Snorlax · Base Set 2, what to know.
About the Snorlax card
Snorlax sits at #30 in Base Set 2, the fourth of the Wizards of the Coast print runs. Illustration by Ken Sugimori. Sugimori is the lead character designer of the Pokémon franchise itself. His TCG illustrations carry a tighter, more on-model feel because they are by the same hand that defined how the Pokémon look in the games.
The flavor text on the card reads: "Very lazy. Just eats and sleeps. As its rotund bulk builds, it becomes steadily more slothful." 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.
About Snorlax in the Pokémon world
A massive Normal-type Pokémon famous for sleeping on roads and blocking the player's path. Jungle holo Snorlax is one of the most-loved Wizards-era cards. Sleeping art and friendly silhouette make it a sentimental marquee.
Print variants and how to spot them
Base Set 2 shipped in a single Unlimited print run. No 1st Edition stamp, no Shadowless treatment, no error prints of note. The Base Set 2 set symbol (a small "2" inside the Base mark) is the diagnostic. Holos from this set carry significantly lower prices than the original Base Set equivalents despite being the same card art.
Grading and condition
For graded buyers, non-holo Rares are less punishing on surface but no easier on centering. PSA 10 populations for Wizards-era Rares are smaller than the Rare Holo populations in some cases because the cards were less protected and more frequently played. Edge whitening from sleeves is the typical grade-cap on raw copies.
If you are buying this card
For raw purchases of this card, verify centering by eye, edge whitening on all four sides, and surface scratches under angled light. Non-holo Rares from the Wizards era are cheap enough that PSA 10 submissions usually do not break the math if you have a clean candidate.
