Mudkip ★
Team Rocket Returns · #107/109 · Rare Holo Star · 2004
Price history
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Graded values
Grades 1–6 are estimates modeled from the raw price — PSA/CGC/BGS 7–10 and Ungraded are live tracked market values.
PSA 10 chart is building — graded values are tracked nightly, a new point appears each day.
Graded population census · updated 2026-07-07
Population data from PriceCharting, updated monthly.
CardPrice Score A-TIER
A Fukuda Gold Star of a cult-favorite starter with a brutal gem rate and firm four-figure floor — scarcity, art pedigree, and a beloved Pokémon all pulling the same direction.
- One of the original Gold Star chase cards from the format that introduced the rarity.
- Masakazu Fukuda art — the name collectors trust for the era's most coveted Stars.
- Water-type Hoenn starter, so it pulls demand from both Gold Star hunters and Mudkip's own cult following.
- Notoriously tough to grade clean; gem returns are brutal on this one.
- Sits firmly in four-figure territory raw, with a real leap at the top grade.
This analysis covers every printing of Mudkip ★ — the score and live figures use our primary tracked printing, and the price panels above follow whichever printing you have selected.
Where Mudkip ★ fits in the hobby
Team Rocket Returns dropped in 2004 as the English swan song for the EX era's early Gold Star experiment. Gold Stars — "Rare Holo Star" on paper — were the rarest pulls in their sets, one-per-box longshots with a signature holographic treatment and a gold star next to the name. Mudkip ★ is the Hoenn water starter cast in that treatment, and it's exactly the kind of small, beloved Pokémon that turns a rarity chase into a genuine grail.
The card carries Masakazu Fukuda's brush. Fukuda is one of the most collected illustrators in the hobby, and his Gold Stars from this window are among the era's most sought pieces. That artist pedigree matters here: it stacks on top of the rarity, so you're not just buying a scarce card, you're buying a scarce card with a name that moves markets on its own.
Then there's the Mudkip factor. Few starters have the internet-fueled loyalty Mudkip does, and that affection follows the character across every set it appears in. Put a cult-favorite Pokémon inside the era's flagship rarity and illustrated by a marquee artist, and you get a card that competes for attention with far more famous Gold Stars.
Market read
Mudkip ★ lives in the upper tier of EX-era Gold Star demand. It isn't the single most famous Star of its generation, but it holds its own on the strength of the Pokémon and the artist — a combination that keeps interest steady even when broader vintage attention rotates elsewhere. Raw copies command a serious premium simply to enter the conversation.
The graded picture tells the real story. There's a meaningful population out there, but the gem rate is punishing — clean top-grade examples are the exception, not the norm. That scarcity at the ceiling is what drives the sharp step-up in value for a flawless copy versus a merely nice one. For collectors, this is a card where condition sensitivity, not raw availability, defines the market.
- Gold Star rarity — the scarcest pull tier of its era, with lasting collector cachet.
- Masakazu Fukuda's illustrator following, which carries its own premium.
- Mudkip's enduring cult popularity as a fan-favorite Hoenn starter.
- Brutal gem rate makes true top-grade copies genuinely hard to source.
- Cross-appeal to both Gold Star set builders and single-Pokémon collectors.
Exact figures — price, population, gem rate, grading EV — are live in the panels above and refresh nightly.
Why the art matters
Masakazu Fukuda illustrates Mudkip ★ in the clean, expressive style that made his EX-era work so collectible. The little water-type is rendered mid-motion with the bright, confident linework Fukuda is known for, set against the distinctive cosmos-like foil pattern reserved for Gold Stars — the signature "shiny" holo sheen that visually separates these cards from every other holo in the set.
Fukuda is among the most revered names in Pokémon card art, and his Gold Stars are widely treated as high points of the era. The artwork rewards the treatment: Mudkip's simple, friendly design plays beautifully against the swirling Star foil, which is a big part of why this card photographs so well and holds such strong shelf appeal.
Collector guide
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Frequently asked questions
How much is Mudkip ★ #107/109 worth today?
As of August 14, 2026, a raw Mudkip ★ #107/109 trades around $3,999.99, and a PSA 10 copy around $14,068.00. Prices update nightly from live market data — the chart above has the full history.
Is Mudkip ★ worth grading right now?
Yes, the math currently works: after buying a raw copy and paying ~$25 in grading fees, the expected value of grading is about $7,776.72 positive, based on live PSA 10/9 prices and this card's real gem rate.
What makes Mudkip ★ a Gold Star card?
The "Rare Holo Star" rarity — nicknamed Gold Star — was the top pull tier in EX-era sets, marked by a gold star next to the Pokémon's name and a unique cosmos-style holo foil. These were roughly one-per-box longshots. Mudkip ★ is the Team Rocket Returns entry in that lineup.
Why is this card so hard to grade highly?
The dark borders and reflective Star foil expose the smallest flaws — edge whitening, surface swirls, and print lines all show up under scrutiny. That's reflected in the low gem rate. Even copies that look clean to the naked eye often come back short of the top grade.
Who illustrated Mudkip ★ and why does it matter?
Masakazu Fukuda, one of the most collected artists in the hobby. His EX-era Gold Stars are prized on the strength of his name alone, so the illustrator adds a demand layer on top of the rarity itself.
Is Mudkip ★ part of a larger Gold Star set?
It's one of several Gold Stars in Team Rocket Returns, an English set from 2004. Many collectors pursue the era's Stars as a themed run, which keeps steady pressure on the tougher and more popular ones like Mudkip.
Should I buy raw or already graded?
At four-figure-plus levels, a reputable slab removes authenticity and condition guesswork, which is why many collectors prefer graded copies here. Raw is fine from trusted sellers if you know how to read the foil and borders — just inspect carefully before paying up.
Attacks
How much is Mudkip ★ #107/109 worth?
As of August 14, 2026, Mudkip ★ #107/109 from Team Rocket Returns sells for around $3,999.99 in raw, ungraded condition.
Grading changes the math on this one: a PSA 10 is valued around $14,068.00, roughly 3.5x the raw price, while a PSA 9 sits near $11,723.05. 1,252 copies have been graded to date, and 3% of them came back a 10 — worth knowing before you pay grading fees.
Prices on this page refresh nightly from live TCGplayer market data and are cross-checked against actual sold prices, so a single inflated listing never becomes "the price". The chart above has the full history.