Bandai Pokémon Carddass Cards
| Bandai Carddass | ||||
 Bandai Carddass logo | ||||
| Founded | 1988 | |||
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| Headquarters | Tokyo, Japan | |||
| Type | Brand | |||
| Industry | Toys & Collectibles | |||
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Bandai Pokémon Carddass Cards are the first official set of collectible Pokémon cards, dating from September 1996, a month before the first base set of TCG cards were published. These card sets were manufactured by Bandai Cardass between 1996 and 2000 in Japan, with all artwork drawn by Ken Sugimori.
At the time, the franchise had limited source material for Parts 1 and 2, and the artwork was still in an early stage, as the world and characters were not yet as developed as in later years. Parts 3 and 4 introduced more dynamic depictions of Pokémon and emphasized action, appealing to collectors' imaginations. Bandai's next release was a Carddass series based on Pokémon the Series, featuring notable scenes and artwork. The first sets focused on Generation I Pokémon, followed by Pokémon the Series: Gold and Silver content and Generation II Pokémon.
These cards are also known as Carddass Pocket Monsters or Bandai Monsters Collection cards.
Overview
History
Carddass (カードダス Kādodasu) is a name given to Bandai's card vending machines and used as a generic term given to the cards sold by these machines. The name was inspired by AMeDAS (Automated Meteorological Data Acquisition System), a system in Japan used for gathering weather data; the idea was that Carddass would be an information source for kids. Carddass is a registered trademark of Bandai.
Bandai Co., Ltd. is a Japanese multinational toy manufacturer and distributor headquartered in Taitō, Tokyo, including many international branches around the world. Since 2005, Bandai is the toy production division of Bandai Namco Holdings, and is the world's second largest toy company measured by total revenue.
Card quality
Pokémon Carddass cards are known to be prone to damage. The delicate cardboard stock used for the cards make them fragile, and back in 1996 there was little known about how to safely store collectible cards. Because of this, most cards currently still in existence have creases or smudges on them, what makes clean copies of these cards more valuable.
Sets
Carddass has produced 5 different Pokémon sets between 1996 and 2000.
| Set | Release year | No. of cards | Example 1 | Example 2 | Example 3 |
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| Pokémon Carddass Part 1 | 1996 September | 154 cards | 
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| Pokémon Carddass Part 2 | 1996 September | 155 cards | 
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| Pokémon Carddass Part 3 & 4 | 1997 | 153 cards | 
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| Pokémon Carddass Anime Series | 1998-1999 | 360 cards | 
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| Pokémon Carddass Anime Gold & Silver | 2000 | 136 cards | 
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This article is part of Project Merchandise, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on all Pokémon toys, dolls, books, and collectible merchandise. |