Vending Machine cards (TCG)

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The Vending Machine (拡張シート lit. Extended Sheet) cards are a series of special collections for the Pokémon Trading Card Game. They were released in Japan only as a side expansion to the game and have never received an english release.

Unlike regular expansions, where a player would receive 11 cards from a booster pack, these cards were only obtainable by getting a randomized sheet from a vending machine from which the cards were peeled. It is due to this that the fan name Vending Machine Series was coined by collectors, and should not be considered the proper name for the set.

Series 1 (Blue Sheet) and 2 (Red Sheet) featured twelve sheets with three cards per-sheet along with cardboard damage counters and coins. Series 3 (Green) featured eighteen sheets with three cards plus one special card which had a non-standard back, most of which were gag-cards or special Pass Cards.

To this day it is very hard to find full sets of these cards still attached to the sheets.

The symbol for the Vending Machine Cards is an upside-down Poké Ball and is used for quite a number of Japanese promos asides from the Vending series.


Set Size

  • 36 cards in Series 1
  • 36 cards in Series 2
  • 52 cards in Series 3

Release Dates

  • March 23, 1998 - Series 1
  • June 17, 1998 - Series 2
  • November 24 1998 - Series 3

Series 1 (Blue Sheet)

No. Card Name Type Level Rarity
-- Bulbasaur Grass 15 Uncommon
-- Caterpie Grass 15 Common
-- Metapod Grass 20 Uncommon
-- Weedle Grass 15 Common
-- Kakuna Grass 20 Common
-- Nidoran♀ Grass 12 Common
-- Nidoran♂ Grass 22 Common
-- Zubat Grass 12 Common
-- Golbat Grass 25 Common
-- Paras Grass 15 Common
-- Parasect Grass 29 Common
-- Pinsir Grass 15 Uncommon
-- Charmander Fire 10 Uncommon
-- Rapidash Fire 30 Uncommon
-- Squirtle Water 15 Uncommon
-- Poliwag Water 15 Common
-- Poliwhirl Water 30 Uncommon
-- Poliwrath Water 40 Uncommon
-- Pikachu Lightning 5 Uncommon
-- Abra Psychic 8 Common
-- Mr. Mime Psychic 20 Uncommon
-- Mewtwo Psychic 54 Uncommon
-- Geodude Fighting 15 Common
-- Pidgey Colorless 10 Common
-- Rattata Colorless 15 Common
-- Clefairy Colorless 15 Uncommon
-- Wigglytuff Colorless 40 Uncommon
-- Doduo Colorless 10 Common
-- Dodrio Colorless 25 Common
-- Lickitung Colorless 20 Uncommon
-- Chansey Colorless 40 Uncommon
-- Eevee Colorless 5 Common
-- Porygon Colorless 18 Common
-- Snorlax Colorless 35 Uncommon
-- Moon Stone T - --
-- Fossil Excavation T - --


Series 2 (Red Sheet)

No. Card Name Type Level Rarity
-- Venomoth Grass 22 Common
-- Grimer Grass 15 Common
-- Koffing Grass 16 Common
-- Tangela Grass 15 Common
-- Moltres Fire 37 Uncommon
-- Seel Water 10 Common
-- Dewgong Water 24 Uncommon
-- Shellder Water 16 Common
-- Krabby Water 17 Common
-- Lapras Water 24 Common
-- Omanyte Water 20 Uncommon
-- Articuno Water 34 Uncommon
-- Raichu Lightning 32 Uncommon
-- Magnemite Lightning 15 Common
-- Magneton Lightning 30 Uncommon
-- Voltorb Lightning 8 Common
-- Electabuzz Lightning 22 Common
-- Zapdos Lightning 28 Uncommon
-- Jynx Psychic 18 Uncommon
-- Sandshrew Fighting 15 Common
-- Machop Fighting 18 Common
-- Machoke Fighting 28 Common
-- Graveler Fighting 28 Uncommon
-- Onix Fighting 25 Uncommon
-- Marowak Fighting 25 Uncommon
-- Hitmonlee Fighting 23 Uncommon
-- Hitmonchan Fighting 23 Uncommon
-- Kabuto Fighting 22 Uncommon
-- Aerodactyl Fighting 30 Uncommon
-- Spearow Colorless 12 Common
-- Fearow Colorless 24 Common
-- Ditto Colorless 15 Uncommon
-- Flash T - Uncommon
-- Master Ball T - Common
-- Max Revive T - Uncommon
-- Effect Guard T - Common


Series 3 (Green Sheet)

