How rare is Poliwhirl?

Poliwhirl is an Uncommon, a step scarcer than base cards yet still widely available across SM Base Set.

Is Poliwhirl a chase card?

Not really — Poliwhirl is a Uncommon that is easy to obtain. Its value to collectors is completing the SM Base Set set rather than the thrill of a rare pull.

What's a gem-mint (PSA 10) Poliwhirl worth?

A PSA 10 Poliwhirl is valued around $15.50 — roughly 44x a raw Near Mint copy (about $0.35). That premium reflects how few examples earn a perfect grade.

What makes Poliwhirl collectible?

Poliwhirl combines its Uncommon rarity from SM Base Set, the difficulty of finding it in top condition, and steady demand from set-builders. Track its rarity and graded prices on RarePokemonCard, refreshed from real 2026 marketplace data.

Poliwhirl

Name: Poliwhirl - SM Base Set (31/149)
Brand: Pokemon

SM Base Set · 31/149 · Uncommon

Current Prices

Market Price $0.35

Low $0.33

High $0.33

PSA 10 $15.50

PSA 9 N/A

30-Day Trend +0.0%

Set

SM Base Set

Number

31/149

Rarity

Uncommon

Variant

Reverse_Holofoil

Market

US (TCGplayer)

Last Updated

Aug 1, 2026

Check Price

Poliwhirl: Rarity & Collectibility

Poliwhirl in its sought-after Reverse_Holofoil variant is an Uncommon, slightly scarcer than the base cards but still widely available. Cataloged as Uncommon #31/149 of the SM Base Set 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 Poliwhirl?

In 2026, a Near Mint Poliwhirl (Uncommon, SM Base Set #31/149) changes hands at roughly $0.35, 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 $0.35, whereas a Damaged one slides to around $0.18. Across the wear scale that reads Near Mint $0.35, Lightly Played $0.34, Moderately Played $0.26, Heavily Played $0.05, Damaged $0.18 — proof that for a collectible like this, presentation is inseparable from value. At the very top, a gem-mint PSA 10 Poliwhirl is valued near $15.50 — about 44x the raw copy, the clearest sign of how much collectors pay for flawless scarcity.

Graded Poliwhirl: 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) Poliwhirl sits around $15.50 — roughly 44x 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 8 $19.99 — 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	LIGHTLY PLAYED	$1.49	$1.49	$1.49	4
ebay	NEAR MINT	$1.75	$1.75	$1.75	9
ebay	PSA 10	$15.50	$15.50	$15.50	1
ebay	PSA 7	$10.50	$10.50	$10.50	2
ebay	PSA 8	$19.99	$19.99	$19.99	2
tcgplayer	DAMAGED	$0.18	$0.18	$0.18	0
tcgplayer	HEAVILY PLAYED	$0.05	$0.05	$0.05	2
tcgplayer	LIGHTLY PLAYED	$0.34	$0.23	$0.34	68
tcgplayer	MODERATELY PLAYED	$0.26	$0.26	$0.26	4
tcgplayer	NEAR MINT	$0.35	$0.33	$0.33	272

Collector Outlook for Poliwhirl

Poliwhirl is an Uncommon collectors gather while building toward the set's headline pulls. Collect it for completeness and the joy of the hunt; its appeal is the set, not the ceiling. Whether you are chasing it for a set or as a centerpiece, revisit Poliwhirl on RarePokemonCard — rarity demand in 2026 shifts with reprints, set nostalgia, and how few high-grade copies surface.