Every Japanese Pokemon card printed before July 2001 shares one thing in common: flip it over, and the back looks nothing like the cards Japan has printed for the last twenty-plus years. Collectors call this stretch of cards “Old Back” — the earliest tier of Japanese vintage Pokemon cards — and it covers the entire opening act of the Japanese Pokemon TCG, from the game’s 1996 debut through the last releases before the back design changed for good.
This guide explains what actually defines an Old Back card, when and why the back design changed, and how Old Back relates to (and differs from) the Japanese 1st Edition stamp — a separate system that collectors frequently mix up with it. We also walk through the neo-era Premium File promos, the source of our Old Back Celebi, and the other Old Back PSA 10 singles we currently have listed alongside it.
“Old Back” refers to Japanese cards printed from October 1996 through the switch to the current back design in July 2001, introduced with the Pokémon VS release. Our current Old Back listings include PSA 10 Celebi: Old Back (Neo Premium File 3, PRMF-3 No.251), currently listed at ¥250,290 (~$1,625) — a graded single from November 2000.
- Old Back PSA 10 singles currently listed include Celebi (¥250,290, ~$1,625), Giovanni’s Machamp (¥112,155, ~$728) and Wartortle (¥93,600, ~$608).
- SNKRDUNK’s lowest asks on September 23, 2026: Celebi PSA 10 ¥240,000; Giovanni’s Machamp raw ¥3,500 / PSA 10 ¥110,000; Wartortle (PMCG-P No.008 print) PSA 10 ¥130,000.
- USD figures convert at ¥154/USD, approximate.
Store prices are as of September 23, 2026; marketplace figures are dated SNKRDUNK asks. USD figures convert at ¥154/USD, approximate.
What Makes a Card “Old Back”
The Japanese Pokemon Trading Card Game launched in October 1996, originally published by Media Factory. “Old Back” (旧裏, kyū-ura) is the collector term for the card-back design used from that 1996 launch through July 2001.
The distinguishing features of the Old Back design are specific and checkable on the card itself: the text reads “ポケットモンスターカードゲーム” (Pocket Monsters Card Game), a copyright notice runs along the bottom of the card, and the red upper portion of the Poké Ball artwork appears as a separate illustration rather than blending into the rest of the ball. If a Japanese card in your hand shows all three of those, it’s an Old Back print.
Old Back status is about the card back, not the set or the year alone. The safest way to confirm a card is Old Back is to check the back design directly against the description above, rather than assuming from the set name.
The July 2001 Switch: Pokémon VS
The back design changed on July 19, 2001, with the release of Pokémon VS. From that point forward, Japanese card backs matched the design used internationally: the text simply reads “Pokémon,” the copyright notice is removed, the overall design uses more color, and the Poké Ball’s button is positioned differently than on the Old Back print. The following Pokémon Web release (October 2001) and the “Base Expansion Pack” — the Japanese release that corresponds to the English-language Expedition Base Set (December 2001) — both carried this same new back rather than introducing it. That design has continued essentially unchanged from July 2001 through every Japanese set released since, including current Scarlet & Violet-era product.
In other words, every Japanese Pokemon card printed for the last two-plus decades shares one back design, and everything before July 2001 shares a different one. That single dividing line is what “Old Back” refers to.
Old Back vs. 1st Edition: Where They Actually Overlap
Because Old Back and the Japanese 1st Edition (1ED) stamp are both artifacts of the same 2001 window, it’s easy to assume they mix and match freely. They don’t — and the actual relationship is simpler than two unrelated timelines:
- The back-design switch and the 1st Edition stamp system both began with the same release: Pokémon VS on July 19, 2001 — the first Japanese expansion to carry the new back design and, at the same time, the first to include 1st Edition prints.
- Because of that, the two systems don’t overlap chronologically. Every Old Back card, by definition, predates Pokémon VS — so it predates the 1st Edition stamp system too.
An Old Back card never carries a 1ED stamp. The 1st Edition system ran for roughly fifteen years after Pokémon VS, across every set with the new back design — but by the time 1ED stamps existed, Old Back had already ended. For the full story on how the 1ED stamp works, how long it ran, and how it compares to the English WOTC version, see our Japanese 1st Edition cards guide.
Old Back PSA 10 Cards We List
Celebi: Old Back, catalogued as PRMF-3 No.251, from Premium File 3, is graded PSA 10 and currently listed at ¥250,290 (~$1,625). As covered above, this is the same release where Celebi made its first appearance in the TCG and was printed as a holo — verifiable facts about the release, not claims about our specific copy’s rarity beyond being a graded piece we hold.
