Looking to find out the value of your Qwilfish Pokemon card? This guide discusses how much various versions of a Qwilfish Pokemon card are worth.
Do you own a Qwilfish Pokemon card? With the release of Astral Radiance in the Pokemon Trading Card Game, there are 13 cards depicting Qwilfish in the TCG. This includes Hisuian Qwilfish, native to the Hisui region of the past. While Qwilfish has never been featured as holographic rare card, there is Qwilfish’s first TCG appearance in the original 1st edition printing from Neo Revelation. There are also various reverse holographic Qwilfish cards printed over the past quarter-century.
These Qwilfish Pokemon cards in your collection could be worth more than you think. In this guide, we’ll explain the value of each version of a Qwilfish Pokemon card and what factors can affect its collectible and resale value.
Most Qwilfish Cards are Found at Common and Uncommon
Knowing the rarity of your Qwilfish Pokemon card is an important step to understanding its value, as rarities greatly affect resale price. When it comes to Qwilfish cards, nine of the thirteen printing as of this writing are at common. But there are a few rarer cards part of a special sets and decks, which can usually be worth more than regular set releases.
You can determine the edition of your Qwilfish Pokemon card in several ways. One is to look up Qwilfish TCG cards on the popular Bulbapedia website. As a Pokemon introduced in the Gold and Silver games, Qwilfish’s first printing was in Neo Revelation for which there is a first edition version, which is more rare and valuable than the unlimited versions. These first edition cards are denoted with a 1st Edition symbol under the left hand side of the Pokemon’s artwork. Cards missing this symbol are considered “unlimited” and as Qwilfish only has one card that can come in 1st edition, you don’t have to worry about this distinction for other Qwilfish cards.
Unfortunately for Qwilfish, there are no holographic versions of this Pokemon. Also known as “holos,” these cards have a sparkling finish in their artwork, and are among the most sought after, and therefore valuable, Pokemon cards. However, starting with the Expedition base set, Qwilfish would have several “reverse holographic” printings. Such “reverse holo” Pokemon cards either feature a glossy foil finish that matches the color of the card’s type (blue for Water, black for Dark, etc.) or feature altered holographic artwork stamped in the bottom right hand corner with that set’s logo.
What is the most valuable Qwilfish Pokemon card?
The most important factor to consider in determining the worth of your Qwilfish Pokemon card is its condition. Generally, cards that are in Near Mint (NM) condition will be worth the most. If your card has any corner dings, scratches, or discoloration, then chances are that it will be at best be considered “lightly played” and have a fraction of the value you can get for a near-mint card. Be sure to carefully inspect your card to make sure there’s no damage so you can get the best possible value for it.
Fortunately, for Qwilfish, because there are no traditional holographic printings, many Qwilfish cards can easily be found in near-mint condition. Also, very few Qwilfish cards have a value north of $1 US Dollar. The three most valuable non-holo printings of the Qwilfish Pokemon card are as follows:
- Expedition common #127/165 ($1.21 TCGPlayer market price)
- EX Team Rocket Returns rare #27/109 ($1.21 TCGPlayer market price)
- Neo Revelation 1st edition common #49/64 ($1.02 TCGPlayer market price)
However, these aren’t the most valuable Qwilfish Pokemon cards, as there are reverse holo Qwilfish cards in most of the sets in which it has appeared. Here are the four most valuable Reverse Holo Qwilfish cards:
- EX Team Rocket Returns Rare Reverse Holofoil ($11.40 market price)
- Expedition common Reverse ($7.61 market price)
- Secret Wonders common Reverse ($1.74 market price)
- Heart Gold Soul Silver common Reverse ($1.50 market price)
All market prices are as of January 17, 2023 and only consider recent Near-Mint condition sales.
No other Qwilfish Pokemon card has a market price north of $1 US Dollar. However, if you have any of these cards mentioned, then you have a somewhat valuable Qwilfish card. While there is one other Qwilfish card printed at rare in XY: Flashfire, it’s considered a “bulk rare” which can be added to a TCGPlayer order for as little as $0.10 USD. All other versions of Qwilfish are likewise considered “bulk” and are worth pennies, meaning they have no resale value outside of being included in bulk purchases.
