She Has Amassed Hundreds of Pokémon Hole Cards, and You Can't Stop Her.
The Pokémon Company introduced fans to the Pokémon TCG DP expansion back in 2007, featuring a Bonsly trading card. On this artwork, Gen IV rock-type appears by illustrator the talented Harada in an unusual position. Here, the predecessor to Sudowoodo can be seen fallen and shedding tears. Don't be fooled, though. As its move Fake Tears suggests, Bonsly attempts to manipulate the other player's mood to lowering their offensive power. Iconic piece, no? Electroacoustic harpist Emily Hopkins is a firm believer. She owns a collection book filled with 305 cards of Bonsly as evidence.
Her Complete Set Including Rare Finds
That's not the whole collection as well. She's got 20 holo reverse versions of this particular card, showing the little guy with metallic accents all over except the central artwork. The crown jewel, however, proves to be the PSA 6-rated reverse holo Bonsly edition. Sure, it isn't a high-grade original Charizard card. Yet, do you possess a quirky, nearly pristine Bonsly illustration preserved forever immortalized? I didn't think so.
How It All Began
Emily dedicated much of 2025 stockpiling each Bonsly card from 2007 available on the market. She discovered about the out-of-print card in recent months, while talking about the most cursed cards in the Pokémon TCG with a worker at a local shop. Omanyte in tears was in the running, along with the lonely Cubone on a park ride. However, the one that Crying Bonsly, also known as the seventeenth card, that grabbed her interest.
Behind Bonsly's Look
Bonsly is obviously influenced on bonsai trees, which are often grown in pots that have drainage holes. They are designed to aid growth, so much so that growers encourage each other to add holes in their containers when none are present. Bonsai can also be placed in shallow containers without holes, referred to as suiban, and the collected moisture can help enthusiasts style their trees to look like natural landscapes. Bonsly represents the first type, which explains the hole.
The Infamous Hole Card
Even with this reasonable background, yet, The company appears somewhat excessively attentive about the drainage feature. Also, products including stuffed Bonsly always incorporate an empty space on the underside of this plant Pokémon. Regardless if the depiction of the Pokémon is weeping or content: It features hole. This hole represents a fundamental aspect in Bonsly's appearance. Card number 71 gained meme status within the community thanks to that drainage hole, as well as its rarity. Until recently, this Bonsly card remained the sole iteration featuring Bonsly included in the series where many of its monsters are commonly shown in multiple editions. For 16 years, if you wanted a card of Bonsly, you were stuck with the hole version.
Emily's Dedication
"Upon noticing Bonsly among the selections of infamous cards, I felt I located my new favorite," she explains over email, mentioning how she felt astonished to have missed it until then. She admits freely to state her passion for this particular card serves no practical purpose, but she didn't care. The initial interest became an all-consuming hobby, as she acquired each available Bonsly card available to her. She quickly got into a routine of stopping by her local card shop every week, and became known among the staff as the Bonsly fan. The shop started reserving all incoming this specific card that came in aside just for Hopkins. Typically, these cards are priced at one to three dollars, she says, approximating she has invested about $400 just on the binder alone.
The Financial Side
These days, pristine the card might be valued at around fifteen dollars. While that's on the higher end, standard Bonsly #71 cards are often priced at $4 and above. That price increase roughly aligns with the time Emily began building her set, although there are probably various influences. Although the card is notorious with enthusiasts, her online content on it have received a huge audience. As awareness of its existence expands further to a wider audience, there's a chance their market price may continue to shoot up. If nothing else, collectors say that trading card game values are climbing in 2025 overall.
Her Relentless Pursuit
Hopkins cannot be stopped, yet.
"What's incredible is that some supporters and viewers from her channel have mailed copies of Bonsly her way to add to my collection, and they will remain these cards protected always," Hopkins says. Instead of being put off, the audience are amazed and encouraged by this project.
"For years, I wished to attempt something similar," an observer mentions. "Purchase all of a common card|every copy of a common card
