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Pokémon creators unveiled collectors to the trading card game DP expansion back in 2007, including the Bonsly card. Within this depiction, Gen IV stone creature is shown by illustrator Harada-san in a, shall we say, compromising pose. Here, Bonsly, which evolves into Sudowoodo can be seen toppled and shedding tears. However, don't mistake this, though. As its move Fake Tears suggests, this Pokémon is trying to sway the foe's feelings in the hopes of reducing their offensive power. Unforgettable artwork, isn't it? Musician and harpist Emily certainly thinks so. She possesses an album filled with 305 Bonsly cards to prove it.

The Full Collection and Its Highlights

However, that's not the full extent either. She obtained twenty reverse holographic versions of the Bonsly card, which depicts the tyke with metallic accents everywhere but the central artwork. The prized possession, yet, is the professionally graded PSA 6 reverse holo Bonsly edition. Certainly, it's not a high-grade original Charizard card. However, can you claim an amusing, nearly pristine card of Bonsly preserved in all its splendor? I thought as much.

Origins of the Collection

She invested much of 2025 stockpiling every 2007 Bonsly card that she could locate. She first heard about the out-of-print card earlier this year, while debating the notoriously odd cards among collectors with an employee at her favorite card shop. Omanyte in tears was in the running, along with the forever alone Cubone in an amusement park. Yet it was The sobbing Bonsly, also known as Bonsly #17, that caught Emily's focus.

The Design and Inspiration

The design of Bonsly is based on bonsai trees, which are typically planted in planters that have drainage holes. They are designed to aid growth, to the extent that enthusiasts encourage each other to drill holes into their pots if they don't already have one. Bonsai can also be placed in shallow containers lacking drainage, known as suiban, where the water stays may assist enthusiasts decorate their plants to resemble nature vistas. Bonsly fits the initial category, hence the hole.

A Memorable and Notorious Card

Although this makes sense, however, Pokémon's creators looks a bit excessively attentive with Bonsly's hole. Also, products like Bonsly plushes ensure they feature an empty space below of Bonsly. It makes no difference whether the portrayal of the Pokémon is crying or at ease: It features hole. This hole represents a fundamental aspect of how Bonsly looks. Card number 71 turned into an internet joke within the community thanks to that drainage hole, in addition to its rarity. Up until last year, this Bonsly card was the single type of Bonsly available included in the series where many of its monsters are commonly shown in multiple editions. For 16 years, should you desire a Bonsly card, you needed to accept with the hole version.

A Growing Obsession

"When I saw Bonsly in the list of infamous cards, I felt I had found my favorite one," Emily states in a message, mentioning how it was unexpected to have never seen it before. She admits freely to tell you her love of Bonsly #71 is completely useless, yet that didn't stop her. The initial interest evolved into an all-consuming hobby, as she acquired all copies of this card she could possibly find. She soon developed a routine of going to the nearby card store regularly, and earned the nickname by workers as the Bonsly collector. They started reserving all incoming Bonsly #71 cards that came in aside just for Hopkins. The majority of these cost between $1 and $3, she says, calculating that she's spent somewhere around $400 only on the album itself.

The Financial Side

These days, mint-condition Bonsly #71 cards might be valued at around fifteen dollars. Although that is expensive, ordinary copies tend to cost $4 and above. This rise in cost roughly aligns with the time Emily began her collection in earnest, although there are probably various influences. While it's true that the card is notorious in the community, Hopkins's posts regarding the card have attracted millions of views. As awareness of its existence keeps growing among more people, it is likely that their market price could keep rising. Regardless, collectors say that trading card game values are climbing in 2025 in general.

No Signs of Stopping

Nothing can halt her, yet.

"The amazing thing is certain fans and enthusiasts from her channel have sent copies of Bonsly her way to expand the set, and they will remain these Bonsly safe forever," she declares. Rather than recoil in horror, fans are amazed and encouraged by this project.

"I've long desired to attempt something similar," a viewer notes. "Buy up all of a common card|every copy of a common card