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The makers of Pokémon introduced the world to the trading card game DP expansion during 2007, including the Bonsly card. Within this depiction, the Gen 4 rock-type is shown by artist Midori Harada in a somewhat awkward pose. On the card, Bonsly, which evolves into Sudowoodo appears fallen and crying. Don't be fooled, though. As its move the move Fake Tears, Bonsly aims to manipulate the other player's mood to reducing their damage output. Iconic piece, no? Harp player Hopkins is a firm believer. And she's got a collection book filled with 305 cards of Bonsly to prove it.

Her Complete Set Including Rare Finds

However, that's not everything she has also. She obtained twenty reverse holographic editions of the Bonsly card, portraying the tyke with shiny foil everywhere but the main image. The crown jewel, yet, turns out to be the PSA 6-graded reverse holo Bonsly card. Certainly, it's not a high-grade original Charizard card. Yet, do you possess an amusing, nearly pristine Bonsly illustration maintained in its eternal glory? I thought as much.

The Start of the Obsession

Emily dedicated a large part of this year gathering each Bonsly card from 2007 she can possibly find. She initially learned regarding this discontinued card earlier this year, while debating the most infamous cards in the compendium with an employee in a nearby store. Crying Omanyte was a contender, just like the forever alone Cubone in an amusement park. But it was The sobbing Bonsly, aka the seventeenth card, which captured her interest.

The Concept of Bonsly

Bonsly draws clear inspiration on bonsai trees, that are commonly placed in pots featuring holes for drainage. These holes are intended to support healthy development, to the extent that enthusiasts encourage each other to add holes into their pots if they don't already have one. They can also be positioned on low dishes hole-free, known as suiban, where the water stays can help caretakers decorate their plants to resemble natural landscapes. Bonsly is the former, thus the hole exists.

The Infamous Hole Card

Even with this reasonable background, though, The company appears somewhat excessively attentive regarding the hole in Bonsly. Also, products such as Bonsly plush toys make sure to include a cavity below of Bonsly. It doesn't matter whether the portrayal of the Pokémon is crying or at ease: It will display the hole. This hole represents a key element in Bonsly's appearance. Card number 71 gained meme status among fans thanks to its distinctive hole, and also because of its status. For years before, this Bonsly card was the only version of Bonsly available printed in a game where many of its monsters usually appear in multiple editions. For sixteen years, should you desire this Pokémon card, you needed to accept for hole Bonsly.

A Growing Obsession

"When I saw Bonsly in the list of infamous cards, I realized I discovered my new favorite," Hopkins shares over email, mentioning how she felt astonished to have missed it until then. She is quick to state her fondness for Bonsly #71 has no real value, yet that didn't stop her. The initial interest turned into a major fixation, as she acquired every Bonsly #71 card available to her. She quickly got into a practice of going to her favorite shop regularly, and earned the nickname to the employees as "Bonsly Girl". The store began putting any new copies of Bonsly #71 they obtained aside just for Hopkins. Typically, these cards cost between $1 and $3, she mentions, estimating that she's spent about $400 just on the binder alone.

The Financial Side

These days, mint-condition the card may reach prices of around fifteen dollars. While that's on the higher end, run-of-the-mill copies tend to cost $4 and above. This rise in cost corresponds to her starting point her collection in earnest, but it's possible that multiple reasons. Although the card is notorious among collectors, her online content regarding the card have received a huge audience. With information about this card expands further among more people, there's a chance the price of Bonsly #71 cards could keep rising. If nothing else, enthusiasts say that trading card game values are soaring in 2025 overall.

No Signs of Stopping

Hopkins cannot be stopped, however.

"The wonderful part is some supporters and fans on social media have mailed their own Bonsly cards to me for her album, and she is preserving these cards protected always," Hopkins says. Rather than recoil in horror, fans are amazed and encouraged by her collection.

"I've actually always wanted to try this," a viewer notes. "Purchase all of a common card|every copy of a common card