She's Gathered Hundreds of Pokemon Drainage Hole Cards, and You Can't Stop Her.
The Pokémon Company unveiled the world to the card series DP set back in 2007, showcasing the Bonsly illustration. On this artwork, Gen IV stone creature is portrayed by illustrator Midori Harada in an unusual situation. Here, Bonsly, which evolves into Sudowoodo can be seen fallen and weeping. Don't be fooled, however. Like its ability Fake Tears, Bonsly is trying to influence their opponent's emotions with the goal of decreasing their attack. Memorable card, isn't it? Harp player Emily absolutely agrees. She owns a binder with 305 Bonsly illustrations to show for it.
The Full Collection Including Rare Finds
But that isn't everything she has also. She obtained twenty reverse foil copies of this particular card, portraying the little guy with shiny foil all over except the main image. The crown jewel, yet, proves to be the PSA 6-rated reverse holographic Bonsly edition. Sure, it's not a high-grade Charizard from the base set. But do you have a goofy, nearly pristine card of Bonsly kept in its eternal glory? I thought as much.
How It All Began
Hopkins has spent much of 2025 accumulating each Bonsly card from 2007 she can possibly find. She discovered regarding this discontinued card in recent months, during a discussion the notoriously odd cards among collectors with a worker at a local shop. Crying Omanyte was in the running, just like the forever alone Cubone on a park ride. But it was The sobbing Bonsly, also known as the seventeenth card, that caught Hopkins's attention.
Behind Bonsly's Look
The design of Bonsly is based by bonsai plants, which are typically planted in pots featuring holes for drainage. These holes are intended to support healthy development, so much so that growers suggest to peers to add holes into their pots when none are present. They can also be positioned in shallow containers lacking drainage, called suiban, where the water stays can help enthusiasts style their trees to look like outdoor scenes. Bonsly fits the initial category, hence the hole.
A Memorable and Notorious Card
Despite this logical explanation, though, The Pokémon Company looks a bit overly focused regarding the hole in Bonsly. Even merch such as Bonsly plush toys always incorporate an empty space at the bottom of this plant Pokémon. It doesn't matter if the illustration of this particular Bonsly is crying or at ease: It will display a hole. The hole is a fundamental aspect of how Bonsly looks. Bonsly #71 gained meme status within the community both due to its distinctive hole, and also because of its rarity. Until recently, this Bonsly card remained the sole iteration of Bonsly available released in the TCG where many of its monsters are commonly shown in various forms. For sixteen years, were you seeking a card of Bonsly, you needed to accept for hole Bonsly.
Emily's Dedication
"When I saw Bonsly in the list of infamous cards, I realized I discovered my new favorite," she explains via email, adding that she felt astonished to have missed it until then. She admits freely to state her passion for Bonsly #71 has no real value, but she didn't care. The liking turned into a full-blown obsession, with Emily purchasing all copies of this card available to her. She adopted a habit of going to the nearby card store regularly, and was dubbed by workers as "Bonsly Girl". They started setting aside any recently acquired this specific card it received exclusively for Emily. The majority of these are priced at one to three dollars, she mentions, estimating that she's spent somewhere around $400 for the collection book.
The Financial Side
Currently, pristine the card might be valued at around fifteen dollars. Although that is expensive, standard copies tend to cost four dollars or more. That price increase roughly aligns with when Hopkins started her collection in earnest, though there are likely several factors at play. Although Bonsly #71 is well-known with enthusiasts, Emily's social media updates on it have received countless views. With information about this card continues to spread to new fans, it's possible that the price of Bonsly #71 cards might increase even more. At the very least, collectors say that TCG prices are climbing this year across the board.
Unstoppable Determination
Hopkins cannot be stopped, yet.
"The wonderful part remains that a few followers and enthusiasts of the YouTube channel have mailed their Bonsly cards to Emily for her album, and I am keeping these Bonsly safe forever," she declares. Instead of being put off, the audience are amazed and encouraged by her Bonsly binder.
"I've long desired to try this," a viewer notes. "Buy up all of a common card|every copy of a common card
