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The Pokémon Company unveiled the world to the Pokémon TCG Diamond and Pearl set in the year 2007, including the Bonsly card. In this card, Gen IV rock-type is portrayed by designer Harada-san in a, shall we say, compromising situation. Here, Bonsly, which evolves into Sudowoodo is depicted toppled and crying. But don't misunderstand, though. Like its ability Fake Tears, Bonsly aims to sway their opponent's emotions in the hopes of decreasing their attack. Memorable card, right? Musician and harpist Hopkins is a firm believer. She owns an album with 305 Bonsly cards to show for it.

The Entire Assortment and Its Highlights

However, that's not everything she has as well. She obtained a score of reverse foil versions of this particular card, showing the small Pokémon with shiny foil covering everything except the central artwork. The crown jewel, though, is the PSA 6-rated reverse holographic of Bonsly. Sure, it's not a top-graded original Charizard card. However, can you claim a quirky, almost perfect card of Bonsly preserved in all its splendor? Probably not.

Origins of the Collection

Hopkins has spent a large part of this year gathering every 2007 Bonsly card that she could locate. She initially learned about the out-of-print card at the start of the year, while talking about the most cursed cards in the compendium with a staff member at a local shop. Crying Omanyte was in the running, as was Cubone by itself at the theme park. Yet it was Crying Bonsly, aka the seventeenth card, that caught Hopkins's attention.

Behind Bonsly's Look

The design of Bonsly is based on bonsai trees, which are typically planted in planters featuring holes for drainage. They are designed to help the plant grow, in fact growers suggest to peers to add holes into their pots if they don't already have one. Bonsai can also be placed on low dishes hole-free, known as suiban, where the water stays may assist caretakers style their trees to mimic nature vistas. Bonsly fits the initial category, thus the hole exists.

The Infamous Hole Card

Despite this logical explanation, yet, The Pokémon Company appears somewhat excessively attentive about the drainage feature. Also, products like Bonsly plushes ensure they feature a hollow cavern below of this plant Pokémon. It doesn't matter if the illustration of this particular Bonsly is crying or content: It features a hole. The opening is a fundamental aspect of Bonsly's design. Bonsly #71 gained meme status among fans both due to its distinctive hole, in addition to its rarity. Until recently, the card was the only version featuring Bonsly included in the series where many of its monsters are commonly shown in multiple editions. For 16 years, if you wanted this Pokémon card, you needed to accept with this specific design.

Emily's Dedication

"When I saw Bonsly among the selections of these cursed cards, I realized I had found the one for me," Emily states over email, mentioning how she was surprised that she hadn't encountered it earlier. She'll be the first to tell you her fondness for Bonsly #71 has no real value, yet that didn't stop her. The appreciation became an all-consuming hobby, with Emily purchasing each available Bonsly card she could possibly find. She quickly got into a practice of going to her favorite shop every week, and was dubbed among the staff as "Bonsly Girl". They started putting any new copies of Bonsly #71 it received aside just for Hopkins. Most of these cards cost between $1 and $3, she mentions, approximating her total expenditure is somewhere around $400 for the collection book.

Market Trends and Value

These days, pristine the card may reach prices of nearly $15. While that's on the higher end, run-of-the-mill copies usually go for $4 and above. The upward trend roughly aligns with her starting point building her set, though there are likely several factors at play. Although the card is notorious among collectors, Emily's social media updates on it have also garnered countless views. As news regarding Bonsly #71 expands further to a wider audience, there's a chance the value of these cards may continue to shoot up. If nothing else, collectors note that TCG prices are soaring currently in general.

No Signs of Stopping

Hopkins cannot be stopped, though.

"What's incredible is that a few followers and viewers of the YouTube channel have sent their Bonsly cards to me to add to my collection, and she is preserving them secure indefinitely," Emily states. Instead of being put off, fans are amazed and encouraged by this project.

"I've actually always wanted to do this," one commenter says. "Acquire all of a common card|every copy of a common card