🔗 Share this article

The Pokémon Company released fans to the card series DP set back in 2007, featuring a Bonsly trading card. In this card, the Gen 4 stone creature is shown by designer the talented Harada in a, shall we say, compromising pose. Here, this pre-evolution can be seen knocked over and weeping. Don't be fooled, however. Like its ability the move Fake Tears, the little creature attempts to manipulate their opponent's emotions in the hopes of reducing their offensive power. Iconic piece, no? Harp player Emily Hopkins absolutely agrees. And she's got a collection book containing over 300 Bonsly cards to show for it.

The Full Collection with Key Pieces

But that isn't everything she has also. She's got a score of holo reverse editions of the Bonsly card, portraying the tyke in reflective foil covering everything except the central artwork. The prized possession, however, is the PSA 6-graded reverse holo Bonsly edition. Admittedly, it isn't a high-grade Charizard from the base set. But do you have an amusing, almost perfect Bonsly card kept in all its splendor? Probably not.

The Start of the Obsession

She invested much of 2025 accumulating each Bonsly card from 2007 that she could locate. She discovered about the out-of-print card in recent months, while talking about the most cursed cards in the Pokémon TCG with a worker at a local shop. The weeping Omanyte was a contender, along with the lonely Cubone on a park ride. However, the one that Crying Bonsly, also known as the seventeenth card, that grabbed Emily's focus.

The Concept of Bonsly

Bonsly is obviously influenced on bonsai trees, which are typically planted in planters featuring holes for drainage. They are designed to help the plant grow, so much so that enthusiasts encourage each other to create openings on the bottom if they don't already have one. They can also be positioned on low dishes without holes, known as suiban, and the collected moisture can help enthusiasts arrange their bonsai to resemble outdoor scenes. Bonsly is the former, thus the hole exists.

The Infamous Hole Card

Despite this logical explanation, though, The Pokémon Company appears somewhat a little too concerned regarding the hole in Bonsly. Even merchandise such as Bonsly plush toys always incorporate an empty space on the underside of the tree-like Pokémon. Regardless whether the portrayal of the Pokémon is crying or content: 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 within the community both due to its distinctive hole, in addition to its unique position. For years before, this Bonsly card was the only version of Bonsly available included in the series in which most Pokémon are typically depicted in various forms. Over a decade and a half, were you seeking a Bonsly card, you had to settle for hole Bonsly.

Emily's Dedication

"Upon noticing Bonsly among the selections of infamous cards, I knew I located my favorite one," Hopkins shares via email, noting that she was surprised to have missed it until then. She is quick to state her love of Bonsly #71 is completely useless, but she didn't care. The initial interest evolved into a full-blown obsession, as Hopkins bought all copies of this card available to her. She quickly got into a practice of visiting her favorite shop regularly, and became known by workers as "Bonsly Girl". They started putting any new Bonsly #71 cards they obtained only for her. Typically, these cards cost between $1 and $3, she mentions, calculating that she's spent somewhere around $400 only on the album itself.

Market Trends and Value

Nowadays, excellent the card might be valued at $14.99. While that is a premium price, ordinary copies usually go for starting at $4. That price increase corresponds to the time Emily began her collection in earnest, though there are likely various influences. While it's true that Bonsly #71 is well-known in the community, Emily's social media updates about it have received a huge audience. As news of its existence keeps growing to new fans, it's possible that their market price may continue to shoot up. Regardless, enthusiasts say that card market costs are climbing in 2025 overall.

No Signs of Stopping

Emily remains undeterred, however.

"The amazing thing remains that certain fans and enthusiasts of the YouTube channel have shipped copies of Bonsly her way to expand the set, and I am keeping these cards protected always," Hopkins says. Instead of being put off, viewers are impressed and inspired by this project.

"For years, I wished to try this," one commenter says. "Acquire all of a common card|every copy of a common card