The Pokémon Company unveiled the world to the card series Diamond & Pearl edition during 2007, including a Bonsly trading card. On this artwork, Gen IV rock-type is portrayed by illustrator the talented Harada in an unusual position. On the card, the predecessor to Sudowoodo can be seen toppled and weeping. But don't misunderstand, however. As its move Fake Tears, this Pokémon attempts to manipulate the other player's mood with the goal of decreasing their offensive power. Unforgettable artwork, no? Harp player Emily Hopkins certainly thinks so. She possesses a collection book filled with 305 Bonsly illustrations to prove it.
However, that's not everything she has also. She's got 20 reverse holographic copies of this particular card, showing the small Pokémon with metallic accents everywhere but the main image. The crown jewel, yet, proves to be the professionally graded PSA 6 reverse holographic Bonsly card. Certainly, it's far from a top-graded original Charizard card. However, can you claim an amusing, nearly pristine Bonsly illustration maintained forever immortalized? I thought as much.
Emily dedicated most of the current year stockpiling each Bonsly card from 2007 that she could locate. She initially learned of this rare card earlier this year, during a discussion the most infamous cards among collectors with a worker at a local shop. Crying Omanyte was a contender, just like Cubone by itself at the theme park. But it was The sobbing Bonsly, aka card number 17, that caught her interest.
The design of Bonsly is based from miniature trees, which are typically planted in planters that have drainage holes. These holes are intended to support healthy development, to the extent that growers suggest to peers to drill holes into their pots if holes are missing. Additionally, bonsai may sit on shallow pots hole-free, referred to as suiban, and the collected moisture could aid caretakers decorate their plants to resemble natural landscapes. Bonsly fits the initial category, which explains the hole.
Although this makes sense, yet, The company seems almost overly focused with Bonsly's hole. Even merchandise such as Bonsly plush toys ensure they feature a hollow cavern on the underside of the tree-like Pokémon. Regardless if the illustration of the Pokémon is weeping or content: It's going to show a hole. This hole represents an intrinsic part in Bonsly's appearance. Bonsly #71 turned into an internet joke in collector circles both due to the famous hole, as well as its rarity. Up until last year, the card remained the sole iteration of Bonsly available included in the series where many of its monsters are typically depicted in dozens of different ways. Over a decade and a half, if you wanted a Bonsly card, you needed to accept with the hole version.
"When I saw Bonsly among the selections of these cursed cards, I realized I located the one for me," Emily states in a message, mentioning how it was unexpected to have never seen it before. She is quick to state her love of this particular card has no real value, but she didn't care. The liking evolved into an all-consuming hobby, as she acquired every Bonsly #71 card she could possibly find. She adopted a habit of stopping by her local card shop regularly, and was dubbed among the staff as "Bonsly Girl". The shop started setting aside any recently acquired this specific card they obtained aside just for Hopkins. The majority of these are priced at one to three dollars, she mentions, calculating that she's spent approximately four hundred dollars for the collection book.
Nowadays, excellent the card might be valued at nearly $15. While that is a premium price, standard Bonsly #71 cards usually go for four dollars or more. The upward trend roughly aligns with her starting point her collection in earnest, though there are likely various influences. While it's true that Bonsly #71 is well-known with enthusiasts, her online content on it have attracted millions of views. With information about this card continues to spread to a wider audience, there's a chance the value of these cards could keep rising. If nothing else, collectors note that TCG prices are skyrocketing this year overall.
Nothing can halt her, however.
"The amazing thing is certain fans and fans of the YouTube channel have mailed their Bonsly cards to me to add to my collection, and I am keeping these Bonsly safe forever," Emily states. Instead of being put off, fans feel admiration and motivation by this project.
"For years, I wished to do this," a viewer notes. "Acquire all of a common card|every copy of a common card
Elena Voss is a seasoned journalist and editor with over a decade of experience in digital media, specializing in global affairs and tech trends.