Caterpie (Japanese)
Base Expansion Pack · 003/128 · Common
Current Prices
Number
003/128
Rarity
Common
Variant
1st_Edition
Market
US (TCGplayer)
Last Updated
Aug 1, 2026
Caterpie (Japanese): Rarity & Collectibility
Caterpie (Japanese) in its sought-after 1st_Edition variant sits at the most plentiful end of the rarity scale — easy to pull and easy to find. Cataloged as Common #003/128 of the Base Expansion Pack set, it is the kind of card RarePokemonCard tracks for scarcity and collector demand rather than raw price alone. The harder a card is to pull in top condition, the more weight serious collectors place on it.
How Rare & Valuable Is Caterpie (Japanese)?
In 2026, a Near Mint Caterpie (Japanese) (Common, Base Expansion Pack #003/128) changes hands at roughly $4.04, and availability keeps it within easy reach for collectors. Because demand concentrates on clean copies, surface wear is punished hard: a Near Mint example commands about $4.04, whereas a Heavily Played one slides to around $2.00. Across the wear scale that reads Near Mint $4.04, Lightly Played $3.00, Moderately Played $2.00, Heavily Played $2.00 — proof that for a collectible like this, presentation is inseparable from value. At the very top, a gem-mint PSA 10 Caterpie (Japanese) is valued near $89.00 — about 22x the raw copy, the clearest sign of how much collectors pay for flawless scarcity.
Graded Caterpie (Japanese): Gem Mint & Population
Even for a card at this rarity, the top of the market belongs to certified gem-mint copies. A PSA 10 (or CGC 10 / BGS Black Label equivalent) Caterpie (Japanese) sits around $89.00 — roughly 22x a raw copy. That gap exists because relatively few examples ever earn a perfect grade, so gem-mint population is the real scarcity collectors chase. Step down a notch and demand spreads across PSA 9 $20.00, CGC 10 $56.54, CGC 9.5 $10.00 — each tier a smaller, scarcer pool than the one below it. The rule of thumb for collectors: the rarer the card, the more a certified high grade matters to its standing.
Detailed Price Breakdown
| Source | Condition / Grade | Average | Low | High | Sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ebay | HEAVILY PLAYED | $1.88 | $1.88 | $1.88 | 1 |
| ebay | LIGHTLY PLAYED | $3.00 | $3.00 | $3.00 | 13 |
| ebay | MODERATELY PLAYED | $2.98 | $2.98 | $2.98 | 1 |
| ebay | NEAR MINT | $4.27 | $4.27 | $4.27 | 21 |
| ebay | CGC 10 | $56.54 | $56.54 | $56.54 | 1 |
| ebay | CGC 9 5 | $10.00 | $10.00 | $10.00 | 1 |
| ebay | PSA 10 | $89.00 | $89.00 | $89.00 | 15 |
| ebay | PSA 6 | $8.50 | $8.50 | $8.50 | 1 |
| ebay | PSA 9 | $20.00 | $20.00 | $20.00 | 5 |
| tcgplayer | HEAVILY PLAYED | $2.00 | $2.00 | $2.00 | 1 |
| tcgplayer | LIGHTLY PLAYED | $3.00 | $3.00 | $3.00 | 13 |
| tcgplayer | MODERATELY PLAYED | $2.00 | $2.00 | $2.00 | 2 |
| tcgplayer | NEAR MINT | $4.04 | $4.04 | $4.04 | 21 |
Collector Outlook for Caterpie (Japanese)
As a Common, Caterpie (Japanese) earns its place through set completion rather than chase appeal — but a binder is never finished without it. An accessible pickup whose pull is enjoyment and progress toward a finished set. Whether you are chasing it for a set or as a centerpiece, revisit Caterpie (Japanese) on RarePokemonCard — rarity demand in 2026 shifts with reprints, set nostalgia, and how few high-grade copies surface.
