Pokemon Dark Raichu Holo Secret Rare Team Rocket Unlimited 83/82 BGS 8.5 Beckett
The card that invented the secret rare. In April 2000, Wizards of the Coast released the Team Rocket expansion — a 82-card set built around villain-themed Dark Pokémon — and quietly slipped in a 83rd card that wasn't on any checklist. Dark Raichu #83/82 appeared in booster packs with no warning and no explanation, and when collectors finally held it, they were looking at something that had never existed before: the first Secret Rare card in Pokémon TCG history. That numbering trick — hiding a chase card beyond a set's printed count — became the template every modern set still follows today.
- Set: 2000 Wizards of the Coast Team Rocket — the 5th Pokémon TCG expansion and the debut of the Dark Pokémon mechanic
- Card: Dark Raichu Holo Secret Rare #83/82 — the original card to break set numbering in Pokémon TCG
- Print run: Unlimited edition — the more widely available printing, distinct from the scarcer 1st Edition stamp
- Artwork: Illustrated by Mitsuhiro Arita, depicting Dark Raichu crackling with electricity against a cosmic background
- Graded: BGS 8.5 NM-MT+ by Beckett — a sharp, display-worthy slab that clears the raw market by a significant margin
- Market: Raw Near Mint Unlimited copies trading around $80–$130; a BGS 8.5 commands a meaningful premium over unslabbed examples
This is a piece of Pokémon TCG infrastructure — the card that literally created the secret rare concept. Whether you're building a vintage WOTC set collection, hunting milestones from the original era, or simply want the card every serious collector knows by number, the Dark Raichu 83/82 BGS 8.5 delivers the history, the holo, and the grade to display it with confidence.
Available at Collector Station, Easley, SC. Local pickup available. All sales final. Shipping damage must be reported within 48 hours of delivery with photos.
