🔗 Share this article

Pokémon creators introduced fans to the Pokémon TCG DP edition during 2007, including the Bonsly card. On this artwork, Gen IV rock-type is portrayed by artist Midori Harada in an unusual position. On the card, this pre-evolution is depicted fallen and weeping. However, don't mistake this, yet. Similar to its attack the move Fake Tears, the little creature aims to manipulate the other player's mood to lowering their damage output. Iconic piece, no? Musician and harpist Emily is a firm believer. She owns an album containing over 300 cards of Bonsly as evidence.

The Entire Assortment with Key Pieces

That's not the whole collection also. She has acquired a score of holo reverse copies of the Bonsly card, which depicts the little guy in reflective foil all over except the main image. The most valuable item, yet, is the professionally graded PSA 6 reverse holographic Bonsly edition. Admittedly, it's not a top-graded Charizard illustration. However, can you claim an amusing, almost perfect card of Bonsly preserved in its eternal glory? I thought as much.

The Start of the Obsession

Hopkins has spent most of the current year gathering every 2007 Bonsly card she can possibly find. She first heard regarding this discontinued card at the start of the year, while talking about the most cursed cards among collectors with an employee at a local shop. Crying Omanyte was in the running, as was Cubone by itself at the theme park. Yet it was Crying Bonsly, also known as card number 17, that caught Hopkins's attention.

The Design and Inspiration

Bonsly draws clear inspiration from miniature trees, which are often grown in planters that have drainage holes. They are designed to help the plant grow, to the extent that fans suggest to peers to add holes on the bottom when none are present. They can also be positioned in shallow containers hole-free, referred to as suiban, and the retained water could aid enthusiasts decorate their plants to look like natural landscapes. Bonsly fits the initial category, which explains the hole.

A Memorable and Notorious Card

Although this makes sense, though, Pokémon's creators looks a bit a little too concerned regarding the hole in Bonsly. Also, products like Bonsly plushes make sure to include a hollow cavern at the bottom of Bonsly. It doesn't matter if the illustration of Bonsly in question is crying or calm: It will display a hole. This hole represents a fundamental aspect in Bonsly's appearance. Card number 71 gained meme status within the community thanks to that drainage hole, and also because of its rarity. Up until last year, the card was the single type featuring Bonsly printed in a game in which most Pokémon are typically depicted in multiple editions. Over a decade and a half, if you wanted a card of Bonsly, you needed to accept with the hole version.

A Growing Obsession

"When I discovered this card on the list of oddball cards, I knew I located my new favorite," Hopkins shares in a message, mentioning how it was unexpected to have never seen it before. She is quick to state her fondness for Bonsly #71 is completely useless, but she didn't care. The liking evolved into a full-blown obsession, with Emily purchasing every Bonsly #71 card that she could get her hands on. She adopted a routine of going to her favorite shop regularly, and became known by workers as the Bonsly collector. The store began reserving all incoming copies of Bonsly #71 that came in aside just for Hopkins. Most of these cards are priced at one to three dollars, she mentions, estimating that her total expenditure is approximately four hundred dollars just on the binder alone.

Market Trends and Value

Nowadays, mint-condition Bonsly #71 cards might be valued at around fifteen dollars. While that is a premium price, standard versions are often priced at starting at $4. The upward trend corresponds to her starting point building her set, although there are probably various influences. Even though Bonsly #71 is well-known in the community, her online content regarding the card have also garnered a huge audience. As awareness regarding Bonsly #71 continues to spread among more people, it is likely that their market price could keep rising. At the very least, investors mention how card market costs are climbing in 2025 in general.

No Signs of Stopping

Nothing can halt her, though.

"The wonderful part is that some supporters and fans of the YouTube channel have sent copies of Bonsly to Emily to add to my collection, and she is preserving them secure indefinitely," Emily states. Instead of being put off, the audience are amazed and encouraged by this project.

"For years, I wished to attempt something similar," a viewer notes. "Purchase all of a common card|every copy of a common card