She's Gathered Hundreds of Pokémon Drainage Hole Cards, and You Can't Stop Her.
The Pokémon Company unveiled fans to the Pokémon TCG DP set in the year 2007, including a Bonsly trading card. Within this depiction, the fourth generation Rock Pokémon is shown by artist the talented Harada in a, shall we say, compromising pose. On the card, the predecessor to Sudowoodo appears toppled and shedding tears. However, don't mistake this, however. Similar to its attack Fake Tears suggests, Bonsly aims to sway their opponent's emotions to lowering their damage output. Unforgettable artwork, no? Harp player Emily Hopkins absolutely agrees. She possesses a collection book containing over 300 Bonsly illustrations to prove it.
Her Complete Set with Key Pieces
However, that's not the full extent also. She's got a score of reverse holographic editions of this particular card, which depicts the little guy with metallic accents all over except the central artwork. The crown jewel, yet, is the PSA 6-rated holo reverse of Bonsly. Certainly, it's far from a mint-condition original Charizard card. However, can you claim a quirky, nearly pristine card of Bonsly maintained forever immortalized? I thought as much.
Origins of the Collection
Emily dedicated a large part of this year gathering all available Bonsly cards from that year that she could locate. She discovered of this rare card at the start of the year, while debating the notoriously odd cards among collectors with an employee at her favorite card shop. The weeping Omanyte was considered, just like the forever alone Cubone in an amusement park. Yet it was Bonsly crying, or the seventeenth card, that caught Emily's focus.
The Design and Inspiration
The design of Bonsly is based from miniature trees, which are often grown in pots that have drainage holes. They are designed to support healthy development, in fact enthusiasts suggest to peers to drill holes in their containers if holes are missing. They can also be positioned on low dishes without holes, referred to as suiban, where the water stays could aid enthusiasts style their trees to mimic natural landscapes. Bonsly represents the first type, hence the hole.
A Memorable and Notorious Card
Even with this reasonable background, yet, The company appears somewhat a little too concerned about the drainage feature. Also, products like Bonsly plushes make sure to include an empty space on the underside of Bonsly. It makes no difference whether the portrayal of Bonsly in question is crying or at ease: It's going to show hole. The opening is a key element in Bonsly's appearance. This specific Bonsly card gained meme status among fans both due to its distinctive hole, and also because of its rarity. Until recently, Bonsly #71 remained the sole iteration of Bonsly available printed in a game where numerous creatures are typically depicted in various forms. For sixteen years, were you seeking this Pokémon card, you needed to accept with the hole version.
Emily's Dedication
"When I discovered Bonsly among the selections of oddball cards, I realized I located my favorite one," she explains over email, noting that she felt astonished to have missed it until then. She'll be the first to tell you her fondness for Bonsly #71 is completely useless, but she didn't care. The liking became an all-consuming hobby, as Hopkins bought every Bonsly #71 card that she could get her hands on. She adopted a practice of going to the nearby card store on a weekly basis, and was dubbed among the staff as "Bonsly Girl". The store began putting any new Bonsly #71 cards they obtained aside just for Hopkins. Typically, these cards are priced at one to three dollars, she says, approximating her total expenditure is somewhere around $400 for the collection book.
Rising Prices
Nowadays, pristine this Bonsly card can cost up to $14.99. While that's on the higher end, ordinary Bonsly #71 cards are often priced at $4 and above. That price increase more or less coincides with the time Emily began building her set, although there are probably several factors at play. While it's true that Bonsly #71 is well-known among collectors, Hopkins's posts about it have received a huge audience. As awareness regarding Bonsly #71 keeps growing to a wider audience, there's a chance the price of Bonsly #71 cards may continue to shoot up. If nothing else, investors mention how TCG prices are skyrocketing this year overall.
Her Relentless Pursuit
Nothing can halt her, however.
"The amazing thing remains that certain fans and enthusiasts from her channel have shipped their Bonsly cards to me for her album, and she is preserving them secure indefinitely," Hopkins says. Far from being alarmed, viewers are impressed and inspired by her Bonsly binder.
"For years, I wished to attempt something similar," a viewer notes. "Purchase all of a common card|every copy of a common card