Japanese Vending Series 3 (1998): all 40 cards with PSA prices — Ooyama's Pikachu and Imakuni?

Hi, this is Bunbun. This column covers the last of the vending machine series, Expansion Sheet vol. 3 (green), known overseas as Vending Series 3. What sets it apart is the oddities packed in alongside the regular cards: Ooyama’s Pikachu and the Imakuni? cards, which exist nowhere else.

What is it?

• Released on 24 November 1998, only through vending machines. Each sheet holds three cards.
• 36 regular cards: 34 Pokémon and 2 Trainers (Pokémon Retransfer and Pokémon Tower). No Energy cards.
• On top of those, this site’s list includes Ooyama’s Pikachu, Imakuni?’s Nasty Plot, Imakuni?’s PC and Bill’s PC, for 40 cards in all. Rule cards and deck-list cards are not included.
• No holos. The rarities are common and uncommon.
• Kadabra and Haunter each appear twice as distinct cards with the same name.
• Glossy card stock, with green as the series colour. Cards are unnumbered; this site orders them by Pokédex number.

Highlights

• Ooyama’s Pikachu: a special Pikachu found only in this series. By both total PSA population and PSA 10 count it is far ahead of every other card across all three vending series, and it is a must-have among old-back Pikachu.
• Imakuni?’s PC and Imakuni?’s Nasty Plot: Trainers bearing Imakuni?’s name, both with large graded populations. They have become collection pieces, not just joke cards.
• Mewtwo: a common in this series, but the most graded of the regular cards.
• Haunter and Kadabra: two cards each of these mid-stage evolutions, both high in the population report. This site tracks each as a separate card.
• Scyther, Kangaskhan and Tauros: alternate artwork for popular Jungle Pokémon.

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.
• Haunter and Kadabra each have two cards with the same name, so check the listing photo to see which artwork a sale refers to.