There is one other Qwilfish card that has sold for more than any of these, which is a Japanese printing of the Qwilfish included in the Totodile 2001 Intro Pack. There was an English version of that same deck, but one Japanese example of the Totodile half deck Qwilfish card sold for $12.98 from Japan on December 2, 2022. However, this is an outlier, and much of that price likely included compensation for shipping charges.
What is the Best Qwilfish Pokemon Card in the TCG?
While there are few Qwilfish cards with much value over $1 US Dollar, several Qwilfish cards have been printed with useful moves and abilities over the years. For example, the EX Team Rocket Returns Qwilfish has a neat Poke-BODY called Spiny. When Qwilfish is knocked out, you flip a coin until you get tails. For each consecutive heads, you deal 10 damage (one Damage Counter) to the attacking Pokemon. Its attack with Stun Poison isn’t bad, either; when this Qwilfish attacks, you flip a coin, and if heads, the opponent’s Active Pokemon is both Poisoned and Paralyzed. For a rare in a pack of EX Team Rocket Returns, you couldn’t be too disappointed putting this card in a Water deck to play with your friends.
The XY Flashfire version of Qwilfish has a similar ability and attack. But, its Counterattack Quills ability says that if this Pokemon is damaged by an opponent’s attack, even if it’s knocked out in the process, you deal 20 damage to that opposing Pokemon. In many ways, this is a superior ability to the EX Team Rocket Returns version. Its attack, Poison Sting, also deals 20 damage and always Poisons the opponent. While this is technically a better card, coming so many years later no one really ever played with this card.
However, more recently, there have been Qwilfish cards that can make some noise in the Pokemon Trading Card Game Online (aka PTCGO). One of these is the Dark-type Qwilfish from Chilling Reign (#101/198). While it doesn’t have any resale value, the Bursting Needles Qwilfish is actually one deck’s featured Pokemon. Its ability is an even better version of Spiny or Counterattack Quills. This Bursting Needles ability reads: “If this Pokemon is in the Active Spot and is Knocked Out by damage from an attack from your opponent’s Pokemon put 6 damage counters on the Attacking Pokemon.”
Not only is this a solid ability on a basic Pokemon with 90 HP, this Qwilfish also has an improved attack in Poison Jab, which not only deals 30 base damage, but also is guaranteed to poison the opponent’s Active Pokemon. It also has synergy with other Single Strike Pokemon like Houndoom from Battle Styles and cleans up with Sword and Shield base set Toxicroak and Fusion Strike Morpeko. It’s great to see Qwilfish finally get a card worth playing competitively!
In fact, the Qwilfish card that sells most frequently on eBay is, in fact, the Chilling Reign Qwilfish, albeit for $1 USD or less, although reverse holo versions can sell for slightly more. Keep in mind that much of the eBay price is consumed by shipping and fees, however, and doesn’t reflect the actual market value of the card.
The Future of Qwilfish Pokemon Cards
So, when answering the question, how much is a Qwilfish Pokemon card worth, we can safely say that the answer is “not all that much.” But with Qwilfish in Scarlet and Violet, and its Hisuian counterpart’s evolution Overqwil eventually coming to those games, as well, we haven’t seen the last of Qwilfish. It does help that recent Qwilfish cards have been playable in the most recent Standard format.
If Qwilfish is among your favorite Pokemon, you’re in luck if you want to collect all of the available Qwilfish cards. Beyond the few more valuable reverse holofoil cards, Qwilfish is one of the cheapest Pokemon to collect its entire run of its TCG cards. There’s definitely a future for even more powerful Qwilfish cards to be printed, especially with Hisuian Qwilfish’s evolution in Overqwil. We will likely return to update this article within the next year to reflect new printings of this spiny little Pokemon.