No. Card Name Type Level Rarity
024 Arbok Grass 30 Uncommon
030 Nidorina Grass 22 Uncommon
033 Nidorino Grass 23 Uncommon
048 Venonat Grass 15 Common
069 Bellsprout Grass 10 Common
070 Weepinbell Grass 23 Uncommon
110 Weezing Grass 26 Uncommon
123 Scyther Grass 23 Uncommon
037 Vulpix Fire 13 Common
058 Growlithe Fire 16 Common
077 Ponyta Fire 8 Common
126 Magmar Fire 27 Uncommon
055 Golduck Water 28 Uncommon
099 Kingler Water 33 Uncommon
116 Horsea Water 20 Common
117 Seadra Water 26 Uncommon
120 Staryu Water 17 Common
138 Omanyte Water 22 Uncommon
064 Kadabra Psychic 39 Uncommon
064 Kadabra Psychic 40 Uncommon
080 Slowbro Psychic 35 Common
092 Gastly Psychic 13 Common
093 Haunter Psychic 25 Uncommon
094 Haunter Psychic 26 Uncommon
097 Hypno Psychic 30 Uncommon
150 Mewtwo Psychic 67 Common
028 Sandslash Fighting 35 Common
067 Machoke Fighting 24 Common
075 Graveler Fighting 27 Common
104 Cubone Fighting 14 Common
112 Rhydon Fighting 37 Uncommon
017 Pidgeotto Colorless 38 Uncommon
115 Kangaskhan Colorless 36 Common
128 Tauros Colorless 35 Common
-- Pokémon Retransfer T - Common
-- Pokémon Tower T - Uncommon
Additional Cards
-- 4 Prize Battle Extra Rule - --
-- 20 Damage from Confusion Extra Rule - --
-- 3 Deck Battle Extra Rule - --
-- 3 vs 3 Dugtrio Team Battle Extra Rule - --
-- Deck Exchange Extra Rule - --
025 Ooyama's Pikachu Lightning ? --
-- Imakuni?'s PC Pass Card - --
-- Imakuni?'s Wicked Skill T - --
-- Imakuni?'s Corner -- - --
-- Lose? -- - --
-- Pokémon Machine -- - --
-- Bill's PC Pass Card - --
-- The Puzzle of Pokémon Tower? -- - --
-- Ouch! At the Pokémon Mansion -- - --
-- Violence in the Safari Zone! -- - --
-- Horsea of the Seafoam Islands -- - --
-- The Last Cave – Cerulean! -- - --


World Hobby Fair 1998 Special Sheet

No. Card Name Type Level Rarity
-- Pikachu Lightning 13 Rare
-- Mewtwo Psychic 30 Rare
-- Mew Psychic 25 Rare


Masaki Evolution Campaign cards

No. Card Name Type Level Rarity
-- Omastar Water 36 Rare HolographicH
-- Alakazam Psychic 45 Rare HolographicH
-- Gengar Psychic 40 Rare HolographicH
-- Machamp Fighting 54 Rare HolographicH
-- Golem Fighting 37 Rare HolographicH

Trivia

  • The cards are printed on glossy card stock, unlike the regular matte card stock. Glossy card stock became quite popular through the time of 1998 until about 2001 for promos from magazines such as CoroCoro.
  • The front of the sheets have step-by-step guides on how to play the game and advertisements for other Expansion sets.
  • While this was a novel idea in Japan, it was not introduced in America or European countries, likely because it would have been too expensive to produce/maintain and was not suited for the market. While some of these cards did make English appearances (as Promotional cards), many still remain exclusive to Japan.
  • People began to notice that some Pokémon did not have complete evolution chains over the three sets – this mystery was soon revealed. In April 1999 a "Masaki Evolution" Campaign was launched, inspired by the idea that in order for certain Pokémon to evolve in the games, they have to be traded. In order to acquire the fully evolved versions of Kadabra, Machoke, Graveler, Haunter and Omanyte, people had to send one of these cards along with the Pass Card Bill's PC to MediaFactory. In return they received the evolved version of the card they sent. Not many of these cards actually made it to collector's hands, and one can still expect to pay $100+ for them. Omanyte was the only Pokémon that didn't need to be traded in the actual games. These five cards are the only holo cards of the entire vending series that have rarity symbols. While these cards could be considered their own set, like the other cards, they are instead officially listed on the 1999 promotional card list in Japan.
  • The character art for some of the cards in the Vending Machine series' were winners from an illustration competition started by CoroCoro Magazine in late 1997. Those winners were not only awarded by having their art feature on real Pokémon cards, they also received the coveted Pokémon Illustrator card.
  • A special sheet of cards (dubbed "Series 00" by fans to follow trend of the other sets) was released at the World Hobby Fair in 1998, featuring Pikachu, Mewtwo and Mew. The cards are officially listed on the 1998 promotional card list in Japan.

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