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The Pokémon Company unveiled fans to the Pokémon TCG Diamond and Pearl edition back in 2007, including the Bonsly card. On this artwork, the fourth generation stone creature is shown by designer Midori Harada in a somewhat awkward position. Here, Bonsly, which evolves into Sudowoodo is depicted toppled and crying. But don't misunderstand, though. Like its ability Fake Tears suggests, the little creature attempts to manipulate their opponent's emotions to decreasing their damage output. Iconic piece, no? Electroacoustic harpist Hopkins certainly thinks so. She possesses a collection book filled with 305 Bonsly illustrations as evidence.

Her Complete Set with Key Pieces

But that isn't everything she has also. She has acquired twenty holo reverse copies of this particular card, which depicts the little guy with metallic accents everywhere but the central artwork. The prized possession, yet, is the PSA 6-rated reverse holo Bonsly card. Certainly, it's not a high-grade original Charizard card. But do you have an amusing, close to mint card of Bonsly preserved forever immortalized? I didn't think so.

The Start of the Obsession

Hopkins has spent most of the current year stockpiling every 2007 Bonsly card she can possibly find. She first heard about the out-of-print card at the start of the year, during a discussion the most infamous cards in the Pokémon TCG with an employee at a local shop. Crying Omanyte was considered, as was the lonely Cubone on a park ride. However, the one that Bonsly crying, also known as Bonsly #17, which captured her interest.

Behind Bonsly's Look

Bonsly is obviously influenced on bonsai trees, which are typically planted in containers that have drainage holes. They are designed to support healthy development, in fact fans advise one another to add holes on the bottom if holes are missing. Bonsai can also be placed on low dishes without holes, called suiban, where the water stays may assist growers arrange their bonsai to look like natural landscapes. Bonsly fits the initial category, thus the hole exists.

Why Bonsly Stands Out

Even with this reasonable background, yet, Pokémon's creators looks a bit overly focused regarding the hole in Bonsly. Also, products such as Bonsly plush toys always incorporate an empty space below of this plant Pokémon. It makes no difference whether the portrayal of the Pokémon is crying or content: It features a hole. This hole represents a key element of how Bonsly looks. This specific Bonsly card gained meme status within the community thanks to the famous hole, as well as its rarity. Until recently, this Bonsly card remained the sole iteration of Bonsly available printed in a game in which most Pokémon usually appear in various forms. For sixteen years, if you wanted a Bonsly card, you were stuck with the hole version.

The Collector's Passion

"When I saw Bonsly among the selections of infamous cards, I felt I located my favorite one," Hopkins shares over email, noting that she felt astonished to have never seen it before. She'll be the first to inform you her love of the Bonsly card has no real value, but she didn't care. The initial interest turned into a major fixation, as she acquired each available Bonsly card available to her. She quickly got into a practice of stopping by her local card shop regularly, and was dubbed by workers as the Bonsly fan. The shop started putting any new this specific card it received only for her. Most of these cards cost between $1 and $3, she says, calculating that she's spent approximately four hundred dollars just on the binder alone.

The Financial Side

Nowadays, excellent Bonsly #71 cards can cost up to around fifteen dollars. While that's on the higher end, ordinary copies usually go for starting at $4. This rise in cost roughly aligns with when Hopkins started building her set, although there are probably several factors at play. Even though this card is famous with enthusiasts, Hopkins's posts about it have also garnered millions of views. As news regarding Bonsly #71 continues to spread among more people, there's a chance the price of Bonsly #71 cards might increase even more. At the very least, investors say that card market costs are skyrocketing in 2025 in general.

Her Relentless Pursuit

Hopkins cannot be stopped, yet.

"The wonderful part is that some supporters and fans from her channel have mailed their own Bonsly cards her way to add to my collection, and she is preserving them secure indefinitely," Emily states. Instead of being put off, the audience are impressed and inspired by this project.

"For years, I wished to do this," an observer mentions. "Acquire all of a common card|every copy of a common card