Let’s be real for a second. Everyone talks about Charizard. If you walk into any card shop from Tokyo to New York, you’ll see that fire-breathing lizard everywhere. It’s exhausting. But for the serious collectors—the ones who actually grew up clicking their Game Boy Color buttons until their thumbs went numb—there’s always been a deeper respect for the big turtle with the water cannons. Specifically, the shiny blastoise pokemon card. It’s not just a card; it’s a weirdly specific cultural artifact that represents the peak of 2000s-era Pokemon aesthetic.
When you see that purple-shelled beast for the first time, it hits different. Most people expect the classic blue. Finding a shiny version in the early days was like catching lightning in a bottle. It felt illegal.
The Weird History of the Shiny Blastoise Pokemon Card
You can't talk about this card without talking about the "Gold Star" era or the legendary Plasma Storm secret rare. Back in the day, Nintendo and The Pokémon Company weren't just pumping out "Special Illustration Rares" every two weeks like they do now. Finding a shiny blastoise pokemon card actually meant something because the pull rates were abysmal.
Take the EX Crystal Guardians Blastoise Delta Species. It wasn't even a Water-type. It was a Fighting/Metal type. That sounds insane to anyone who doesn't play the TCG, but that's what made it iconic. It had this holofoil pattern that looked like it was vibrating. Then you've got the Plasma Storm Shiny Blastoise (Card #137/135). That card is a monster. It’s a Secret Rare. If you managed to pull that from a pack back in 2013, you basically won the lottery for that set. The art features Blastoise in a deep, metallic purple with those iconic green eyes. It looks mean. It looks like it wants to hydro-pump your entire deck into the trash.
Why does the purple shell matter so much? Honestly, it's about the subversion of the original design. Ken Sugimori’s original art for Blastoise is perfection, so when the designers decided to pivot to a "shiny" palette, they had to be careful. If they messed it up, it would just look like a printing error. Instead, they landed on a color scheme that feels more "Deep Sea" than "Freshwater Pond."
The Rarity Factor and the Market Reality
Let's get technical about the money for a minute because, let's be honest, that's why half of us are here. If you're looking for a shiny blastoise pokemon card today, you aren't just buying a piece of cardboard; you're buying a commodity that has outperformed most stocks over the last decade.
Specifically, look at the Plasma Storm Secret Rare. A PSA 10 (Gem Mint) version of this card doesn't just show up every day. Collectors like Smpratte and various high-end auction houses have watched the prices on these things swing wildly, but the trajectory is almost always up. Why? Because the supply of mint-condition cards from the Black & White era is surprisingly low. The quality control back then wasn't what it is today, and the silver borders on those cards show every single tiny nick or scratch. You look at it wrong, and it drops to a PSA 9.
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And don't even get me started on the "Gold Star" variants or the Japanese "Shiny Collection" versions. The Japanese 1st Edition prints are often considered the "purest" form of the hobby by purists. The ink is richer. The card stock is slightly different. If you find a Japanese shiny blastoise pokemon card from the BW7 era, you're looking at a masterpiece of printing technology.
Spotting a Fake: Don't Get Scammed
The "shiny" effect is where the scammers usually mess up. On a real shiny blastoise pokemon card, the holofoil has a specific texture or "sheen" that is incredibly hard to replicate. If you're looking at a Plasma Storm Blastoise, the entire card should have a gold-bordered holofoil finish.
If the shine looks "flat" or if the font looks slightly off, walk away. I've seen some fakes where the purple color of the shell is too vibrant—almost like a neon grape soda. The real card is more muted, more "metallic."
- Check the font. Pokémon uses a very specific typeface. Look at the "HP" text especially.
- Feel the card. Modern fakes are getting better, but they often feel too waxy or too thin.
- The light test. Hold it up to a bright LED. If the light passes through it like a piece of notebook paper, it's a fake. Real Pokémon cards have a black layer of "sandwich" material in the middle to prevent light bleed.
