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The Pokémon Company introduced fans to the Pokémon TCG Diamond and Pearl edition back in 2007, showcasing a Bonsly trading card. On this artwork, the fourth generation stone creature is portrayed by illustrator the talented Harada in a somewhat awkward position. On the card, the predecessor to Sudowoodo is depicted fallen and crying. However, don't mistake this, however. Like its ability Fake Tears, the little creature attempts to sway their opponent's emotions in the hopes of decreasing their damage output. Iconic piece, no? Musician and harpist Hopkins absolutely agrees. She owns a binder filled with 305 Bonsly illustrations to show for it.

The Entire Assortment and Its Highlights

That's not the whole collection either. She obtained twenty holo reverse editions featuring Bonsly, which depicts the small Pokémon in reflective foil all over except the central artwork. The crown jewel, though, turns out to be the PSA 6-graded reverse holographic Bonsly card. Sure, it isn't a high-grade Charizard from the base set. But do you have a quirky, nearly pristine Bonsly illustration maintained in all its splendor? I thought as much.

How It All Began

Emily dedicated a large part of this year gathering each Bonsly card from 2007 that she could locate. She first heard regarding this discontinued card in recent months, while talking about the most infamous cards among collectors with an employee at her favorite card shop. Omanyte in tears was in the running, as was the forever alone Cubone in an amusement park. But it was Bonsly crying, or the seventeenth card, that grabbed Emily's focus.

The Design and Inspiration

The design of Bonsly is based on bonsai trees, which are often grown in containers featuring holes for drainage. These holes are intended to support healthy development, so much so that growers suggest to peers to add holes on the bottom when none are present. Additionally, bonsai may sit on low dishes without holes, known as suiban, and the retained water could aid growers arrange their bonsai to mimic outdoor scenes. Bonsly fits the initial category, thus the hole exists.

A Memorable and Notorious Card

Despite this logical explanation, yet, Pokémon's creators appears somewhat overly focused regarding the hole in Bonsly. Even merch including stuffed Bonsly ensure they feature an empty space at the bottom of the tree-like Pokémon. It doesn't matter if the illustration of the Pokémon appears sad or content: It will display the hole. This hole represents a key element in Bonsly's appearance. This specific Bonsly card gained meme status among fans thanks to the famous hole, and also because of its unique position. Until recently, Bonsly #71 remained the sole iteration featuring Bonsly included in the series where numerous creatures are commonly shown in various forms. Over a decade and a half, should you desire this Pokémon card, you had to settle for hole Bonsly.

The Collector's Passion

"When I discovered Bonsly in the list of oddball cards, I realized I located the one for me," Hopkins shares via email, noting that it was unexpected to have never seen it before. She'll be the first to state her passion for Bonsly #71 is completely useless, but she didn't care. The liking evolved into a full-blown obsession, as she acquired each available Bonsly card she could possibly find. She adopted a practice of visiting her local card shop regularly, and became known by workers as "Bonsly Girl". The shop started putting any new Bonsly #71 cards that came in aside just for Hopkins. Typically, these cards are priced at one to three dollars, she says, calculating that her total expenditure is somewhere around $400 for the collection book.

Rising Prices

Nowadays, excellent the card may reach prices of around fifteen dollars. While that's on the higher end, run-of-the-mill copies tend to cost $4 and above. The upward trend roughly aligns with when Hopkins started collecting seriously, although there are probably multiple reasons. While it's true that the card is notorious among collectors, Emily's social media updates on it have received countless views. As news of its existence expands further to new fans, there's a chance their market price could keep rising. If nothing else, enthusiasts note that TCG prices are soaring in 2025 overall.

No Signs of Stopping

Emily remains undeterred, however.

"What's incredible remains that a few followers and fans of the YouTube channel have mailed their Bonsly cards her way to add to my collection, and I am keeping these cards protected always," Emily states. Rather than recoil in horror, fans are impressed and inspired by her Bonsly binder.

"For years, I wished to attempt something similar," an observer mentions. "Buy up all of a common card|every copy of a common card