She Has Amassed Countless of Pokémon Hole Cards, and You Can't Stop Her.
Pokémon creators unveiled collectors to the Pokémon TCG DP set in the year 2007, featuring the Bonsly card. On this artwork, Gen IV Rock Pokémon appears by designer Midori Harada in an unusual position. Here, this pre-evolution can be seen toppled and shedding tears. Don't be fooled, yet. Like its ability Fake Tears, this Pokémon aims to manipulate the other player's mood with the goal of lowering their offensive power. Memorable card, right? Harp player Emily Hopkins is a firm believer. And she's got a collection book filled with 305 Bonsly cards as evidence.
Her Complete Set and Its Highlights
However, that's not the full extent also. She's got 20 reverse foil copies featuring Bonsly, which depicts the small Pokémon in reflective foil all over except the primary illustration. The prized possession, however, is the PSA 6-rated holo reverse Bonsly edition. Admittedly, it's far from a top-graded Charizard illustration. However, can you claim a goofy, almost perfect Bonsly card maintained in its eternal glory? I thought as much.
Origins of the Collection
She invested much of 2025 gathering all available Bonsly cards from that year available on the market. She first heard about the out-of-print card earlier this year, while talking about the most infamous cards in the compendium with a staff member in a nearby store. The weeping Omanyte was considered, just like Cubone by itself at the theme park. But it was Crying Bonsly, or Bonsly #17, that grabbed her interest.
The Design and Inspiration
Bonsly draws clear inspiration from miniature trees, which are typically planted in pots with holes at the bottom. These holes are intended to help the plant grow, so much so that fans suggest to peers to drill holes in their containers when none are present. Bonsai can also be placed on shallow pots without holes, called suiban, and the collected moisture may assist caretakers style their trees to look like outdoor scenes. Bonsly fits the initial category, which explains the hole.
Why Bonsly Stands Out
Even with this reasonable background, yet, Pokémon's creators appears somewhat overly focused about the drainage feature. Even merchandise such as Bonsly plush toys always incorporate an empty space at the bottom of Bonsly. It makes no difference if the depiction of the Pokémon appears sad or at ease: It's going to show the hole. This hole represents a key element of how Bonsly looks. This specific Bonsly card gained meme status within the community because of that drainage hole, and also because of its unique position. For years before, Bonsly #71 remained the sole iteration featuring Bonsly released in the TCG in which most Pokémon usually appear in dozens of different ways. Over a decade and a half, if you wanted this Pokémon card, you were stuck with this specific design.
The Collector's Passion
"When I saw this card on the list of infamous cards, I felt I had found the one for me," Hopkins shares via email, adding that she felt astonished that she hadn't encountered it earlier. She'll be the first to inform you her passion for the Bonsly card serves no practical purpose, yet that didn't stop her. The liking became a full-blown obsession, as she acquired all copies of this card available to her. She quickly got into a practice of going to her favorite shop on a weekly basis, and was dubbed by workers as the Bonsly collector. The shop started setting aside any recently acquired copies of Bonsly #71 it received exclusively for Emily. Typically, these cards cost between $1 and $3, she mentions, estimating that she has invested somewhere around $400 only on the album itself.
The Financial Side
Nowadays, mint-condition Bonsly #71 cards can cost up to around fifteen dollars. While that's on the higher end, run-of-the-mill Bonsly #71 cards are often priced at $4 and above. This rise in cost more or less coincides with the time Emily began her collection in earnest, although there are probably various influences. While it's true that Bonsly #71 is well-known with enthusiasts, Hopkins's posts regarding the card have attracted countless views. As news regarding Bonsly #71 keeps growing to new fans, there's a chance the price of Bonsly #71 cards may continue to shoot up. At the very least, investors say that trading card game values are skyrocketing this year across the board.
Unstoppable Determination
Emily remains undeterred, yet.
"The amazing thing remains that some supporters and enthusiasts of the YouTube channel have shipped copies of Bonsly to Emily for her album, and I am keeping them secure indefinitely," Hopkins says. Far from being alarmed, viewers are amazed and encouraged by her Bonsly binder.
"I've long desired to try this," an observer mentions. "Purchase all of a common card|every copy of a common card
