Pokemon TCG: 15 Most Valuable Water-Type Pokemon Cards of All Time
By Chris Guest
Water-type Pokemon are the most common across all 15 different Pokemon types, and it is home to a wide variety of ‘mons – including some of the most popular and legendary in the history of the franchise. In the Pokemon TCG, water-type Pokemon make up a large swath of the cards, and many legendary chase cards are of the water type.
Of course, Pokemon TCG players who’ve been with the game since its inception will remember legendary cards such as Blastoise, Gyarados and Poliwrath from Pokemon Base Set – especially Blastoise, as that final starter evolution was one of the strongest cards from Base Set and it powered one of the strongest decks from the TCG’s early days: Rain Dance.
These 15 water-type cards are worth a pretty penny on the secondary market
This list of the 15 most valuable water-type Pokemon cards of all time runs the gamut of the early days of the TCG to far more recent sets and includes a bevy of extremely rare chase cards that collectors and hobbyists alike would be elated to get their hands on. Read on to explore the list!
Note: The card prices all come via TCGPlayer's Market Price History (with two notable exceptions) over the past calendar year and are subject to change. Also, no First Editions are included within this list, though they are extremely rare and, thus, massively more valuable than the Unlimited versions of these cards.
Water-Type Pokemon Cards Worth Under $250
15. Dewgong – Holofoil
Set: Skyridge
Market Price: $222.97
Skyridge is one of the most sought-after Pokemon TCG sets among collectors for several reasons (as our list of 18 Most Valuable Charizard cards also conveys). Firstly, it was the final set designed by Wizards of the Coast before The Pokemon Company took over design duties in 2003. Secondly, the terrific artwork of Skyridge cards combined with the e-Reader format make the cards hugely desirable. Lastly, and likely most importantly, Skyridge only saw one print run, meaning that these cards are eminently scarce on the secondary market seeing as it was released over 20 years ago. This Holo Dewgong card typifies all of these traits, as it features great artwork, a lovely foiling format and a staggering price tag. Also, the 15th-most expensive card on this list being well over $200 shows you just how pricey these cards are.
14. Suicune ex – Holofoil
Set: Team Magma vs Team Aqua
Market Price: $227.12
One of the “legendary dogs” from Pokemon’s Generation Two, Suicune also served as the box-art ‘mon for the incredible Pokemon Crystal, which was the third game from that generation. This Suicune card from 2004’s Team Magma vs. Team Aqua set was the first Suicune card to be given the “ex” treatment, and it also features the beautiful e-Reader foiling method for “ex” cards that includes heavy foiling on the artwork as well as on the border of the card. A stunning card.
13. Gyarados – Holofoil
Set: Skyridge
Market Price: $242.50 (via PriceCharting)
While the TCGPlayer median price for this card is $450, there has only been one of these cards for sale at that price for a few months now, so the PriceCharting price for an ungraded copy of this card is likely the more accurate valuation. Another Skyridge card, this Gyarados might have the best artwork of any Gyarados ever (by Kimiya Masago) – save for another entry later in this list – as this terrifying-looking “Atrocious Pokemon” is shown in an unusual head-on view, with its beady red eyes boring you into you menacingly. Spooky!
12. Vaporeon – Holofoil
Set: Skyridge
Market Price: $244.70 (via PriceCharting)
Yet another card from the Skyridge set (and not the last), this sweet Vaporeon card doesn’t quite make the list for most valuable Eeveelution cards, but it is the 12th-most valuable water-type card of all time. Featuring awesome impressionistic artwork from Naoyo Kimura of Eevee’s water-type evolution bursting out of a body of water, this card is so scarce that TCGPlayer doesn’t even have relevant data related to its sales.