🔗 Share this article

The Pokémon Company introduced the world to the card series DP set during 2007, showcasing a Bonsly trading card. On this artwork, the fourth generation stone creature appears by illustrator the talented Harada in a somewhat awkward position. In the image, Bonsly, which evolves into Sudowoodo appears toppled and shedding tears. However, don't mistake this, however. Similar to its attack the move Fake Tears, Bonsly aims to influence their opponent's emotions to reducing their offensive power. Unforgettable artwork, right? Musician and harpist Emily Hopkins certainly thinks so. And she's got an album with 305 Bonsly illustrations as evidence.

The Entire Assortment Including Rare Finds

That's not the whole collection either. She obtained a score of reverse foil copies of this particular card, showing the small Pokémon with metallic accents covering everything except the primary illustration. The crown jewel, however, turns out to be the professionally graded PSA 6 reverse holo of Bonsly. Admittedly, it isn't a mint-condition Charizard from the base set. Yet, do you possess a quirky, close to mint Bonsly card kept in all its splendor? Probably not.

The Start of the Obsession

She invested a large part of this year gathering each Bonsly card from 2007 available on the market. She discovered regarding this discontinued card in recent months, while talking about the most infamous cards among collectors with an employee at her favorite card shop. Omanyte in tears was a contender, as was the lonely Cubone on a park ride. Yet it was The sobbing Bonsly, aka the seventeenth card, that grabbed her interest.

The Design and Inspiration

The design of Bonsly is based from miniature trees, which are often grown in containers with holes at the bottom. These are meant to support healthy development, in fact growers advise one another to create openings into their pots if holes are missing. Additionally, bonsai may sit in shallow containers hole-free, known as suiban, and the collected moisture may assist enthusiasts decorate their plants to look like outdoor scenes. Bonsly fits the initial category, thus the hole exists.

Why Bonsly Stands Out

Even with this reasonable background, however, Pokémon's creators looks a bit overly focused with Bonsly's hole. Also, products such as Bonsly plush toys always incorporate an empty space below of the tree-like Pokémon. It doesn't matter if the illustration of the Pokémon is crying or content: It's going to show a hole. This hole represents a fundamental aspect of how Bonsly looks. Bonsly #71 turned into an internet joke within the community because of the famous hole, as well as its unique position. For years before, this Bonsly card was the only version of Bonsly card printed in a game where many of its monsters are typically depicted in dozens of different ways. For sixteen years, were you seeking a Bonsly card, you were stuck with the hole version.

A Growing Obsession

"When I saw Bonsly in the list of oddball cards, I knew I located my favorite one," Hopkins shares over email, adding that she was surprised to have missed it until then. She is quick to inform you her fondness for Bonsly #71 has no real value, yet that didn't stop her. The appreciation turned into a full-blown obsession, as Hopkins bought every Bonsly #71 card available to her. She quickly got into a practice of going to her favorite shop regularly, and earned the nickname among the staff as the Bonsly fan. The store began setting aside any recently acquired Bonsly #71 cards they obtained aside just for Hopkins. Most of these cards cost between $1 and $3, she mentions, estimating that her total expenditure is somewhere around $400 for the collection book.

Market Trends and Value

Nowadays, excellent the card may reach prices of $14.99. Although that is expensive, run-of-the-mill Bonsly #71 cards usually go for starting at $4. The upward trend corresponds to when Hopkins started her collection in earnest, though there are likely multiple reasons. Even though Bonsly #71 is well-known among collectors, Emily's social media updates on it have attracted millions of views. With information regarding Bonsly #71 expands further to new fans, there's a chance the price of Bonsly #71 cards could keep rising. Regardless, enthusiasts mention how trading card game values are climbing currently overall.

Her Relentless Pursuit

Nothing can halt her, yet.

"The amazing thing remains that a few followers and viewers from her channel have sent copies of Bonsly to Emily to add to my collection, and she is preserving them secure indefinitely," Emily states. Rather than recoil in horror, the audience are amazed and encouraged by this project.

"For years, I wished to attempt something similar," one commenter says. "Acquire all of a common card|every copy of a common card