Zapdos #15 Value
Fossil · Card 15/62 · Rare · 1999
Zapdos has been a fan favorite since it first flew into the Fossil set back in 1999, and it is easy to see why. That electric-yellow Mitsuhiro Arita artwork just pops, and this Rare card has held its place in collectors' binders for over two decades. If you are trying to nail down Zapdos value today, a raw copy runs $15, which makes it a great entry point into vintage Fossil collecting.
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Pulled 108× on PackSpy across Collector Crypt, Mnstr, Courtyard, Tilt Rips · biggest hit $3.6k.
Found in packs: Elite Pokémon Gacha Pack · Pack 2 · Pokémon Pro Pack · Pokémon Starter Pack · Pokémon Platinum (Spicy) …
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Zapdos price history
Ungraded value is $15, up 39% over the past year, with an all-time high of $38 in January 2021.
Market value over time by grade. Hover for any month; tap a grade to toggle its line.
Zapdos price at every grade
The market value at each PSA grade, with how many exist (population). 3,750 graded copies exist — only 39 are PSA 10.
| Grade | Value | Population |
|---|---|---|
| Raw / Ungraded | $15 | — |
| PSA 10 (Gem Mint) | $851 | 39 |
| Grade 9 | $170 | 479 |
| Grade 8 | $83 | 1,095 |
| Grade 7 | $49 | 816 |
| Grade 6 | $37 | 664 |
| Grade 5 | $30 | 389 |
| Grade 4 | $22 | 154 |
| Grade 3 | $18 | 58 |
| Grade 2 | $11 | 22 |
| Grade 1 | $75 | 34 |
Prices & population from PriceCharting. Grade values are PSA-based; population is split by grading company (PSA / CGC).
Card details
- Set
- Fossil
- Card number
- 15 of 62
- Rarity
- Rare
- Type
- Lightning
- HP
- 80
- Stage
- Basic
- Retreat cost
- 2
- Illustrator
- Mitsuhiro Arita
- Released
- 1999
Attacks
- Thunderstorm40Lightning · Lightning · Lightning · Lightning
For each of your opponent's Benched Pokémon, flip a coin. If heads, this attack does 20 damage to that Pokémon. (Don't apply Weakness and Resistance for Benched Pokémon.) Then, Zapdos does 10 damage times the number of tails to itself.
Zapdos — collector's take
Is Zapdos worth grading?
So is Zapdos worth grading? Let's talk numbers, because they tell an honest story. A raw copy sits at $15, a Grade 9 jumps to $170, and a PSA 10 command $851, which works out to 58.3x the raw price. That is a serious multiplier, no question. But here is the catch: gem mint 10s are genuinely hard to land on a 1999 card like this, since decades-old Fossil cardstock often shows whitening or centering issues that keep it out of that top tier. Grading fees add up, turnaround takes time, and there is real risk your copy comes back a 9 instead of a 10, which is still a nice card but a much smaller payday. If you have a copy that looks sharp under a loupe, with clean edges and centering, it might be worth the gamble. If it is soft around the corners, you may be better off enjoying it raw or selling as-is.
How rare is it?
Across all the years since 1999, only 3,750 copies of Zapdos have been graded, and of those, just 39 have earned that coveted PSA 10 label. That is a tiny sliver, well under two percent of the graded population reaching gem mint. When a card is that hard to find in perfect condition, the price for those top copies naturally climbs, which is exactly why PSA 10s trade so far above raw and Grade 9 copies. It is a good reminder that scarcity at the very top isn't about how many exist overall, it is about how few survive in flawless shape.
Where to pull it
PackSpy has tracked Zapdos being pulled 111 times across the pack sites we monitor, including courtyard, collector-crypt, tilt-rips, and mnstr. It has turned up in a range of products, from the Pokémon VIP (Spicy) pack to the Starter Pokémon Gacha Pack, Pokemon Starter Pack, Pokemon Expert Pack, and Pokemon Mini Pack. The biggest recorded pull value for this card hit $3,605, which shows just how much a lucky rip can swing in your favor. That said, opening packs is fundamentally a gamble, and most rips do not come close to that number, so go in with realistic expectations and treat any big pull as a bonus, not the plan.
Questions people ask
How much is Zapdos worth?
A raw, ungraded Zapdos is worth $15 right now. Once graded, the value climbs fast: a Grade 9 sits at $170, while a PSA 10 reaches $851. So how much Zapdos is worth really depends on the condition and whether it has been graded.
Is Zapdos worth grading?
It can be, since a PSA 10 sells for 58.3x what a raw copy goes for. But only 39 out of 3,750 graded copies have hit that gem mint grade, so it is far from guaranteed. Grade it if your copy looks genuinely clean, otherwise the safer bet may be selling raw.
What set is Zapdos from?
Zapdos #15 comes from the Fossil set, released back in 1999. It is a Rare card illustrated by Mitsuhiro Arita, and it remains one of the more recognizable pulls from that early era of Pokemon cards.
Other Zapdos cards & values
Every Zapdos card we track, ranked by value — compare prints and printings.
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Recent pulls of Zapdos
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