Pokemon Topps Series 1 Collecting Guide

[pfm]

1999 - Topps Series 1

90 cards in total:

• 76 Pokémon cards
• 13 character cards
• 1 checklist card

Full Card List

Image	#	Name
	#1	Bulbasaur
	#2	Ivysaur
	#3	Venusaur
	#4	Charmander
	#5	Charmeleon
	#6	Charizard
	#7	Squirtle
	#8	Wartortle
	#9	Blastoise
	#10	Caterpie
	#11	Metapod
	#12	Butterfree
	#13	Weedle
	#14	Kakuna
	#15	Beedrill
	#16	Pidgey
	#17	Pidgeotto
	#18	Pidgeot
	#19	Rattata
	#20	Raticate
	#21	Spearow
	#22	Fearow
	#23	Ekans
	#24	Arbok
	#25	Pikachu
	#26	Raichu
	#27	Sandshrew
	#28	Sandslash
	#29	Nidoran
	#30	Nidorina
	#31	Nidoqueen
	#32	Nidoran
	#33	Nidorino
	#34	Nidoking
	#35	Clefairy
	#36	Clefable
	#37	Vulpix
	#38	Ninetails
	#39	Jigglypuff
	#40	Wigglytuff
	#41	Zubat
	#42	Golbat
	#43	Oddish
	#44	Gloom
	#45	Vileplume
	#46	Paras
	#47	Parasect
	#48	Venonat
	#49	Venomoth
	#50	Diglett
	#51	Dugtrio
	#52	Meowth
	#53	Persian
	#54	Psyduck
	#55	Golduck
	#56	Mankey
	#57	Primeape
	#58	Growlithe
	#59	Arcanine
	#60	Poliwag
	#61	Poliwhirl
	#62	Poliwrath
	#63	Abra
	#64	Kadabra
	#65	Alakazam
	#66	Machop
	#67	Machoke
	#68	Machamp
	#69	Bellsprout
	#70	Weepinbell
	#71	Victreebel
	#72	Tentacool
	#73	Tentacruel
	#74	Geodude
	#75	Graveler
	#76	Golem
	TV1	Ash Ketchum
	TV2	#25 Pikachu
	TV3	Misty
	TV4	Brock
	TV5	#120 Staryu
	TV6	#74 Geodude
	TV7	Professor Oak
	TV8	Gary Oak
	TV9	Jesse
	TV10	James
	TV11	#52 Meowth
	TV12	#23
	TV13	#109 Koffing/#110 Weezing
		Checklist (front)
		Checklist (back)

Holofoil Variants

There are three variants of cardstock: Non-holo, silver holo and rainbow holo. The silver holo is darker and flatter (especially in scans) and the rainbow has a more chromatic lustre.

From left to right: non-holo, silver holo and rainbow holo

In addition to cardstock, there are texture variants, each variant is associated with a different print of Series 1. Each texture can be found in both a silver and rainbow variant. The TV cards have alternative texture to the regular Pokemon cards.

First Print: Smooth/non-embossed texture

Second Print: Sunray (Pokemon) and Sand (TV) texture

Third Print: Flames (Pokemon) and Squares (TV) texture

Fourth Print: Pokeball/flare (Pokemon) and Dents (TV) texture

Print Variants

Topps Series 1 has four main North American prints and International variants that were printed in the UK. The prints can be distinguished by features on the backside of the card and the embossing of the holofoil.

The UK variant has a circular Nintendo seal and it’s the only print to have black Pokemon names on the description side of the card. The Topps logo can distinguish between the four different prints.

Feature	Explanation
	UK Print license seal
	NA Print license seal
	First Print Topps Logo (Blue)
	Second Print Topps Logo (Black)
	Third Print Topps Logo (Green)
	Fourth Print Topps Logo (Red)

Note: that the last nine non-holo TV cards (the puzzle cards) have no Topps logo present so print can only be distingushed by holo type.

[joponnes]

Yuss, topps. Worth mentioning probably is that the topps logo colour differences fully apply only to non holos since all the holos after first printing were printed with black topps logo. I’m also adding this link here with info provided by @DanielGirardBolduc if someone wants to dig even deeper to variants inside the prints, the main one being the uv coating or the lack of it which gives a very noticable difference in colours of the card

[DanielGirardBolduc]

Thanks @joponnes for the Tag & Congrats to @pfm for this great summary.

I really enjoyed how you have shown the Foil Debossement Pattern ! Great Idea !
This is a really good visual guide to understand Parallel & Print Run, if any of you want to follow the white rabbit and learn about the deepest level which are the stock “Stock/PrintRun/Parallel/” I have reverse enginneered the Commodity Code and posted a great summary here

Good luck to those of you which will be brave enough to make the leap.

Have an awesome day.
Dan