Also currently listed: a Giovanni’s Machamp and a Wartortle, both Old Back. As with the Celebi, none of the three appears in the official Pokemon card database — catalog number, set code and rarity for each come from our own listing text, not from a database record. Giovanni’s Machamp is a Team Rocket-era Old Back print; see our Team Rocket Japanese Pokemon cards guide and PSA 10 Team Rocket cards guide for more. Wartortle is covered further in our Squirtle & Blastoise cards guide.
| Card | Catalog number | PSA 10 price |
|---|---|---|
| Celebi: Old Back | PRMF-3 No.251 | ¥250,290 (~$1,625) |
| Giovanni’s Machamp R: Old Back | PMCG-G2 No.068 | ¥112,155 (~$728) |
| Wartortle: Old Back | PMCG-P No.008 | ¥93,600 (~$608) |
SNKRDUNK’s lowest asks on September 23, 2026: the Celebi print’s lowest PSA 10 ask was ¥240,000. No raw ask for this print is in this update. Giovanni’s Machamp’s lowest asks were ¥3,500 raw and ¥110,000 PSA 10. The Wartortle print (PMCG-P No.008)’s lowest PSA 10 ask was ¥130,000. No raw ask for this print is in this update.
Getting a card from this era to a PSA 10 grade is itself worth understanding — a quarter-century-old card surviving in gem-mint condition is a different proposition than grading something printed last year. Our Japanese Pokemon card grading guide covers how PSA grades vintage Japanese product and what separates a 9 from a 10 at this age.
30 Years of Old Back Collecting
The Japanese Pokemon TCG reaches its 30th anniversary in October 2026, counting from that October 1996 launch. Old Back cards represent nearly the first five years of that run — the entire window before the back design and the wider card ecosystem shifted to the format the game has used ever since.
For context on where a card like our Premium File 3 Celebi sits against the rest of the current Japanese market, our most valuable Japanese Pokemon cards guide covers a broader range of chase cards across eras, old and new. For Celebi’s other Japanese printings, see our best mythical Pokemon cards guide.
What We Couldn’t Confirm
This guide does not name the final Old Back release before Pokémon VS, and it does not cover counterfeit-detection checkpoints (ink shade, print alignment, and similar forensic details) for telling a genuine Old Back card from a counterfeit.
Where to Buy Old Back Cards from Japan
We ship graded Japanese singles from Tokyo. For the cards covered in this guide:
- Celebi: Old Back, PSA 10 (Neo Premium File 3, PRMF-3 No.251) — currently listed at ¥250,290 (~$1,625)
- Giovanni’s Machamp R: Old Back, PSA 10 (PMCG-G2 No.068) — currently listed at ¥112,155 (~$728)
- Wartortle: Old Back, PSA 10 (PMCG-P No.008) — currently listed at ¥93,600 (~$608)
- Browse the wider graded lineup on our PSA 10 collection
- Looking for a different Old Back or vintage print not listed here? Use our Quick Order page to request it directly
Frequently Asked Questions
What does “Old Back” mean for Japanese Pokemon cards?
It refers to Japanese cards printed from the TCG’s October 1996 launch through July 2001, distinguished by a specific card-back design: “Pocket Monsters Card Game” text, a copyright notice along the bottom, and a red upper Poké Ball section shown as a separate illustration.
When did the Old Back design change?
July 19, 2001, with the release of Pokémon VS. The new back — “Pokémon” text, no copyright notice, more color, a repositioned Poké Ball button — has continued through every Japanese set released since, including the subsequent Pokémon Web and Base Expansion Pack releases later that year.
Is Old Back the same as Japanese 1st Edition?
No, but they’re closely linked: both began with the same release, Pokémon VS on July 19, 2001, which introduced the new card back and the first 1st Edition stamps at the same time. Because Old Back cards by definition predate Pokémon VS, they predate the 1st Edition stamp system too — an Old Back card never carries a 1ED stamp.
What is the Celebi: Old Back card from Premium File 3?
A standalone promo, catalogued as PRMF-3 No.251, distributed through Neo Premium File 3 on November 23, 2000. It marks Celebi’s first appearance in the Pokemon TCG, printed as a holo in that release. We currently list a PSA 10 copy at ¥250,290.
Where can I buy Japanese Old Back Pokemon cards?
Old Back PSA 10 singles currently listed include the Premium File 3 Celebi at ¥250,290, Giovanni’s Machamp at ¥112,155, and Wartortle at ¥93,600, all shipped from Tokyo. Browse our wider PSA 10 collection for other graded vintage prints, or use Quick Order to request a specific Old Back card not currently listed.
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