What is a shadowless Pokemon card?

The Pokemon Trading Menu Game is currently experiencing a massive resurgence. Lapsed Pokemon TCG fans are excavation out their old collections and enough of new collectors are joining the chase for rare cards. Both of these groups are encountering new terminology, however, which can be quite confusing for the uninitiated. This guide serves every bit an explainer on one such term. So, what is a shadowless Pokemon card? Here'south the need-to-know for all budding collectors.

How to tell if a Pokemon card is shadowless

Left: Charizard with no shadow, Right: Charizard with a drop shadow

Original Pokemon cards are the oldest, which, of course, also makes them the rarest and about collectible. There are iii common categories of cards that help to signal how much each one is worth. Ordered from most to least valuable, these are every bit follows: 1st edition, shadowless, unlimited. Identifying 1st edition cards is like shooting fish in a barrel, due to the prominent badge, simply what identifies a shadowless Pokemon carte?

Shadowless Pokemon cards practise not characteristic the drop shadow effect to the right of the character portrait. If there is no shadow and no 1st edition badge, then the menu is a shadowless variant. Shadowless cards are from the Pokemon Trading Card Game'southward 2nd impress run.

If there is a drop shadow on the carte, then it'due south an unlimited version. These are far more mutual and less desirable to collectors as a direct upshot.

The drop shadow upshot is somewhat subtle, and then check out the example in the prototype above. Another identifying factor to wait out for is the thickness of the HP value typeface. Every bit pictured, the shadowless card has slimmer writing than the bold "120 HP" of the Charizard Pokemon card with a shadow.

Pokemon TCG's explosive popularity currently has new cards in curt supply. Alternately, the second-hand market is booming with owners looking to offload everything from Pikachu to Squirtle.

Should those resellers hold onto their collections, though? Become the lowdown on whether or not cards will continue to go up in value.