Pidgey

Pidgey sits at #207 in Obsidian Flames, released in August 2023. Obsidian Flames is part of the modern English Pokémon TCG era and uses the standard contemporary card frame and rarity tiers. Illustration by Jerky.

The flavor text on the card reads: "It is docile and prefers to avoid conflict. If disturbed, however, it can ferociously strike back." Pokédex entries from this era are short and often quirky, written by the original Japanese localization team for a specific stat-block layout that no longer exists in modern cards.

The first normal-flying Pokémon collectors meet in the games. Brown sparrow silhouette. Vintage Pidgey is a budget collector entry point. PSA 10 prints from Base Set are inexpensive and a good first grading submission.

Obsidian Flames shipped in Holofoil, Reverse Holo, ex, Full Art, Special Illustration, and Hyper Rare. The Charizard ex Special Illustration Rare (#215) is the marquee modern chase from the set and a defining card of the early Scarlet & Violet era.

For graded buyers, modern cards have cleaner cardstock than the Wizards-era prints, so the grading bar is higher. A PSA 10 on a modern holo or alt-art requires close to flawless centering and pristine surface. PSA 9 populations are large; PSA 10 populations on the marquee chases (Special Illustration Rares, alt arts) are the cards that actually move price. Submission math favors clear PSA 10 candidates and stays away from PSA 8 or 9 outcomes.

If you are buying this card, the order of operations is rarity tier first, then condition. Confirm whether you are looking at the standard holo, an alt art / Special Illustration variant, or a Hyper Rare; the price spread between tiers is often 10x or more. For raw purchases on chase-tier modern cards, insist on photo or video showing the holo surface and edges. Modern cardstock is stiffer than Wizards-era stock but the high pull rates mean PSA 10 supply is large; price your buy against PSA 10 population reports.