These are now among the most collectible Japanese cards from the era: Glossy Mew (Lily Pad Mew): February 1997 issue (on-sale January 15, 1997), illustrated by Ken Sugimori Glossy Mewtwo : June 1997 issue (on-sale May 15, 1997) Surfing Pikachu : September 1997 issue (on-sale August 15, 1997) Legendary Birds Jumbo card : October 1997 issue (on-sale September 15, 1997), featuring Articuno, Moltres, and Zapdos together on a single oversized card Flying Pikachu : November 1997 issue (on-sale October 15, 1997) Worth flagging one common mistake: the Articuno/Moltres/Zapdos promo is a single jumbo card featuring all three birds , not three individual glossy cards
Ill use myself as an example as I go through this, both because I know myself best and also because Im currently going through this
A borderline copy is usually better left raw or sold as a strong near-mint single than gambling on a 9
Chandra, Acolyte of Flame Note that most of the things I just mentioned about Sorin also apply to Chandra, Acolyte of Flame as well