This guide does not rank vintage Pokemon cards; it sorts the Old Back, neo, e-series and VS PSA 10 cards we list by what our listings state, then gives you a way to judge any one of them against PSA’s published standard.
Every card below is named exactly as our listing prints it: name, set code, number and grade. For the Old Back and neo rows, the official database does not list this print; the number, set and grade are as printed on our listed copy. For the e-series and VS rows, the number, set and grade are as printed on our listed copy. That is all the guide attributes to these prints, and it is enough to compare them side by side.
- Most Old Back prints in our listings carry a set code plus “No.” (for example PMCG4 No.006); e-series and VS prints carry a fraction-style number (for example e1 103/128).
- PSA describes a Gem Mint 10 as “a virtually perfect card” with front centering within approximately 55/45 percent — the same text applies to every card in this guide.
- The Neo Genesis Japanese booster pack [neo1] is currently listed at ¥190,000 (~$1,234); the PSA 10 Celebi (Old Back, PRMF-3 No.251) carries a listing price of ¥250,290 (~$1,625).
- USD figures convert at ¥154/USD, approximate.
What “Best” Means for Vintage Japanese Cards
“Best” depends on what you want the card to do. A collector finishing a set cares about the number in the corner. A grader-minded buyer cares about centering and corners. Someone buying a display piece cares about the Pokemon. None of those questions has a single answer, and we do not rank prints by desirability here.
What we can do is give you four checks that work on any vintage Japanese listing:
- Which set code does the listing carry? PMCG1-2, PMCG2, PMCG4, PMCG-G2, PMCG-P, neo1, neo3, neo4, neo-P, PRMF-3, e1–e5 and VS all appear in our listings.
- Which number does the listing carry? The number is what separates one Pokemon from another inside a set, and it is what you match against a set list.
- Is the listing a PSA 10 physical copy or a back order? The listing type changes how you buy, not what the card is.
- Do you know the grade standard? Section 5 quotes PSA’s own text.
For the reverse-side layout that gives Old Back its name, our Japanese Old Back Pokemon cards guide explains how to tell the older reverse from the modern one, and the vintage Japanese Pokemon cards guide covers the wider Old Back era.
Old Back Prints From the PMCG Sets
These are selected examples of the Old Back prints we list from the original PMCG sets, in set-code order rather than any ranking. Each is offered as a PSA 10 back order — sourced to order; the product page shows the current terms. The PSA 10 back order guide explains the process once, so the table does not repeat it.
| Card as listed | Set code and number | Set as listed | Status | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pikachu (Old Back) | PMCG1-2 | Expansion Pack “Pocket Monster Card Game” Resale | PSA 10 back order | ¥540,600 (~$3,510) |
| Jolteon R (Old Back) | PMCG2 No.135 | Expansion Pack “Pokemon Jungle” | PSA 10 back order | ¥229,704 (~$1,492) |
| Charizard (Old Back) | PMCG4 No.006 | Expansion Pack “Team Rocket” | PSA 10 back order | ¥632,400 (~$4,106) |
| Blastoise (Old Back) | PMCG4 No.009 | Expansion Pack “Team Rocket” | PSA 10 back order | ¥295,596 (~$1,919) |
| Gyarados (Old Back) | PMCG4 No.130 | Expansion Pack “Team Rocket” | PSA 10 back order | ¥312,528 (~$2,029) |
| Dragonite (Old Back) | PMCG4 No.149 | Expansion Pack “Team Rocket” | PSA 10 back order | ¥540,600 (~$3,510) |
| Sabrina’s Gengar Lv.39 R (Old Back) | PMCG-G2 No.094 | Gym Expansion 2 “Challenge from the Darkness” | PSA 10 back order | ¥1,264,800 (~$8,213) |
| Giovanni’s Magikarp (Old Back) | PMCG-G2 No.129 | Gym Expansion Volume 2 “Challenge from the Darkness” | PSA 10 back order | ¥137,700 (~$894) |
The official database does not list this print; the number, set and grade are as printed on our listed copy. The Team Rocket rows show how the number does the work: Charizard is No.006, Blastoise No.009, Gyarados No.130 and Dragonite No.149 in the same listed set.
Two more Old Back sources appear in the listings: the PMCG-P promo cards (Mew No.151 and Venusaur No.003, both marked Old Back in the listing name) and the neo-era promo rows in the next section.
Neo-Era Old Back Prints We List
The neo listings use the same “Old Back” label with a neo set code. The rows below are again selected examples in set-code order, each offered as a PSA 10 back order — sourced to order; the product page shows the current terms.
| Card as listed | Set code and number | Set as listed | Status | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Slowking (Old Back) | neo1 No.199 | Pokemon Card neo Expansion Pack “Gold Silver to a New World…” | PSA 10 back order | ¥484,499 (~$3,146) |
| Suicune (Old Back) | neo3 No.245 | Pokemon Card neo Expansion Pack “Awakening Legends” | PSA 10 back order | ¥194,820 (~$1,265) |
| Ho-Oh (Old Back) | neo3 No.250 | Pokemon Card neo Expansion Pack “Awakening Legends” | PSA 10 back order | ¥283,560 (~$1,841) |
| Light Arcanine (Old Back) | neo4 No.059 | Pokemon Card neo Expansion Pack “Darkness and to Light…” | PSA 10 back order | ¥232,560 (~$1,510) |
| Dark Espeon (Old Back) | neo4 No.196 | Pokemon Card neo Expansion Pack “Darkness and to Light…” | PSA 10 back order | ¥365,160 (~$2,371) |
| Cal Steelix (Old Back) | neo4 No.208 | Pokemon Card neo Expansion Pack “Darkness and to Light…” | PSA 10 back order | ¥3,774,000 (~$24,506) |
| Lugia GB2 (Old Back/PROMO) | neo-P No.249 | neo-P Promotional cards | PSA 10 back order | ¥918,000 (~$5,961) |
One neo row is a physical PSA 10 copy: Celebi, Old Back, PRMF-3 No.251, from Pokemon Card neo “Premium File 3”, currently listed at ¥250,290 (~$1,625). The same Celebi is also offered as a PSA 10 back order at ¥247,860 (~$1,609).
For the sealed side of the neo1 line, see our Japanese vintage Pokemon booster packs guide. The neo1 pack itself is listed as the Neo Genesis Japanese Pokemon Booster Pack [neo1].
e-Series and VS Prints We List
The e-series and VS rows are a different kind of listing. Their names print a fraction-style number (103/128, 090/087, 142/141) instead of “No.” plus a number, and several carry “1ED” in the listing name: the e1 Charizard, e3 Lugia, e4 Raikou and VS Tyranitar do, while the e2 Psyduck and e5 Piloswine names as listed do not. The 1ED label comes from our listing names only; our Japanese 1st Edition guide explains what the marking means. All rows below are offered as PSA 10 back orders — sourced to order; the product page shows the current terms.
| Card as listed | Set code and number | Set as listed | Status | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charizard :1ED | e1 103/128 | Pokemon Card e Vol.1 “Base Expansion Pack” | PSA 10 back order | ¥906,666 (~$5,887) |
| Psyduck | e2 020/092 | Expansion Pack Vol.2 “The Town on No Map” | PSA 10 back order | ¥611,999 (~$3,974) |
| Lugia Crystal type :1ED | e3 090/087 | Expansion Pack Vol.3 “Wind from the Sea” | PSA 10 back order | ¥10,761,000 (~$69,877) |
| Raikou :1ED | e4 039/088 | Expansion Pack Vol.4 “Split Earth” | PSA 10 back order | ¥249,900 (~$1,623) |
| Piloswine | e5 034/088 | Expansion Pack Vol.5 “Mysterious Mountains” | PSA 10 back order | ¥510,000 (~$3,312) |
| Team Rocket’s Tyranitar :1ED | VS 142/141 | Half Deck “Leaders Pokemon Water Flame / Grass and Thunder / F…” | PSA 10 back order | ¥285,600 (~$1,855) |
Because the number is given as a fraction, the listing name carries two figures, for example 103/128 on the e1 row. The neo and Old Back rows carry a single “No.” figure. Match the set code against a set list: for vintage codes, see our vintage Japanese Pokemon cards guide, and for modern sets, see our Japanese Pokemon card sets in order, which covers the S, SV and MEGA eras.
