2002 Pokemon Expedition Holo Charizard #6 PSA 10 GEM MINT

Nearly three decades after its debut in Pokémon Red and Green, Charizard remains the franchise’s most popular Pokémon. A 2019 survey of over 52,000 users within the r/Pokémon subreddit concluded that the beloved fire lizard reigned supreme over 800 other Pokémon. While no character garnered more than 2% of the total vote, only two Pokémon received 1,000 or more votes, with Charizard edging out Gengar 1,107 to 1,056. The Flame Pokémon also beat out several other Gen I favorites, including Arcanine (923 votes), Bulbasaur (710), Eevee (581), Dragonite (551), Squirtle (523), Ninetales (471), Snorlax (433), and Blastoise (410). Pikachu, the franchise’s beloved mascot, did not even crack the top 25. Yet even after the Pokédex leaped to over 1,000 entries with the release of Sword & Shield and Scarlet & Violet, Charizard still came out on top. A 2022 study published by Game Rant named Charizard the year’s most-searched Pokémon, with the iconic starter attracting 240,700 total monthly searches. Gardevoir, a Gen III staple, finished second with 158,400 searches, proving that no Pokémon is even close to matching Charizard’s popularity. Because of this high demand, Wizards of the Coast included two different Charizard cards in its groundbreaking 2002 Expedition release. As the first expansion of the e-Card Series era, Expedition introduced several card design changes as well as changes to the Pokémon metagame. Yet the addition of the Dot Code border presented a new challenge for condition-conscious collectors. By swiping e-Cards through the newly released e-Reader device, collectors could access mini-games, secret items, and Pokédex entries on their Game Boy Advance. However, young collectors did not use much care when swiping their cards, leading most e-Cards to suffer significant damage. Due to Charizard’s immense popularity, Expedition issues featuring the Flame Pokémon often suffered the worst wear as they took countless spins through e-Readers. This PSA 10 represents one of the few examples to survive in Gem Mint grade, and the issue’s stunning holofoil only increases its appeal tenfold. The survey results are in: this incredible Expedition Charizard promises to be a popular choice among collectors during this month’s TCG Premier Auction.