That’s a good point. I was thinking about the Netflix special on the 80s toys. I should remember the names (He man?). I wasn’t around for that time, but it was a great documentary on the evolution of toys.
Maybe @garyis2000 can tell us more about the “ring on a stick” toy. First Gen right?
Probably Heracross.
I’ve been meaning to watch the Netflix show for ages, maybe I’ll do so tonight, I’m a '91 kiddo so I missed out on the crazy 80’s toy marketing campaigns but my Uncle was a hardcore sealed toy collector, he sold a ton of his He-Man toys for a mint; including one particular figure that went for about £4000 because it had a little nunchuck appendage and his was one of the few that weren’t broken.
Totally off track but yeah! 
I think base set charizard is one of the major reasons behind the TCG’s success in the first place. Without it, I’m skeptical that the TCG would exist today.
Absolutely right.
All the girls loved him and all the boys wanted to be him lol.
I remember it well lol.
I think the semantics of this topic needs to be clarified. I don’t think Charizard is THE card, I’d say the Illustrator is THE card, which is Pikachu.
Now if we talking about the most discussion based card. This one would be hard to figure out, as Charizard gets talked about because it’s common enough to find, but expensive enough to get looks outside the hobby. I’d venture to guess Blastoise would take it’s place in this discussion.
Are we talking most instanly recognized card as THE card, where I’d say you need set and character in that discussion. I think the answer would be Base Set Pikachu if Charizard isn’t around.
Are we talking about the most recognized character in the TCG world? Pikachu, enough said.
Zapdos is now the only 100 damage Pokémon in base set. That’s why kids liked Charizard, right? Lol
I took it as if Pokemon decided to emphasize a different Pokemon in the TCG as the star Pokemon. Pikachu is the friendliest and most recognizable, but who is the badass? Machamp is a good backup without picking one of the starters.
But it really isn’t though. Absent base Charizard it still wouldn’t be. Sure the illustrator is more valuable but it is a card 99%+ of the regular population wouldn’t recognize whatsoever and 99%+ of collectors will never see or hold let alone own. Hell overall probably 2/3 general collectors aren’t aware of it. I wasn’t back in the day, only once I came here. Base set charizard was and always will be THE card which is great because that nostalgia exists even for a large portion of the general population and there are multiple varieties so there is one out there for every budget.
The Charizard was definitely the card everyone talked about in the 90’s, that will never change. However the Illustrator is much more ubiquitous today.
When I was in Vegas with Gary, the illustrator was mentioned by people who were peripherally aware of Pokemon. They were like, “I saw this pikachu illustrator card in a video/article”. Even people who know what I do, they are like, “dude do you have a pikachu illustrator, a prince owns one of them” - actual quote. 
I think its simply known as the “most expensive” to most people. Mainly due to social media, articles, videos = exposure.
@smpratte maybe somehow my sample isn’t representative but I know none of my friends family or co workers have ever heard of the illustrator. Besides for here I have never run across any mention of the illustrator in my standard consumption of mass or social media that I can recall either.
That said they also aren’t aware of t206 wagners, st gaudens double eagles or even the steins that I collect that have local roots.
Damn sure everyone of them recognizes charizard though when shown it or talked about it. And again I realize the value of the illustrator is higher I still think though even if more people than I realize are aware of the illustrator it is again nowhere near the magnitude of the charizard.
I definitely think Charizard is the most popular card from that 90’s experience. Similar to more people know Babe Ruth over Wagner. But anyone who spends 30 minutes looking up general “Top 10 card” videos will know the illustrator. I have guys who ask what I do at hockey, a week later when I see them again then know about Wagner, the illustrator, mantle, black lotus, etc.
You being you skews your population around you though I’d say. I’d think mine is more representative of the general population and the average slave collectors. 
If I did something “odd” full time like Pokemon my friends family and co workers may go out and research it a bit more too. For me it is a side gig and nobody really knows the dollar amounts associated with it. Perhaps if a lot of them saw my eBay listings they’d do some more digging on it but for most it’s just an odd hobby I have and they probably think I’ve got a few hundred bucks of cards.
Basically in being a nobody like me most people around me don’t do so much research. I’m sure Gary having been on Pawn Stars made most people around him learn a lot more than typical about the higher end of the hobby as well.
If you want to see Charizard as THE card that’s fine; however, if Charizard doesn’t exist, there’s no doubt in my mind that Illustrator takes it’s place.
Think of other card hobbies, Baseball has Honus Wagner, MTG has Black Lotus, Hockey has Wayne Gretzky. It’s not secret that all these cards are the most expensive of their respective hobbies. Look at card hobbies where it’s hard to determine THE card, Yugioh, Basketball, Football. These hobbies are harder to find THE card because there’s so many cards with their price ranged so similar. Pokemon has a uniqueness where you have one set card that’s really expensive and one trophy level card, but in different languages. Remove Charizard and there’s nothing in English cards that’s even close to the top 10 Japanese cards. Illustrator is on another level altogether.
Now I know your argument is against the money aspect and towards the recognition, but I’d say it depends upon who the person is that matters. I’m sure there’s plenty of people reading this post who had no clue what other hobbies iconic cards were. That doesn’t mean whatever card they knew of was more likely to be the iconic card of that hobby. When you’re talking about casuals who couldn’t tell the difference between a 1st ed and unlimited, I’m sorry they don’t hold much weight to me in determining which card is THE card. You’re fully aware of what the Illustrator is now, do you think you’re more qualified now to determine the most iconic card or do you think your past self was more qualified?
If you want to argue Charizard is the more iconic card, sure I won’t debate your opinion it hold some logic and has a fair argument. Your claim that if you take away Charizard Illustrator won’t be it… I’m not buying that.
@cullers our opinions are unlikely to be swayed but for the exact reasons that my logic leads to Charizard being THE card for me I think in it’s absence it would have been something like Blastoise or Venusaur for the same reasons. Charizard was and is THE card due to it’s art and high attack and HP on the card as well as all the hype around it which generally came from the anime and the games I am assuming as well. On top of that it was and is a reasonable card for anyone to pursue. Absent Charizard then it naturally would have went to whoever was in his place in the anime and/or met the other conditions.
A foreign card with very few copies that nobody had the chance to open in a pack or a chance to own or even see in real life just can’t compete IMO. In value though it wins but I don’t think this thread is about that. As you mentioned in your post a lot of it comes down to semantics and I guess what exactly “THE CARD” means likely varies to a lot of us.
Also even though on an individual single card vs. card basis the illustrator wins out on price it can’t come close to the market cap that base Charizard brings with it. Never will either. Which in a way can also be used to classify it as THE card if you wanted to.
@gottaketchumall , that’s another interesting take. Is this an alternate reality hypothetical where the Pokemon marketing team remakes the entire TCG? If that’s the case I’d agree that nothing changes, just the Pokemon that gets the special treatment Charizard received is changed. I took this exercise as all of the charizard cards disappear in our current reality, what’s the new card.
Edit: for second post. I have that in my sematics post.
@gottaketchumall Removing me from the situation, I think people in general know about the best of the best. We all know bugatti, ferarri, rolex, etc. regardless if we can purchase them. There is a natural curiosity in knowing the best of the best.
Soon rayquaza will surpass all as the most popular. And then I’ll be the new “Gary”