DALLAS, TX.- A Japanese version of the card that introduced the Pokémon game's most iconic character is an unquestioned piece of hobby history, and a trophy-caliber prize for the winning bidder in Heritage's Trading Card Games Signature® AuctionDecember 16-17.

The Pokémon Charizard 006 Japanese Base Set PSA Trading Card Game GEM MT 10 (The Pokémon Company, 1996) No Rarity Symbol, Holo is a must-have treasure because of what it has ... and because of what it doesn't have.

“It is readily apparent why this card earned the Gem Mint 10 grade — it is magnificent,” says Jesus Garcia, Trading Card Games Consignment Director at Heritage Auctions. “But it is made even more attractive because it does not have the ‘rarity' symbol that appears in the lower right corner on most cards. If a card does not have one, it is part of the first print run of the Japanese Base Set.

“Put it in context: PSA has awarded the English first-edition base set Charizard a Gem Mint 10 grade 121 times ... but only eight times for this base set ‘No Rarity' version. It is incredibly rare, the kind of card that immediately can become a centerpiece of a new collection.”

The Japanese-language card is not the only one in the auction featuring the game's most popular character. The list also includes a Pokémon Charizard 4 1st Edition Base Set PSA Trading Card Game GEM MT 10 (Wizards of the Coast, 1999) Rare, Holo, an exceptional example of the English-language version of the Japanese card listed above. This Pokémon was featured on the cover of Pocket Monsters: Red and features artwork by Mitsuhiro Arita. PSA has certified just 124 copies with the GEM MT 10 grade.

A Pokémon Blastoise 2 1st Edition Base Set PSA Trading Card Game GEM MT 10 (The Pokémon Company, 1999) Rare, Holo is one of just 101 examples to earn a Gem MT 10 grade from PSA. The grade makes the card, with artwork by Ken Sugimori, an unquestioned rarity — evcen moreso on a first-edition card like the one offered in this auction.

A Pokémon Venusaur 15 1st Edition Base Set PSA Trading Card Game GEM MT 10 (The Pokémon Company, 1999) Rare, Holo is one of just 144 examples certified by PSA with a Gem Mint 10 grade. With artwork by Mitsuhiro Arita, it features the final evolved form of the starter Grass-type Pokémon Bulbasaur, Venusaur. Finding a First Edition card at such a high grade is exceedingly rare.

Magic: The Gathering

Terese Nielsen's Magic: The Gathering Force of Will Illustration Original Artwork (1996) brings to life one of the most iconic counterspells in Magic: The Gathering history. Players can remove a blue blue card from their hands to play this card, which frees them up to play Force of Will to counter an opponent's spell. Most pieces created prior to this one measured 5 by 7 inches — dimensions that pale in comparison to this dramatic 11-1/2-by-14-1/2-inch image.

Pino Pina Santee Collection

Discovered recently in Santee, California, the Pino Pina Santee Collection includes 61 sealed items, including 39 booster boxes from the two most popular trading card games: Pokémon and Magic: The Gathering. All of the boxes in this trove come from the original owner, making this the first time they have reached the secondary market. With boxes in such exceptional condition, it is no surprise that they have remained virtually untouched for more than 20 years. The boxes in this collection come in acrylic cases, each with tamper-proof stickers with The Pino Pina Santee Collection name.

Top lots in the collection include, but are not limited to:

• A Pokémon 1st Edition Base Set Sealed Booster Box (Wizards of the Coast, 1999)

• A Pokémon Unlimited Neo Genesis Set Sealed Booster Box (Wizards of the Coast, 2000)

• A Pokémon Unlimited Neo Revelation Set Sealed Booster Box (Wizards of the Coast, 2001)

• A Pokémon 1st Edition Team Rocket Set Sealed Booster Box (Wizards of the Coast, 2000)

• A Magic: The Gathering Stronghold Sealed Booster Box (Wizards of the Coast, 1998)

• A Magic: The Gathering Portal Second Age Sealed Booster Box (Wizards of the Coast, 1998)