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The makers of Pokémon unveiled collectors to the trading card game DP expansion in the year 2007, featuring the Bonsly card. Within this depiction, the Gen 4 stone creature is portrayed by artist Midori Harada in a somewhat awkward position. In the image, this pre-evolution is depicted fallen and shedding tears. However, don't mistake this, however. As its move Fake Tears, this Pokémon attempts to sway their opponent's emotions to lowering their attack. Memorable card, no? Musician and harpist Emily Hopkins absolutely agrees. She owns a collection book containing over 300 Bonsly illustrations to prove it.

Her Complete Set with Key Pieces

However, that's not everything she has as well. She obtained twenty reverse foil copies featuring Bonsly, portraying the little guy with metallic accents all over except the primary illustration. The most valuable item, though, turns out to be the PSA 6-graded reverse holographic Bonsly edition. Admittedly, it's far from a mint-condition Charizard illustration. Yet, do you possess a goofy, nearly pristine card of Bonsly preserved forever immortalized? Probably not.

Origins of the Collection

Emily dedicated a large part of this year accumulating all available Bonsly cards from that year that she could locate. She initially learned about the out-of-print card in recent months, during a discussion the notoriously odd cards in the compendium with an employee at a local shop. Crying Omanyte was in the running, as was the forever alone Cubone on a park ride. Yet it was Crying Bonsly, aka card number 17, that caught Hopkins's attention.

The Concept of Bonsly

Bonsly is obviously influenced on bonsai trees, which are typically planted in planters that have drainage holes. They are designed to support healthy development, in fact growers suggest to peers to drill holes on the bottom when none are present. They can also be positioned on low dishes hole-free, referred to as suiban, and the collected moisture can help growers arrange their bonsai to look like natural landscapes. Bonsly represents the first type, hence the hole.

Why Bonsly Stands Out

Even with this reasonable background, yet, Pokémon's creators appears somewhat a little too concerned regarding the hole in Bonsly. Even merchandise like Bonsly plushes always incorporate an empty space at the bottom of the tree-like Pokémon. It doesn't matter if the illustration of this particular Bonsly is weeping or content: It will display a hole. This hole represents a fundamental aspect in Bonsly's appearance. This specific Bonsly card turned into an internet joke among fans both due to its distinctive hole, and also because of its unique position. Up until last year, Bonsly #71 was the single type featuring Bonsly released in the TCG where numerous creatures usually appear in various forms. For 16 years, were you seeking this Pokémon card, you were stuck for hole Bonsly.

Emily's Dedication

"When I discovered Bonsly in the list of these cursed cards, I knew I discovered my new favorite," Emily states via email, mentioning how she was surprised to have missed it until then. She is quick to state her love of Bonsly #71 serves no practical purpose, but she didn't care. The initial interest became a major fixation, as she acquired each available Bonsly card available to her. She soon developed a habit of going to her local card shop on a weekly basis, and became known to the employees as the Bonsly collector. The shop started putting any new Bonsly #71 cards it received only for her. The majority of these cost between $1 and $3, she mentions, approximating she's spent somewhere around $400 just on the binder alone.

Market Trends and Value

These days, mint-condition this Bonsly card may reach prices of around fifteen dollars. While that's on the higher end, ordinary copies are often priced at $4 and above. That price increase more or less coincides with when Hopkins started her collection in earnest, but it's possible that several factors at play. Even though the card is notorious among collectors, Hopkins's posts on it have also garnered a huge audience. As awareness regarding Bonsly #71 expands further to new fans, there's a chance the price of Bonsly #71 cards might increase even more. Regardless, collectors mention how trading card game values are climbing this year across the board.

No Signs of Stopping

Hopkins cannot be stopped, yet.

"What's incredible is some supporters and enthusiasts of the YouTube channel have sent their Bonsly cards to me for her album, and she is preserving these cards protected always," she declares. Instead of being put off, the audience feel admiration and motivation by this project.

"I've actually always wanted to do this," an observer mentions. "Purchase all of a common card|every copy of a common card