"Finish" is the foil treatment on a Pokémon card, and it's one of the biggest drivers of value. The same Pokémon in the same set can exist as a plain card, a reverse holo, a full art and a secret rare — each worth wildly different amounts. Here's how to tell them apart.
| Finish | What it looks like | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Normal (non-holo) | Matte card, no shine anywhere | Lowest — most commons and uncommons |
| Holo (holofoil) | The artwork window is shiny; the rest of the card is matte | Baseline for a "Rare Holo" |
| Reverse holo | The whole card except the artwork window is shiny, often with a pattern | Usually a small premium over the non-holo of the same card |
| Cosmos / galaxy holo | A starfield foil pattern across the holo area | Popular with collectors; modest premium |
| Textured / etched | Raised, tactile foil you can feel | Higher — used on illustration and special rares |
| Full art | Artwork fills the entire card, foil throughout | Ultra rare tier — clear premium |
| Alternate art (alt art) | A second, usually more elaborate illustration of a card that also has a standard version | Among the most sought-after modern cards |
| Secret rare | Collector number higher than the set total (e.g. 208/197) | Top of the set — gold, rainbow or special art |
| Gold card | Metallic gold frame and art | Hyper rare — one of the last cards in a modern set |
| Rainbow rare | Pastel rainbow colouring over a full art | Hyper rare (mostly Sword & Shield era) |
Holo vs reverse holo — the common mix-up
On a holo, only the picture shines. On a reverse holo, everything except the picture shines — the frame, the text box and the borders — usually with a repeating pattern. Nearly every card in a modern set gets printed as a reverse holo, so they're common; a true Rare Holo is scarcer and worth more.
Vintage finishes
Older cards have their own foil styles: the "Cosmos" starfield of WOTC holos, the "Crosshatch" and "Mirror" holos of the e-Card era, and the E-Reader dot codes down the side of Aquapolis and Skyridge cards. Gold Star cards (2004–2007) put a small gold star by the name and are a genuine chase rarity.
On PokeHive you can filter the card catalogue by rarity, and each card page shows its variants — so you can see, for example, the reverse holo and the standard version side by side with their separate prices.
- What is the difference between holo and reverse holo?
- A holo has a shiny artwork window and a matte body. A reverse holo has a shiny body — frame, borders and text box — and a matte artwork window. Reverse holos are far more common.
- Are reverse holo cards worth anything?
- Usually only a small premium over the non-holo version of the same card, because most cards in a set are printed as reverse holos. A few chase reverse holos are exceptions.
- What is an alternate art Pokémon card?
- A card with a second, typically more detailed illustration that exists alongside the card's standard version. Alt arts are some of the most valuable modern Pokémon cards.
- How do I know if a card is a secret rare?
- Its collector number is higher than the set's printed total — for example 208/197. Secret rares are the gold, rainbow or special-art cards at the very end of a set.