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The Pokémon Company released the world to the card series Diamond and Pearl expansion during 2007, showcasing a Bonsly trading card. Within this depiction, Gen IV rock-type appears by artist Harada-san in a somewhat awkward situation. On the card, the predecessor to Sudowoodo appears toppled and shedding tears. However, don't mistake this, though. Similar to its attack Fake Tears suggests, the little creature aims to sway the foe's feelings in the hopes of lowering their damage output. Memorable card, no? Electroacoustic harpist Emily Hopkins certainly thinks so. And she's got a collection book with 305 cards of Bonsly to show for it.

Her Complete Set and Its Highlights

However, that's not the whole collection as well. She has acquired 20 holo reverse copies of this particular card, showing the small Pokémon with shiny foil everywhere but the main image. The prized possession, though, proves to be the professionally graded PSA 6 reverse holographic of Bonsly. Certainly, it isn't a mint-condition Charizard from the base set. But do you have an amusing, almost perfect Bonsly card maintained in its eternal glory? I thought as much.

Origins of the Collection

Emily dedicated most of the current year gathering each Bonsly card from 2007 that she could locate. She discovered about the out-of-print card at the start of the year, while debating the notoriously odd cards in the compendium with a staff member at her favorite card shop. Omanyte in tears was in the running, just like the forever alone Cubone in an amusement park. Yet it was Crying Bonsly, aka Bonsly #17, that grabbed her interest.

Behind Bonsly's Look

Bonsly is obviously influenced from miniature trees, which are often grown in planters that have drainage holes. They are designed to support healthy development, so much so that enthusiasts encourage each other to add holes on the bottom when none are present. Bonsai can also be placed on shallow pots without holes, called suiban, where the water stays could aid caretakers decorate their plants to look like nature vistas. Bonsly represents the first type, thus the hole exists.

Why Bonsly Stands Out

Although this makes sense, though, Pokémon's creators seems almost a little too concerned about the drainage feature. Even merch including stuffed Bonsly ensure they feature an empty space on the underside of Bonsly. It makes no difference if the depiction of this particular Bonsly is weeping or calm: It features the hole. The hole is a key element of how Bonsly looks. This specific Bonsly card gained meme status among fans because of its distinctive hole, and also because of its unique position. Up until last year, this Bonsly card remained the sole iteration of Bonsly available printed in a game in which most Pokémon are typically depicted in various forms. For 16 years, if you wanted this Pokémon card, you needed to accept with the hole version.

Emily's Dedication

"Upon noticing Bonsly in the list of these cursed cards, I knew I located my new favorite," she explains in a message, mentioning how it was unexpected that she hadn't encountered it earlier. She admits freely to tell you her passion for the Bonsly card has no real value, but it didn't matter. The liking evolved into a major fixation, with Emily purchasing every Bonsly #71 card she could possibly find. She quickly got into a routine of going to her favorite shop regularly, and became known among the staff as the Bonsly fan. The store began putting any new Bonsly #71 cards that came in aside just for Hopkins. Most of these cards go for a few dollars, she notes, estimating that her total expenditure is approximately four hundred dollars for the collection book.

The Financial Side

These days, pristine this Bonsly card might be valued at $14.99. While that's on the higher end, run-of-the-mill versions usually go for starting at $4. This rise in cost roughly aligns with when Hopkins started collecting seriously, but it's possible that multiple reasons. Even though Bonsly #71 is well-known in the community, Hopkins's posts about it have attracted millions of views. With information regarding Bonsly #71 keeps growing to a wider audience, it is likely that the price of Bonsly #71 cards could keep rising. At the very least, enthusiasts note that card market costs are soaring in 2025 overall.

No Signs of Stopping

Nothing can halt her, though.

"The wonderful part is some supporters and fans from her channel have mailed copies of Bonsly to Emily to add to my collection, and I am keeping them secure indefinitely," Hopkins says. Instead of being put off, fans are impressed and inspired by this project.

"I've actually always wanted to try this," one commenter says. "Purchase all of a common card|every copy of a common card