Dark Blastoise Card Appraisal

Dark Blastoise (Holographic) - Team Rocket Expansion 3/82

This is a vintage Pokémon Trading Card Game (TCG) card featuring 'Dark Blastoise' from the Team Rocket expansion set, released circa 2000. The card is a Stage 2 water-type Pokémon with 70 HP. It features a holographic foil illustration by artist Mitsuhiro Arita, depicting the character with its signature water cannons against a fractured, multi-colored light-refracting background. The card's design is distinct for its 'Dark' prefix and unique brown/black evolution stage icon, characteristic of the Team Rocket set. In terms of condition, the card shows significant signs of play-wear. The yellow perimeter borders exhibit noticeable whitening and edge wear, particularly along the top edge which appears chipped and frayed. Surface scratches are visible on the holographic art window and the lower blue text box, where some ink loss or 'silvering' is starting to occur. There is a lack of the '1st Edition' stamp, identifying this as an Unlimited print run. The card number is marked as 3/82 in the bottom right corner. While the card retains its structural integrity without major creases, the level of surface and edge degradation places it in 'Moderate Play' to 'Heavily Played' condition, affecting its collectible value but maintaining its historical appeal for the era.