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The Pokémon Company released the world to the Pokémon TCG Diamond & Pearl edition in the year 2007, showcasing a Bonsly trading card. In this card, Gen IV rock-type is portrayed by illustrator Midori Harada in an unusual position. In the image, this pre-evolution can be seen knocked over and shedding tears. But don't misunderstand, however. As its move Fake Tears suggests, this Pokémon is trying to influence the foe's feelings to reducing their damage output. Memorable card, isn't it? Electroacoustic harpist Emily certainly thinks so. She owns a collection book filled with 305 cards of Bonsly to show for it.

The Entire Assortment and Its Highlights

However, that's not the whole collection either. She obtained twenty holo reverse versions featuring Bonsly, showing the tyke with shiny foil covering everything except the main image. The crown jewel, though, proves to be the PSA 6-graded reverse holographic of Bonsly. Admittedly, it's not a mint-condition Charizard illustration. However, can you claim a quirky, almost perfect Bonsly card preserved in all its splendor? I didn't think so.

Origins of the Collection

She invested most of the current year gathering every 2007 Bonsly card available on the market. She discovered 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 in a nearby store. Crying Omanyte was a contender, as was Cubone by itself on a park ride. However, the one that The sobbing Bonsly, also known as Bonsly #17, that caught Hopkins's attention.

Behind Bonsly's Look

The design of Bonsly is based by bonsai plants, which are often grown in containers featuring holes for drainage. They are designed to help the plant grow, so much so that enthusiasts advise one another to create openings in their containers if holes are missing. They can also be positioned on low dishes lacking drainage, called suiban, where the water stays may assist enthusiasts decorate their plants to look like natural landscapes. Bonsly represents the first type, hence the hole.

The Infamous Hole Card

Although this makes sense, though, Pokémon's creators appears somewhat excessively attentive regarding the hole in Bonsly. Even merch like Bonsly plushes always incorporate a cavity below of Bonsly. Regardless whether the portrayal of Bonsly in question appears sad or at ease: It's going to show hole. This hole represents a fundamental aspect of how Bonsly looks. This specific Bonsly card turned into an internet joke in collector circles both due to that drainage hole, in addition to its unique position. Until recently, Bonsly #71 was the single type featuring Bonsly released in the TCG in which most Pokémon are typically depicted in multiple editions. For sixteen years, should you desire a card of Bonsly, you needed to accept with the hole version.

Emily's Dedication

"When I saw Bonsly among the selections of infamous cards, I knew I discovered my favorite one," Hopkins shares over email, noting that it was unexpected to have missed it until then. She'll be the first to state her love of this particular card is completely useless, but it didn't matter. The initial interest turned into a major fixation, with Emily purchasing each available Bonsly card that she could get her hands on. She quickly got into a routine of visiting her local card shop every week, and became known to the employees as the Bonsly collector. The store began setting aside any recently acquired copies of Bonsly #71 it received exclusively for Emily. The majority of these go for a few dollars, she mentions, estimating that her total expenditure is somewhere around $400 for the collection book.

Rising Prices

Currently, excellent this Bonsly card may reach prices of $14.99. Although that is expensive, run-of-the-mill Bonsly #71 cards usually go for $4 and above. That price increase corresponds to the time Emily began collecting seriously, but it's possible that multiple reasons. While it's true that Bonsly #71 is well-known with enthusiasts, Hopkins's posts regarding the card have attracted millions of views. As news of its existence keeps growing to new fans, there's a chance their market price could keep rising. Regardless, collectors note that card market costs are climbing in 2025 in general.

No Signs of Stopping

Hopkins cannot be stopped, however.

"What's incredible is that some supporters and enthusiasts on social media have shipped copies of Bonsly to me to expand the set, and I am keeping these cards protected always," Emily states. Rather than recoil in horror, fans are impressed and inspired by her Bonsly binder.

"I've actually always wanted to attempt something similar," one commenter says. "Acquire all of a common card|every copy of a common card