🔗 Share this article

The makers of Pokémon unveiled the world to the card series DP expansion during 2007, featuring a Bonsly trading card. On this artwork, Gen IV rock-type appears by artist Midori Harada in an unusual pose. Here, the predecessor to Sudowoodo is depicted fallen and crying. However, don't mistake this, yet. As its move Fake Tears, Bonsly aims to manipulate the other player's mood to reducing their offensive power. Iconic piece, right? Musician and harpist Hopkins certainly thinks so. She possesses an album containing over 300 Bonsly cards to show for it.

The Entire Assortment with Key Pieces

That's not everything she has also. She has acquired twenty reverse foil editions of the Bonsly card, portraying the small Pokémon in reflective foil everywhere but the main image. The crown jewel, however, is the PSA 6-rated holo reverse of Bonsly. Sure, it's not a high-grade original Charizard card. But do you have a quirky, close to mint Bonsly illustration preserved forever immortalized? I didn't think so.

How It All Began

Emily dedicated much of 2025 gathering each Bonsly card from 2007 she can possibly find. She first heard about the out-of-print card earlier this year, during a discussion the most cursed cards in the compendium with an employee at a local shop. The weeping Omanyte was considered, as was Cubone by itself on a park ride. However, the one that Bonsly crying, also known as card number 17, which captured her interest.

The Concept of Bonsly

The design of Bonsly is based from miniature trees, which are typically planted in planters with holes at the bottom. They are designed to support healthy development, in fact fans suggest to peers to create openings into their pots if holes are missing. They can also be positioned on low dishes lacking drainage, referred to as suiban, and the retained water could aid growers arrange their bonsai to resemble natural landscapes. Bonsly represents the first type, which explains the hole.

A Memorable and Notorious Card

Even with this reasonable background, yet, Pokémon's creators looks a bit overly focused with Bonsly's hole. Also, products such as Bonsly plush toys make sure to include a cavity below of the tree-like Pokémon. It makes no difference if the depiction of Bonsly in question is weeping or calm: It features a hole. This hole represents an intrinsic part of Bonsly's design. This specific Bonsly card became a meme in collector circles because of that drainage hole, and also because of its status. Until recently, this Bonsly card remained the sole iteration featuring Bonsly released in the TCG where many of its monsters usually appear in multiple editions. For sixteen years, if you wanted a Bonsly card, you were stuck for hole Bonsly.

A Growing Obsession

"When I discovered Bonsly in the list of infamous cards, I felt I located the one for me," she explains via email, adding that it was unexpected to have never seen it before. She'll be the first to inform you her love of Bonsly #71 has no real value, but it didn't matter. The liking evolved into an all-consuming hobby, as she acquired each available Bonsly card she could possibly find. She adopted a routine of visiting her local card shop regularly, and was dubbed among the staff as the Bonsly collector. They started putting any new this specific card it received aside just for Hopkins. Typically, these cards are priced at one to three dollars, she mentions, estimating that she's spent somewhere around $400 just on the binder alone.

The Financial Side

Nowadays, excellent the card may reach prices of nearly $15. While that is a premium price, run-of-the-mill copies are often priced at $4 and above. The upward trend more or less coincides with the time Emily began collecting seriously, though there are likely several factors at play. Even though this card is famous among collectors, Hopkins's posts about it have attracted a huge audience. As awareness of its existence expands further to a wider audience, it's possible that their market price could keep rising. At the very least, collectors say that card market costs are climbing this year in general.

No Signs of Stopping

Nothing can halt her, however.

"What's incredible is that certain fans and enthusiasts from her channel have sent their own Bonsly cards to me to expand the set, and she is preserving these Bonsly safe forever," Emily states. Instead of being put off, fans are amazed and encouraged by this project.

"For years, I wished to attempt something similar," an observer mentions. "Acquire all of a common card|every copy of a common card