Pokemon 151 Chase Cards: The $296 Charizard ex and the Gen 1 Cards Worth Grading

Pokemon 151 Chase Cards: The $296 Charizard ex and the Gen 1 Cards Worth Grading

Pokemon 151 released in English on September 22, 2023, and Serebii lists it at 207 cards. The top chase is the Charizard ex 199/165 at $295.91 raw in our catalog on October 27, 2026, followed by Blastoise ex 200/165 at $107.08. This guide prices the chase list, shows what our community scans graded, and says which cards pay back a grading fee.

Pokemon 151 Raw Prices on October 27, 2026

Charizard ex 199/165 is worth 2.8 times the Blastoise ex SIR and 3.3 times the Venusaur ex SIR ($89.04). Six cards in the set sit above $70 raw, and two of them are plain Illustration Rares of the starters. Prices are TCGplayer market prices from the ZeroPop catalog, pulled October 27, 2026.

Card	Raw market	Grading call
Charizard ex 199/165	$295.91	Grade a clean copy
Blastoise ex 200/165	$107.08	Grade a clean copy
Venusaur ex 198/165	$89.04	Grade a clean copy
Charmander 168/165	$86.05	Grade a clean copy
Squirtle 170/165	$85.74	Grade a clean copy
Zapdos ex 202/165	$76.43	Borderline
Pikachu 173/165	$65.65	Borderline
Alakazam ex 201/165	$58.47	Borderline
Charmeleon 169/165	$55.60	Borderline
Bulbasaur 166/165	$54.27	Borderline

We did not pull graded sale prices, so the grading column weighs raw price against the fee, not a PSA 10 comp. Current fees are in our PSA grading cost breakdown.

Charizard ex 199/165: Down From $370 in September

At $295.91 the Charizard ex SIR is still the most expensive single card in the set, but it has slipped. Our September comparison post (151 vs Celebrations) priced it at $370.48, a drop of about 20% in the weeks since.

The card is a black wing against dark sky, which is the worst case for surface: micro scratches and print lines show under a lamp and vanish in ambient light. Our community feed holds no scan of the 199/165 itself, so we cannot tell you what copies grade. Check your own at four angles, then check centering (how we measure it).

Blastoise ex and Venusaur ex: The Quiet Starters

Blastoise ex 200/165 costs $107.08 and Venusaur ex 198/165 costs $89.04, together $196.12 for two cards that most collectors only buy as part of a trio.

The lesser Blastoise ex 184/165 is a different story at $18.51. Our scan of it reads 9.5, but a card this cheap does not cover a fee even at a 10.

The Starter Illustration Rares: Charmander, Squirtle, Bulbasaur

Charmander 168/165 sells for $86.05 and Squirtle 170/165 for $85.74, a gap of 31 cents. Bulbasaur 166/165 trails at $54.27. These are the cards that drive the PSA 10 evolution-line projects.

Our best Charmander scan reads a 10, so the card can grade. The silver border shows corner whitening at a glance. Squirtle and Bulbasaur have the same frame, so the same border check applies to both.

Zapdos ex 202/165 and the Rest of the Chase Tier

Zapdos ex 202/165 is $76.43 raw. The artwork shows Zapdos in a storm sky with Moltres and Articuno behind it. All four of our scans read 9.5, and we found none at 10.

Behind it sit Pikachu 173/165 ($65.65), Alakazam ex 201/165 ($58.47) and Psyduck 175/165 ($53.36). At those prices a fee is a big share of the card, so grade them only when the scan reads 9.5 or better.

Evolution Lines: What a PSA Set of the Starters Costs

Completing all three starter lines in raw condition costs $858.75 at today's prices. The Charmander line is $437.56 (Charmander $86.05, Charmeleon $55.60, Charizard ex $295.91), the Blastoise line is $240.57 and the Venusaur line is $180.62.

Graded sets cost more, and we have no sale comps to price them. The raw spread still tells you where to start: the Venusaur line is under $181 for three cards, which makes it the cheapest line to build.

The Skip List

Skip Mew ex 151/165 at $6.15 and Erika's Invitation 196/165 at $6.38. Neither covers a fee at any grade. Erika's Invitation 203/165 at $15.52 is no better, and the gold Mew ex 205/165 at $29.52 only works in a bulk batch.

Skip the Charizard ex 183/165 at $36.84 as well. A fee costs a large share of $37, and it is not the card the $296 price belongs to.

Should You Grade Pokemon 151? The Verdict

Grade the five cards above $85 if your scan is clean: Charizard ex, Blastoise ex, Venusaur ex, Charmander and Squirtle. Zapdos ex and the other $50 to $76 cards are a call on your own copy. Everything under $40 is a skip.

For a wider read on which cards earn a fee, see Pokemon cards worth grading. The same Charizard ex appears in Paldean Fates and Obsidian Flames at very different prices.

Frequently Asked Questions

When did Pokemon 151 come out?

English Pokemon 151 released on September 22, 2023, according to Serebii, which lists 207 cards. Our catalog numbers 165 base cards plus special art rarities up to 205/165.

What is the most valuable Pokemon 151 card?

The Charizard ex 199/165 Special Illustration Rare, at $295.91 raw on October 27, 2026. Blastoise ex 200/165 is second at $107.08.

Is Pokemon 151 still worth buying cards from?

For singles, yes if you stay above $85. The Charizard ex SIR fell from $370.48 in September to $295.91, so waiting has paid so far, though that is one data point.

Which 151 cards are the best grading candidates?

Charizard ex 199, Blastoise ex 200, Venusaur ex 198, Charmander 168 and Squirtle 170, all at $85 or more raw. Our Charmander scan reads a 10, which shows the print can reach the top grade.

Is the Zapdos ex SIR worth grading?

At $76.43 it is borderline. All four of our community scans read 9.5 and none read 10, so grade only a copy that scans clean on centering.

Are the cheap Mew ex cards worth grading?

No. Mew ex 151/165 is $6.15 and gold Mew ex 205/165 is $29.52. Only the gold one clears a fee, and only in a bulk submission.