Why Collectors Care So Much
It’s nostalgia. Plain and simple. But it's also a protest against the Charizard-centric market. There is a specific type of collector who prides themselves on the "Blue Turtle" supremacy. When you own a high-grade shiny blastoise pokemon card, you’re signaling that you understand the deep lore of the Kanto starters.
Think about the 2004 EX FireRed & LeafGreen set. While everyone was chasing the Charizard ex, the Blastoise ex was actually a more interesting card for the actual players of the game. It had "Energy Rain," which was a broken ability if you knew how to use it. The shiny versions carry that legacy of being the "thinking person's" powerhouse.
Grading: To Slab or Not to Slab?
If you have a shiny blastoise pokemon card sitting in a binder, you're probably wondering if you should send it to PSA, BGS, or CGC.
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The answer is: Yes. Probably.
Unless the card has a literal crease down the middle, getting it authenticated is the only way to protect its value. A "Raw" card is always a gamble. A "Slabbed" card is a fact. For a card like the Plasma Storm Blastoise, the price difference between a PSA 9 and a PSA 10 can be thousands of dollars. It’s stressful. You ship it off in a cardboard gold-saver, pray to the postal gods, and wait three months to see if a stranger in California thinks your card is perfect.
But that’s the game.
The Best Versions to Buy Right Now
If you're looking to add a shiny blastoise pokemon card to your collection, you have a few distinct paths. You could go for the "attainable" modern versions, or you could go for the "grails."
- The Grail: Plasma Storm #137/135. This is the big one. It's the most beautiful depiction of a shiny Blastoise ever put on cardstock. The gold border makes the purple shell pop in a way that’s almost hypnotic.
- The Modern Classic: Celebrations Blastoise. Okay, technically this is a reprint of the Base Set art, but it has that "Classic Collection" texture. It’s not "shiny" in the purple sense, but it’s a shiny card.
- The Dark Horse: EX Crystal Guardians Blastoise (Delta Species). It’s weird. It’s Fighting-type. It’s got a different color palette. It represents a time when the Pokémon TCG was experimenting with the very fabric of the game’s logic.
Actionable Steps for the Aspiring Collector
If you're ready to hunt down a shiny blastoise pokemon card, don't just jump on the first eBay listing you see. You'll get burned. The market is full of "reprints" and "proxy" cards that are designed to trick people who aren't paying attention.
Verify the Set Symbol first. Every legitimate card has a specific symbol in the bottom corner that identifies which set it belongs to. If the symbol doesn't match the card number, it's a fake.
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Compare the "Holo Bleed." Some eras of Pokémon cards had what we call "holo bleed," where the shiny pattern shows through the text boxes. On some Blastoise cards, this is a known error that can actually increase the value. On others, it’s a sign of a poor-quality counterfeit.
Look at the back of the card. This is the biggest giveaway. The "Pokémon" logo on the back has very specific shades of blue and yellow. Fakes usually get the swirl pattern wrong or the blue looks too purple.
Check the "Edging." Use a magnifying glass—or a jeweler’s loupe if you’re fancy—to look at the edges of the card. A real shiny blastoise pokemon card is cut with a die that leaves a very clean, slightly pressurized edge. Fakes are often cut with blades that leave tiny "hairs" of paper or uneven corners.
The final move? Join a dedicated forum or a Discord group like "Elite Forum" (formerly E4). These people live and breathe these cards. If you’re about to drop $500 or $5,000 on a piece of cardboard, having an expert eye look at a high-res scan can save you a world of hurt.
Blastoise will never have the mainstream "hype" of Charizard, and honestly? That’s exactly why we love it. It’s the connoisseur's choice. It’s the tank. It’s the purple-shelled king of the Kanto region, and it isn't going anywhere.
Next Steps for Your Collection:
- Audit your current storage: Ensure any high-value cards are in PVC-free "non-acidic" sleeves and semi-rigid holders.
- Track the Pop Report: Check the PSA Population Report for the Plasma Storm Blastoise to see how many Gem Mint 10s actually exist before you overpay for a 9.
- Set up eBay alerts: Use specific keywords like "137/135" or "Gold Star Blastoise" rather than generic terms to find mislisted gems.