🔗 Share this article

The Pokémon Company released the world to the card series DP expansion back in 2007, including a Bonsly trading card. Within this depiction, the fourth generation stone creature is portrayed by illustrator Harada-san in a somewhat awkward situation. Here, this pre-evolution appears fallen and weeping. However, don't mistake this, though. As its move Fake Tears suggests, Bonsly attempts to sway their opponent's emotions in the hopes of decreasing their damage output. Iconic piece, right? Electroacoustic harpist Hopkins is a firm believer. She possesses an album with 305 Bonsly illustrations to prove it.

Her Complete Set Including Rare Finds

That's not the full extent also. She obtained 20 reverse holographic versions featuring Bonsly, portraying the tyke with shiny foil everywhere but the main image. The most valuable item, yet, proves to be the PSA 6-graded reverse holo Bonsly card. Sure, it's far from a high-grade Charizard from the base set. But do you have a quirky, nearly pristine Bonsly card kept in its eternal glory? I thought as much.

Origins of the Collection

Emily dedicated most of the current year gathering all available Bonsly cards from that year available on the market. She initially learned about the out-of-print card at the start of the year, during a discussion the notoriously odd cards in the compendium with a worker at a local shop. Omanyte in tears was a contender, just like the lonely Cubone in an amusement park. Yet it was The sobbing Bonsly, aka Bonsly #17, that caught Emily's focus.

Behind Bonsly's Look

Bonsly draws clear inspiration on bonsai trees, which are typically planted in pots featuring holes for drainage. These are meant to support healthy development, to the extent that fans suggest to peers to create openings into their pots if they don't already have one. Additionally, bonsai may sit on shallow pots hole-free, known as suiban, and the collected moisture may assist caretakers arrange their bonsai to mimic outdoor scenes. Bonsly is the former, hence the hole.

The Infamous Hole Card

Despite this logical explanation, yet, The Pokémon Company appears somewhat a little too concerned about the drainage feature. Also, products such as Bonsly plush toys ensure they feature a hollow cavern below of Bonsly. It doesn't matter if the illustration of this particular Bonsly is weeping or calm: It's going to show hole. The hole is a key element of how Bonsly looks. Bonsly #71 became a meme in collector circles because of that drainage hole, and also because of its rarity. Until recently, this Bonsly card remained the sole iteration of Bonsly card released in the TCG where numerous creatures are typically depicted in dozens of different ways. For sixteen years, if you wanted a Bonsly card, you were stuck for hole Bonsly.

Emily's Dedication

"When I saw this card on the list of these cursed cards, I knew I located the one for me," Hopkins shares via email, noting that she felt astonished that she hadn't encountered it earlier. She'll be the first to state her passion for Bonsly #71 has no real value, yet that didn't stop her. The initial interest became a major fixation, as Hopkins bought every Bonsly #71 card she could possibly find. She adopted a habit of stopping by her favorite shop regularly, and earned the nickname among the staff as the Bonsly fan. They started putting any new Bonsly #71 cards it received only for her. Most of these cards go for a few dollars, she says, approximating her total expenditure is somewhere around $400 only on the album itself.

Rising Prices

Currently, mint-condition Bonsly #71 cards might be valued at $14.99. Although that is expensive, ordinary copies are often priced at $4 and above. That price increase roughly aligns with the time Emily began collecting seriously, although there are probably multiple reasons. Even though the card is notorious with enthusiasts, her online content about it have attracted a huge audience. As news about this card expands further to new fans, it's possible that the price of Bonsly #71 cards might increase even more. At the very least, enthusiasts mention how TCG prices are skyrocketing in 2025 across the board.

No Signs of Stopping

Nothing can halt her, yet.

"What's incredible is a few followers and fans on social media have mailed their own Bonsly cards to Emily to expand the set, and they will remain these Bonsly safe forever," Hopkins says. Rather than recoil in horror, viewers are impressed and inspired by this project.

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