRare—027SandshrewCommon—027SandshrewCommon—028SandslashUncommon—028SandslashUncommon—029Nidoran♀Common—029Nidoran♀Common—030NidorinaUncommon—030NidorinaUncommon—031NidoqueenRare—031NidoqueenRare—031NidoqueenPrism—032Nidoran♂Common—032Nidoran♂Common—033NidorinoUncommon—033NidorinoUncommon—034NidokingRare—034NidokingRare—034NidokingPrism—035ClefairyRare—035ClefairyRare—036ClefableRare—036ClefableRare—037VulpixCommon—037VulpixCommon—038NinetalesRare—038NinetalesRare—039JigglypuffCommon—039JigglypuffCommon—040WigglytuffRare—040WigglytuffRare—041ZubatCommon—041ZubatCommon—042GolbatUncommon—042GolbatUncommon—043OddishCommon—043OddishCommon—044GloomUncommon—044GloomUncommon—045VileplumeRare—045VileplumeRare—046ParasCommon—046ParasCommon—047ParasectUncommon—047ParasectUncommon—048VenonatCommon—048VenonatCommon—049VenomothUncommon—049VenomothUncommon—050DiglettCommon—050DiglettCommon—051DugtrioUncommon—051DugtrioUncommon—052MeowthCommon—052MeowthCommon—053PersianUncommon—053PersianUncommon—054PsyduckCommon—054PsyduckCommon—055GolduckUncommon—055GolduckUncommon—056MankeyCommon—056MankeyCommon—057PrimeapeUncommon—057PrimeapeUncommon—058GrowlitheCommon—058GrowlitheCommon—059ArcanineRare—059ArcanineRare—060PoliwagCommon—060PoliwagCommon—061PoliwhirlUncommon—061PoliwhirlUncommon—062PoliwrathRare—062PoliwrathRare—063AbraCommon—063AbraCommon—064KadabraUncommon—064KadabraUncommon—065AlakazamRare—065AlakazamRare—066MachopCommon—066MachopCommon—067MachokeUncommon—067MachokeUncommon—068MachampRare—068MachampRare—068MachampPrism—069BellsproutCommon—069BellsproutCommon—070WeepinbellUncommon—070WeepinbellUncommon—071VictreebelRare—071VictreebelRare—072TentacoolCommon—072TentacoolCommon—073TentacruelUncommon$17.95 073TentacruelUncommon$17.95 074GeodudeCommon—074GeodudeCommon—075GravelerUncommon—075GravelerUncommon—076GolemRare—076GolemRare—077PonytaCommon—077PonytaCommon—078RapidashUncommon—078RapidashUncommon—079SlowpokeCommon—079SlowpokeCommon—080SlowbroUncommon—080SlowbroUncommon—081MagnemiteCommon—081MagnemiteCommon—082MagnetonUncommon—082MagnetonUncommon—083Farfetch'dCommon—083Farfetch'dCommon—084DoduoCommon—084DoduoCommon—085DodrioUncommon—085DodrioUncommon—086SeelCommon—086SeelCommon—087DewgongUncommon—087DewgongUncommon—088GrimerCommon—088GrimerCommon—089MukUncommon—089MukUncommon—090ShellderCommon—090ShellderCommon—091CloysterUncommon—091CloysterUncommon—092GastlyCommon—092GastlyCommon—093HaunterUncommon—093HaunterUncommon—094GengarRare—094GengarRare—095OnixCommon—095OnixCommon—096DrowzeeCommon—096DrowzeeCommon—097HypnoUncommon—097HypnoUncommon—098KrabbyCommon—098KrabbyCommon—099KinglerUncommon—099KinglerUncommon—100VoltorbCommon—100VoltorbCommon—101ElectrodeUncommon$8.95 101ElectrodeUncommon$8.95 102ExeggcuteCommon—102ExeggcuteCommon—103ExeggutorUncommon—103ExeggutorUncommon—104CuboneCommon—104CuboneCommon—105MarowakUncommon—105MarowakUncommon—106HitmonleeCommon—106HitmonleeCommon—107HitmonchanCommon—107HitmonchanCommon—108LickitungCommon—108LickitungCommon—109KoffingCommon—109KoffingCommon—110WeezingUncommon—110WeezingUncommon—111RhyhornCommon—111RhyhornCommon—112RhydonUncommon—112RhydonUncommon—113ChanseyCommon—113ChanseyCommon—114TangelaCommon—114TangelaCommon—115KangaskhanCommon—115KangaskhanCommon—116HorseaCommon—116HorseaCommon—117SeadraUncommon—117SeadraUncommon—118GoldeenCommon—118GoldeenCommon—119SeakingUncommon—119SeakingUncommon—120StaryuCommon—120StaryuCommon—121StarmieUncommon$9.95 121StarmieUncommon$9.95 122Mr. MimeCommon—122Mr. MimeCommon—123ScytherRare—123ScytherRare—124JynxCommon—124JynxCommon—125ElectabuzzCommon—125ElectabuzzCommon—126MagmarCommon—126MagmarCommon—127PinsirCommon—127PinsirCommon—128TaurosCommon—128TaurosCommon—129MagikarpCommon—129MagikarpCommon—130GyaradosRare—130GyaradosRare—131LaprasCommon—131LaprasCommon—132DittoCommon—132DittoCommon—133EeveeCommon—133EeveeCommon—133EeveePrism—134VaporeonRare—134VaporeonRare—134VaporeonPrism—135JolteonRare—135JolteonRare—135JolteonPrism—136FlareonRare—136FlareonRare—136FlareonPrism—137PorygonCommon—137PorygonCommon—138OmanyteCommon—138OmanyteCommon—139OmastarUncommon—139OmastarUncommon—140KabutoCommon—140KabutoCommon—141KabutopsUncommon—141KabutopsUncommon—142AerodactylRare—142AerodactylRare—143SnorlaxCommon—143SnorlaxCommon—144ArticunoRare—144ArticunoRare—144ArticunoPrism—145ZapdosRare—145ZapdosRare—145ZapdosPrism—146MoltresRare—146MoltresRare—146MoltresPrism—147DratiniCommon—147DratiniCommon—148DragonairUncommon—148DragonairUncommon—149DragoniteRare—149DragoniteRare—149DragonitePrism—150MewtwoRare—150MewtwoRare—150MewtwoPrism—

NOTABLE CARDS · IN OUR STOCK

Topsun · 1997 · 073

Topsun · 1997 · 101

Topsun · 1997 · 121

RELATED SETS

1998 (main run rolled out quarterly across 1998-1999)

October 20, 1996

READY TO BROWSE?

See every Topsun card we have in stock.