Japanese Vending Series 2 (1998): all 36 cards with PSA prices — the red sheet with the legendary birds

Hi, this is Bunbun. This column covers the second vending machine series, Expansion Sheet vol. 2 (red), known overseas as Vending Series 2. Like series 1 it came as peel-apart sheets of three cards, and it brings together the three legendary birds and the fossil Pokémon.

What is it?

• Released on 17 June 1998, only through vending machines. Each sheet holds three cards.
• 36 cards: 32 Pokémon and 4 Trainers (Flash, Master Ball, Max Revive and Guard Spec.). No Energy cards.
• No holos. The only rarities are common and uncommon.
• Glossy card stock, with red as the series colour.
• Cards are unnumbered; this site orders them by Pokédex number.

Highlights

• Zapdos, Articuno and Moltres: all three legendary birds are here as uncommons, and they are the three most graded cards in the series by total PSA population. Many collectors buy the trio, so their prices move together.
• Lapras: a common with one of the larger graded populations, popular as an alternate old-back Lapras.
• Raichu: an uncommon with steady demand from Pikachu-line collectors.
• Aerodactyl, Kabuto and Omanyte: the fossil Pokémon, with artwork different from the Fossil set.
• Machoke and Voltorb: commons with large graded populations. Machoke has the largest PSA 10 population in the series.

Reading the prices

• PSA 10 / PSA 9 below are the median of the latest confirmed sales (up to five).
• Vending cards are often sold as uncut three-card sheets, which are a different item from single peeled cards in slabs. The table here is for single cards.
• Fewer cards from this series have been graded than from series 1, so cards with few sales move easily. Check the date and source on the card’s price page.