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The Pokémon Company introduced collectors to the Pokémon TCG Diamond and Pearl edition in the year 2007, showcasing the Bonsly illustration. On this artwork, Gen IV Rock Pokémon is shown by artist the talented Harada in an unusual situation. In the image, this pre-evolution is depicted knocked over and crying. However, don't mistake this, yet. Like its ability Fake Tears suggests, Bonsly attempts to influence the other player's mood in the hopes of lowering their attack. Unforgettable artwork, no? Harp player Emily certainly thinks so. She owns a collection book containing over 300 Bonsly illustrations as evidence.

The Full Collection Including Rare Finds

However, that's not the whole collection either. She has acquired 20 reverse holographic copies featuring Bonsly, which depicts the little guy with shiny foil everywhere but the central artwork. The prized possession, however, proves to be the professionally graded PSA 6 reverse holographic of Bonsly. Sure, it's far from a top-graded Charizard illustration. But do you have a goofy, nearly pristine Bonsly illustration maintained forever immortalized? I didn't think so.

Origins of the Collection

She invested most of the current year gathering all available Bonsly cards from that year that she could locate. She first heard about the out-of-print card in recent months, while debating the notoriously odd cards in the Pokémon TCG with a worker at a local shop. Crying Omanyte was a contender, as was the lonely Cubone at the theme park. But it was Crying Bonsly, also known as the seventeenth card, that caught her interest.

The Design and Inspiration

The design of Bonsly is based from miniature trees, which are typically planted in containers with holes at the bottom. These holes are intended to help the plant grow, to the extent that growers advise one another to add holes in their containers if they don't already have one. Additionally, bonsai may sit in shallow containers without holes, called suiban, and the collected moisture could aid caretakers arrange their bonsai to resemble nature vistas. Bonsly fits the initial category, which explains the hole.

A Memorable and Notorious Card

Even with this reasonable background, though, The Pokémon Company seems almost a little too concerned with Bonsly's hole. Even merchandise including stuffed Bonsly make sure to include a cavity on the underside of Bonsly. It doesn't matter whether the portrayal of the Pokémon appears sad or calm: It's going to show a hole. The opening is a key element of Bonsly's design. This specific Bonsly card became a meme in collector circles both due to that drainage hole, and also because of its status. For years before, this Bonsly card was the single type of Bonsly card included in the series where many of its monsters are typically depicted in multiple editions. Over a decade and a half, were you seeking this Pokémon card, you needed to accept with the hole version.

The Collector's Passion

"When I saw Bonsly among the selections of infamous cards, I felt I had found my favorite one," Hopkins shares via email, noting that she was surprised to have never seen it before. She admits freely to inform you her fondness for Bonsly #71 has no real value, but she didn't care. The appreciation turned into a major fixation, with Emily purchasing all copies of this card she could possibly find. She quickly got into a habit of stopping by her favorite shop on a weekly basis, and became known among the staff as the Bonsly collector. The shop started putting any new Bonsly #71 cards it received exclusively for Emily. The majority of these cost between $1 and $3, she notes, approximating she's spent somewhere around $400 for the collection book.

The Financial Side

These days, excellent the card can cost up to nearly $15. While that's on the higher end, ordinary Bonsly #71 cards are often priced at $4 and above. The upward trend corresponds to when Hopkins started her collection in earnest, though there are likely several factors at play. Even though Bonsly #71 is well-known in the community, Emily's social media updates about it have attracted a huge audience. As awareness about this card expands further among more people, it is likely that the value of these cards might increase even more. Regardless, investors say that trading card game values are soaring currently overall.

Her Relentless Pursuit

Hopkins cannot be stopped, though.

"The wonderful part remains that certain fans and enthusiasts on social media have shipped their own Bonsly cards her way for her album, and they will remain them secure indefinitely," she declares. Instead of being put off, viewers feel admiration and motivation by her Bonsly binder.

"I've actually always wanted to attempt something similar," one commenter says. "Buy up all of a common card|every copy of a common card