Pokemon cards are often valued based on various factors, such as rarity, artwork, pull rate, etc.
However, in some cases, a card printed during the earliest days of the critically acclaimed franchise can also fetch a ridiculous amount of price tag, like those from the Base Set.
If you’ve been collecting and playing Pokemon TCG for quite some time now, chances are, you’ve already heard other people talk about Shadowless Pokemon cards.
But what is a Shadowless Pokemon card? What makes it different from the usual cards we have today?
This time, we’re going to cover every important detail about these Pokemon cards, how they came into being, and why many collectors are drooling over some Shadowless copies.
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What Is a Shadowless Pokemon Card?
A Shadowless Pokemon card is a card from one of the two printings of the Limited Edition of the Base Set, which was released in Japan in 1996 and in the US in 1999.
You see, the Base Set was the first main expansion in the history of Pokemon TCG, and its cards laid the groundwork for people to learn more about the franchise, which eventually became a worldwide phenomenon.
The Base Set was printed in two editions: Limited and Unlimited.
Limited and Unlimited Edition Base Set Cards
The Limited Edition Base Set cards sold well in the market, so to feed the market with more Pokemon cards, the Unlimited Edition Base Set was released.
The production of Limited Edition Base Set cards was immediately discontinued after the distribution of Unlimited Base Set cards, making the Limited Edition Base Set cards literally in limited supply.
These Limited Edition Base Set cards earned a legendary status for being so rare that they got the nickname as Shadowless Cards, due to a unique and subtle feature that we are about to discuss.
What Makes a Shadowless Pokemon Card “Shadowless?”
In a time where most people are still unfamiliar with the word Pokemon, the people behind Pokemon TCG are keen on testing the waters when coming up with a definitive design for their cards.
After doing a lot of trial and error, the card designers ended up with two batches of the Limited Edition Base Set Cards. The first batch was printed with a 1st Edition logo, while the second batch, for some reason, was printed without it.
The absence of the 1st Edition logo for the second batch of the Limited Edition Base Set Cards made them a bit harder to identify as Shadowless, since the logo wasn’t present for the Unlimited Edition Base Set cards as well.
Other than the logo, the two batches of Limited Edition Base Set Cards were printed exactly in the same way.
They are called shadowless because of the following reasons:
1. A Shadowless Pokemon Card Doesn’t Have a Shadowy Art Box
This particular feature was obviously the reason why these cards are called shadowless.
If you will compare a Shadowless Pokemon card to its Shadowed copy, you should notice that the Shadowless version doesn’t have any shadows or dark shadings near the outline of its art box (as seen in the image above).
2. A Shadowless Pokemon Card’s Energy Cost Symbols Are Positioned Differently
Now, look at the moves listed on a Shadowless Pokemon card. Almost every Pokemon move has an Energy cost, which is represented by Energy symbols, like Fire, Grass, Psychic, and Water energies.
A Shadowless Pokemon Card’s Energy cost symbols will be positioned adjacent to the first line of a move’s text, while a Shadowed copy of it will have the symbols placed adjacent to the middle of the move’s entire text.
3. A Shadowless Pokemon Card’s HP is Not Printed in Bold Text
The acronym HP, which stands for Hit Points, is printed on a simple non-bold text for Shadowless cards.
You can only notice this feature by comparing the Shadowless and Shadowed copies of the same card.
4. A Shadowless Pokemon Card Has a “99” in Its Copyright Text
At the very bottom of a Shadowed Pokemon card will have the copyright text written this way:
“©1995, 96, 98 Nintendo, Creatures, GAMEFREAK. ©1999 Wizards.”
On the other hand, a Shadowless Pokemon card should have the same copyright text, plus the year 1999, written as 99:
“©1995, 96, 98, 99 Nintendo, Creatures, GAMEFREAK. ©1999 Wizards.”
How About Shadowless Trainer Cards?
All Trainer cards are visually shadowless, but thankfully, there are two easy ways to spot a Shadowless Trainer card:
1. A Shadowless Trainer Card Has the Same Copyright Text as a Shadowless Pokemon Card
Check the bottom part of a Base Set Trainer card and if it has the 99 on its copyright text, it’s definitely from the Shadowless edition.
2. A Shadowless Trainer Card Doesn’t Have Symbols (Other than 1st Edition) in Its Text Box
A Shadowed Trainer card will have the Base Set 2 symbol that looks like a Pokeball on top of a number 2 sign inside its text box. You won’t see this sign on any Shadowless Trainer card.
Final Thoughts
While a Shadowless card doesn’t exhibit any visual detail that makes it more appealing than modern Pokemon cards, its extreme rarity alone is enough to make it highly valuable, especially among high-profile Pokemon TCG collectors.
If by any chance that someone tries to sell you a Shadowless Pokemon card, you must take extra caution by confirming the authenticity of the card by having it checked by a reputable card appraiser or authenticator.
If you’ve reached this part of the article, congratulations, now you know what is a Shadowless Pokemon card. For more relevant and helpful content about Pokemon TCG, check out more of our recent posts here on PokeCardHQ.
