How to Invest in a First Edition Charizard for Less Than 1$

Want to jump straight to how to invest in a first edition Charizard Pokémon Card for less than 1$? You can use Public.com to buy fractional shares of the card.

It’s a common misconception that alternative investing only refers to private real estate, private equity and crowdfunding projects.

Thanks to partners like Public.com, you can buy alternative investments like fine art, royalties and vintage Pokémon cards.

The 1999 first edition Holographic Charizard card is especially valuable and has been called the “holy grail” of the Pokémon trading card game by some investors.

This card is extremely rare since there were only 102 cards released, with 16 of them being the holographic version. One of the rare holographic cards sold for a record $420,000 in an auction this past year. To put things in context, this card was valued at $271,000 in September 2021.

You don’t need hundreds of thousands of dollars to invest in rare, tangible assets that can hedge against inflation.

Below, you’ll learn how to invest in a first edition Charizard card for less than 1$.

What is a First Edition Charizard?

Pokémon is a popular trading game following the world-famous animated show with the same name that originated in Japan. The show features hundreds of unique creatures with special powers that are trained and used to battle. It was especially popular in the 1990s and had a roaring comeback with its Pokémon Go mobile app game in 2016.

The first edition Charizard is especially valuable since a small amount was created back in the 1990s. These cards were the first of their kind to be printed, and they have specific labels noting this.

For instance, energy cards have the number “1” on a solid black circle with the word “EDITION” in all capital letters arching around the top of the circle in the top right corner. Trainer cards have this marking on the bottom left corner.

Why Are First Edition Charizard Pokémon Cards Valuable?

Like baseball cards, rarity is a major factor behind each card's value. Holographic Charizard cards are especially rare since there are only 16 in existence. Charizard first edition cards are even more valuable than others in the same set because Charizard is likely the most popular Pokémon in the entire series.

Pokémon is an especially popular brand with many older millennials who have fond memories of their youth. Famous media personality and pro wrestler Logan Paul is one of these millennials with a fondness for vintage Pokémon cards.

These cards have become more mainstream and valuable, especially when he bought a rare Pikachu card, which set him back $5.2 million.

How to Invest in a First Edition Charizard Pokémon Card

Luckily, you don’t need to be a multi-millionaire or be super connected to buy vintage Pokémon cards. Here’s how to invest in a first edition Charizard card for less than $1.

Step 1: Open a Public.com Account

It’s easy to set up an account in minutes that you can use on desktop and mobile devices. The first thing you’d do when creating your account is to choose your username, password and themes of interest. Some themes can include real estate or self-driving cars.

Step 2: Start Investing in Pokémon Cards

Go to the alternative investments section to start investing in alternative investments like NFTs, designer purses, books and playing cards. You can search for the first edition Charizard card using the search feature under asset directory.

From there, you can see this listing which has important data like year, number, market cap and shares outstanding.

Trade, Sell or Convert Your First Edition Charizard Shares

You can create an online account with Public in minutes and start trading once your funds have been approved. It’s also possible to buy alternative investments for sometimes as little as $1 from Public.com itself or other Public users. 

Public stands out from competitors since it allows you to get insights, information and investment opportunities from other members in real-time. The platform is the easiest way to invest in a rare first edition Charizard and other alternative investments. It lets you sell your shares just as easily.

You can manage your alternative investment holdings with its online platform and realize gains when you sell to other public investors or to Public.com directly.

Best Alternatives to First Edition Charizard Pokémon Cards

Aside from vintage Pokémon cards, here are a few other popular alternative investments on Public.com.

"Shattered Backboard" AJ1 

These vintage shoes are one of a kind and were worn by the legendary basketball player, Michael Jordan. It has a total market cap of $420,000, with 70,000 outstanding shares. Like other alternative investments on Public, these were vetted by the Public.com team.

For instance, they were authenticated both through photo matching and traceable prior ownership, making them a key investment for serious MJ collectors.

Harry Potter First Edition

The Harry Potter series is a $25 billion franchise, which all started with the first book, "Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone." In December 2021, a vintage, mint condition copy of this book sold at auction for $471,000.

Currently, you can buy shares of a similar version of this book, which has a $119,280 market cap with 115,800 shares outstanding. You can buy a share of this book for just $1.

Is a First Edition Charizard a Good Investment?

A first edition Charizard can be a good investment if you want to have fractional ownership of a rare, tangible investment that could hold its value. Its value has increased by hundreds of thousands of dollars over the last few years. However, be sure to only invest funds that you can afford to lose because investments are not guaranteed to make money.  

Frequently Asked Questions