How to Judge a Vintage Card Before You Buy
Whatever you choose, judge it against the same written standard. PSA’s grading standards page reads: “A PSA Gem Mint 10 card is a virtually perfect card. Attributes include four perfectly sharp corners, sharp focus and full original gloss. A PSA Gem Mint 10 card must be free of staining of any kind, but an allowance may be made for a slight printing imperfection, if it doesn’t impair the overall appeal of the card.” The page gives centering within approximately 55/45 percent on the front and 75/25 percent on the reverse, and adds that a small variance may be permitted at the grader’s sole discretion based on overall eye appeal.
PSA also states that it will not grade cards that bear evidence of trimming, re-coloring, restoration or other forms of tampering. On a graded copy the label shows the grade and certification number, so the listing name, the label and the card should tell the same story.
| Your goal | What to check first | Where to read more |
|---|---|---|
| Match a number to a set | Set code and “No.” or fraction in the listing name | Sets in order |
| Understand the grade | Gem Mint 10 text and centering limits | PSA 10 meaning guide |
| Compare raw and graded condition | Corners, surface and centering on the photo | Condition guide |
| Learn the vintage pack formats | Pack format and set code | Vintage booster packs guide |
Choosing Between Sets, Numbers and Grades
Across the eight PMCG rows, seven neo rows and six e-series and VS rows above, what decides a purchase is what you set yourself: which set code, which number, and whether you want a physical PSA 10 copy or a back order. Our Old Back promo cards guide and the single-card guides for Giovanni’s Machamp and Mew CP5 017/036 show how a full card guide handles one print at a time.
We do not attach a ranking, an estimate of future demand or a market price to any of these cards. The prices shown are the listing prices on our product pages, and each is a link so you can see the current terms.
Where to Buy Vintage Japanese Cards from Tokyo
Physical PSA 10 singles are in our PSA 10 collection and sealed vintage packs in the vintage pack collection; the back orders above open from their links in this guide. For a print that is not listed, sourcing requests go through Quick Order. Graded singles are also browsable on our PSA 10 card list, and the how to buy Japanese Pokemon cards from Japan guide covers ordering from Tokyo.
Start with the Neo Genesis Japanese Pokemon Booster Pack [neo1] at ¥190,000 (~$1,234) or the PSA 10 Celebi Old Back PRMF-3 No.251 at ¥250,290 (~$1,625).
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best vintage Pokemon cards to collect?
We do not rank prints. This guide lists the Old Back, neo, e-series and VS PSA 10 cards we carry by set code and number so you can choose by the print you want.
What does Old Back mean on a Japanese Pokemon card?
Old Back is the label our listings use for the older Japanese reverse design. Our Old Back guide explains how to recognise it; the listing name also carries the set code and number as listed.
Are Old Back cards in the official Pokemon card database?
For the Old Back and neo rows in this guide, the official database does not list this print; the number, set and grade are as printed on our listed copy. The number, set and grade are what we can state.
What is the difference between a PSA 10 physical copy and a back order?
A physical copy is a graded card currently listed at a price. A back order is offered as a PSA 10 back order — sourced to order; the product page shows the current terms.
What does PSA say a Gem Mint 10 looks like?
PSA calls it “a virtually perfect card” with four perfectly sharp corners, sharp focus and full original gloss, free of staining, with front centering within approximately 55/45 percent and reverse within approximately 75/25 percent.
Can I order a vintage card that is not listed?
Sourcing requests for a specific card go through Quick Order, and the product page shows the current terms for anything listed.
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