Every Meowth Card Variant Ranked by Value (2026)
Published by JK Index · Updated August 2026
Meowth is the Pokémon that never stopped being printed.
For nearly three decades, the Team Rocket mascot has appeared in almost every major set — sometimes as a bulk common, sometimes as a chase-tier holo, occasionally as a Gold Star grail. That printing frequency is why the Meowth catalog is genuinely enormous, and also why 90% of Meowth cards trade for less than $5. The interesting collector question isn't which Meowths exist. It's which ones actually matter.
This 2026 ranking answers that specific question.
Meowth 1st Edition Holo (Jungle, 1999)
The vintage anchor. The Jungle set Meowth (#10/64) is where every serious Meowth collection starts — even though it's technically a non-holo rare, the 1st Edition version has developed genuine PSA 10 collector attention over the last five years.
- Raw NM: $52–$78
- PSA 8: $180–$260
- PSA 9: $420–$580
- PSA 10: $1,100–$1,500
PSA 10 population is roughly 420 — not scarce, but tighter than most Jungle non-holos because most collectors didn't sleeve the "cute cat" cards from childhood. The specific illustration (Meowth mid-pounce, coin visible) has aged into one of the most recognizable non-holo art panels of the WotC era.
Team Rocket Dark Meowth (Team Rocket, 2000)
Team Rocket villain treatment on Meowth is culturally significant — this is the only card that visually connects the animated-series Team Rocket Meowth character to the TCG. The Team Rocket set delivered a Dark Meowth that grew into a modest but stable collector target.
- Raw NM: $28–$42
- PSA 10 (Unlimited): $220–$310
- PSA 10 (1st Edition): $520–$720
The 1st Edition population is under 180 at PSA 10. Not remarkable — but stable, and appreciating alongside the wider Team Rocket 1st Edition trend at ~9% annually.
Gold Star Meowth Trainer Deck Exclusive (POP Series 2, 2005)
Underappreciated grail. Gold Star Meowth was distributed as a specific trainer-tier promotional print — POP Series 2 organized play — and the surviving PSA 10 copies are genuinely scarce.
- Raw NM: $1,400–$1,900
- PSA 10: $5,500–$7,500
PSA 10 population: 62. The Gold Star mechanic works especially well with Meowth's warm color palette — the metallic-gold treatment on gold-fur reads as a coherent design choice rather than an overlay effect.
Meowth VMAX (Evolving Skies, 2021)
Modern flagship. Not the biggest chase, not the smallest — the Evolving Skies Meowth VMAX carries clean modern pricing behavior and displays well.
- Raw NM: $65–$95
- PSA 10: $220–$310
Population runs high (2,200+ PSA 10), which caps ceiling potential, but the character-loyalty demand keeps the floor stable. Better hold than most Evolving Skies non-alt-art VMAXes.
Rocket's Meowth (Aquapolis, 2003)
Underappreciated crystal-era print. The Aquapolis set delivered a Rocket's Meowth holo that most collectors forget exists — but the Aquapolis print quality was poor, which means PSA 10 populations across the set are historically tight.
- Raw NM: $85–$120
- PSA 10: $620–$850
If you find one in a childhood binder that's been sleeved and looks clean, grade it. The math is generous — PSA 10 populations on the Rocket's-Trainer prints from Aquapolis are under 90 in most cases.
Full ranking
| Rank | Card | Set (Year) | PSA 10 (Aug 2026) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gold Star Meowth | POP Series 2 (2005) | $5,500–$7,500 |
| 2 | Meowth 1st Ed. (Non-Holo Rare) | Jungle (1999) | $1,100–$1,500 |
| 3 | Rocket's Meowth Holo | Aquapolis (2003) | $620–$850 |
| 4 | Dark Meowth 1st Ed. | Team Rocket (2000) | $520–$720 |
| 5 | Meowth VMAX | Evolving Skies (2021) | $220–$310 |
| 6 | Dark Meowth Unlimited | Team Rocket (2000) | $220–$310 |
| 7 | Meowth-GX Rainbow Rare | Sun & Moon Team Up (2019) | $180–$260 |
| 8 | Team Rocket's Meowth (Full Art) | XY BREAKthrough (2015) | $150–$220 |
| 9 | Meowth V Alt Art | Evolving Skies (2021) | $180–$260 |
| 10 | Meowth (Celebrations Reprint) | Celebrations (2021) | $85–$130 |
Which Meowth should you actually buy?
Three profiles depending on your budget.
Under $600: Rocket's Meowth Holo from Aquapolis. Underappreciated crystal-era print, tight PSA 10 population, and aesthetic distinctiveness that grows with time.
Under $1,500: Jungle 1st Edition non-holo Meowth. Foundational vintage, universally recognized, low counterfeit risk. The safe start.
Under $7,500 (grail tier): Gold Star Meowth from POP Series 2. Under 65 PSA 10 copies globally, distinctive metallic-gold-on-gold visual, real long-term appreciation curve.
Skip: the standard modern Meowth prints from Base Set-era reprints and Standard-legal Scarlet & Violet-era cards. Volume dilutes returns, and Meowth's character loyalty doesn't compensate for print run scale.
Final take
Meowth is the collector-market's ultimate character-loyalty test. Nobody talks about Meowth the way they talk about Charizard or Umbreon — but Meowth has more surviving vintage collectors than either. That fan base is small, quiet, and stubborn, which produces the specific kind of demand curve that rewards patient holders. Buy the Jungle 1st Edition while it's still under $1,500. Buy the Gold Star if the grail budget is available. Ignore the volume-tier modern prints entirely. The cat that always wins doesn't need to be flashy about it.
