She's Gathered Numerous of Pokémon Hole Cards, and She's Unstoppable.
Pokémon creators released collectors to the card series Diamond & Pearl edition during 2007, including a Bonsly trading card. In this card, the fourth generation rock-type is shown by illustrator the talented Harada in a somewhat awkward situation. In the image, the predecessor to Sudowoodo is depicted knocked over and weeping. But don't misunderstand, yet. As its move the move Fake Tears, this Pokémon is trying to sway the other player's mood in the hopes of reducing their attack. Iconic piece, no? Harp player Hopkins absolutely agrees. And she's got a collection book filled with 305 Bonsly illustrations to prove it.
The Entire Assortment and Its Highlights
However, that's not the full extent also. She has acquired twenty reverse foil copies featuring Bonsly, showing the little guy with metallic accents covering everything except the central artwork. The most valuable item, though, proves to be the PSA 6-graded reverse holo of Bonsly. Admittedly, it's not a high-grade Charizard from the base set. Yet, do you possess an amusing, almost perfect Bonsly card maintained in its eternal glory? I didn't think so.
Origins of the Collection
Emily dedicated much of 2025 stockpiling each Bonsly card from 2007 available on the market. She first heard 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 in the running, as was Cubone by itself in an amusement park. Yet it was Bonsly crying, also known as the seventeenth card, that caught Hopkins's attention.
The Concept of Bonsly
Bonsly draws clear inspiration by bonsai plants, that are commonly placed in planters that have drainage holes. They are designed to help the plant grow, in fact growers advise one another to create openings into their pots when none are present. Bonsai can also be placed on low dishes without holes, referred to as suiban, and the collected moisture can help growers style their trees to mimic natural landscapes. Bonsly is the former, which explains the hole.
A Memorable and Notorious Card
Even with this reasonable background, however, The company appears somewhat excessively attentive regarding the hole in Bonsly. Even merchandise like Bonsly plushes always incorporate a hollow cavern on the underside of Bonsly. It doesn't matter if the depiction of the Pokémon is weeping or calm: It features the hole. This hole represents an intrinsic part in Bonsly's appearance. Card number 71 turned into an internet joke in collector circles because of the famous hole, as well as its status. Up until last year, Bonsly #71 was the single type of Bonsly available released in the TCG where numerous creatures are typically depicted in various forms. For 16 years, were you seeking this Pokémon card, you had to settle for hole Bonsly.
Emily's Dedication
"When I discovered this card on the list of these cursed cards, I realized I had found my new favorite," Hopkins shares via email, adding that it was unexpected that she hadn't encountered it earlier. She'll be the first to state her love of Bonsly #71 is completely useless, but she didn't care. The appreciation turned into a full-blown obsession, as Hopkins bought all copies of this card that she could get her hands on. She adopted a routine of visiting her local card shop on a weekly basis, and earned the nickname among the staff as the Bonsly collector. They started putting any new Bonsly #71 cards it received exclusively for Emily. Typically, these cards go for a few dollars, she mentions, estimating that her total expenditure is approximately four hundred dollars just on the binder alone.
Market Trends and Value
Nowadays, pristine Bonsly #71 cards might be valued at $14.99. While that's on the higher end, run-of-the-mill copies are often priced at starting at $4. That price increase more or less coincides with her starting point building her set, but it's possible that various influences. Even though the card is notorious among collectors, her online content about it have received millions of views. With information about this card expands further to new fans, it's possible that the price of Bonsly #71 cards could keep rising. If nothing else, collectors note that trading card game values are soaring in 2025 in general.
No Signs of Stopping
Hopkins cannot be stopped, yet.
"What's incredible remains that some supporters and fans from her channel have sent their Bonsly cards her way to expand the set, and I am keeping these Bonsly safe forever," she declares. Far from being alarmed, the audience feel admiration and motivation by her Bonsly binder.
"For years, I wished to do this," a viewer notes. "Purchase all of a common card|every copy of a common card