POKÉMON UNO CARDS (2006-2020)

UNO is a card game published by Mattel that has a slew of licensed crossover products under its belt, from ScoobyDoo to Marvel to CocaCola. The first Pokémon UNO deck was released in 2006 in celebration of the franchise’s 10th anniversary, and remains one of the rarer Pokémon UNO sets to date. This was the first and only North American release, but the franchise saw a handful of subsequent UNO products in Japan. Because the 2006 deck debuted during the Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald era, new Pokémon like Rayquaza and Deoxys could be featured in the set, as well as legacy fanfavorites such as Pikachu and Charizard. Later UNO releases exclusive to Japan were based around the Sun & Moon and Sword & Shield eras. Some of these decks included variations for additional collectability: the decks released in Japan have Japaneselanguage card backs, while the decks released in other regions of Asia have “Asia” printed on the card backs underneath the Pokémon logo. Both variations are appropriately called out on PSA labels. Recent investigation by PSA’s Research team paved the way for these various cards to be recognized as authentic. Also critical was communication with Mattel representatives, who were able to confirm the legitimacy of these UNO products and open the doors for these items to be graded in late 2022.

Pokémon’s Old Maid deck is one of the most recent tabletop card releases and offers even more unique pieces for fans to collect and grade. Known as “Babanuki” in Japan, the Old Maid set is a throwback to Gen 1 in that only Pokémon from the original 151 are featured. The cards were sold in complete decks, with two copies of each card — except Gengar, which was limited to one — included inside. Perhaps the most distinct aspect of these cards is the artwork, which was provided by original Pokémon game designer Kouichi Ooyama. Ooyama’s simplistic, whimsical style shines through in this product, giving it a flavor like no other. When stacked up against UNO or the traditional playing card decks, the Old Maid deck is quite small. Only 18 unique subjects are included, along with an additional “Spare Card.” Old Maid cards are also among the more affordable Pokémon cards in the TCG space, providing a low barrier of entry for those wishing to build complete sets.

As the TCG hobby continues to grow at an astounding rate, one of its main challenges is the threat of counterfeits and misinformation. PSA’s Research team is an essential piece of the card-grading process that stands in the way of this problem. Through their diligent efforts in tracking down reliable checklists and resources, new cards — like all those mentioned above — are added to PSA’s repertoire every year. This should inspire hope to collectors everywhere chasing down gems from the hobby’s most uncharted regions.

THE 2019 POKÉMON OLD MAID SET IS NOW AVAILABLE TO COMPLETE ON THE PSA SET REGISTRY: