Just like the show they’re based on, 2009 Topps Spongebob Squarepants trading cards are equal parts charming and bizarre. Sure, there are old standards like Alphabet Stickers but how about trading cards that double as actual sponges? Charming meet bizarre.
2009 Topps Spongebob Squarepants Checklist Details
The 90-card base set isn’t your standard episode recaps. Rather, it’s broken down into five distinct subsets. Character Cards kick things off, introducing collectors to Spongebob, Patrick, Plankton and more. Spongebob Squarepants creator, Stephen Hillenburg doesn’t choose his ten favorite shows. Instead, it’s the 10 Happiest Moments — spanning across 40 cards. Lost in Time sends Spongebob through a time machine, imagining what he’d look like as a cave man and from other points in history. The Big One highlights the TV movie while B-Movie Posters take an artistic approach to the show.
This set has the holy grail of all Spongebob Squarepants trading cards — a sketch card from Paul Tibbitt, a creator who wore many hats for the show including writer, director, voice actor and even show runner. The card may not be on the same level as the 1993 SkyBox Simpsons Art DeBart cards by Matt Groening, but they’re still very popular. The 1:151 retail pack odds may not seem that tough, but these are rare.
If sketch cards are the top cards, then the set’s five Real Sponge cards are the strangest. Instead of usual card stock, these are printed on, well, real sponges. Each depict Spongebob in a different state of emotion. Conceivably, if one wanted to, they could wipe up some spilled milk with them or take them in the bath. It is worth noting that they’re tough to come by today.
Create-a-Scene cards have reusable stickers that can be moved around and combined on the backdrops that are also part of the cards.
Finally, there are 15 Alphabet Stickers that land one per hobby pack. Retail packs have a piece of gum instead.
2009 Topps Spongebob Squarepants Checklist
Click on the links to shop for cards on eBay or to check current market values.
Set size: 90 cards
Cards per pack: Hobby – 7, Retail – 3
Packs per box: Hobby – 24, Retail – 24
Release date: March 10, 2009
Shop for 2009 Topps Spongebob Squarepants boxes on eBay.
Base Set Checklist
90 cards.
Buy on eBay:
Character Cards
1 Spongebob
2 Patrick
3 Squidward
4 Mr. Krabs
5 Gary
6 Sandy Cheeks
7 Plankton
8 Mrs. Puff
9 Mermaidman
10 Barnacleboy
11 Pearl
12 Snellie
13 Karen
14 Flying Dutchman
15 Mayor
10 Happiest Moments
16 The Big Day
17 Sponge Quest
18 Anchovies by the Busload
19 Return of the Sponge
20 Saving Sandy
21 Over for Tea & Cookies
22 Waterless World
23 Drink Up!
24 Wannabes
25 Super Zeros
26 Grumpy Old Heroes
27 Back in Action
28 Sales Gimmick
29 The Big Night
30 A Disaster
31 A Sponge Is Born
32 Hi-Yah!
33 Hi-Nah!
34 No More Karate
35 Sponge-Chop
36 Switching Lives
37 Mr. Plankton
38 Red Alert
39 So Long!
40 Never Tasted One
41 Try It
42 Squidward’s Secret
43 More!
44 Santa Who?
45 Bah, Squidbug!
46 The Giving Spirit
47 Squidward Claus
48 24 Hours?
49 Hash-Slinging Whaaat?
50 The Three Signs
51 The Slasher?
52 The Tough Guy Line
53 Not a Weenie!
54 Weenie Hut Jr.’s
55 Tough Enough
Lost in Time
56 Caveman
57 Viking
58 Knight
59 Pirate
60 Cowboy
61 Aviator
The Big One
62 Ready Ride!
63 Spongebob Meets the Guru
64 The Long Board
65 Training for “The Big One”
66 Jack Kahuna
67 Jack’s Surf School
68 Catch a Wave
69 Let’s Go Surfin’
70 Get Totally Stoked
71 Can You Tell Which of These Are Real Movies?
72 Zen and the Art of Surfing
73 Surfin’ Safari
B-Movie Posters
74 She Came from Texas!
75 The Spatula
76 Patrick’s Secret Box
77 Rock Bottom
78 I Was a Teenage Gary
79 The Chaperone
80 Beware the Hooks
81 The Chum Bucket of Dr. P!
82 The Ghostly Curse of the Flying Dutchman
83 Creature with Six Tentacles
84 Robot Chef
85 I Touched My Braion
86 Fear the Bat-Sponge of Bikini Bottom
87 Orb of Confusion
88 They Came from Planet Goofball!
89 The Hash-Slinging Slasher
90 Checklist
Alphabet Stickers Checklist
15 cards.
1 per hobby pack.
1 A / K
2 B / X
3 E / O
4 N / V
5 F / O
6 Y / U
7 S / A
8 M / E
9 C / D
10 R / H
11 C / J
12 Q / I
13 I / P
14 Z / T
15 L / W
Create-a-Scene Checklist
10 cards.
1:3 packs.
1 Spongebob Squarepants / Squidward / Mr. Krabs
2 Spongebob Squarepants / Squidward / Patrick Star
3 Spongebob Squarepants / Squidward / Sandy Cheeks
4 Spongebob Squarepants / Patrick Star / Gary
5 Spongebob Squarepants / Patrick Star
6 Spongebob Squarepants / Patrick Star / Sandy Cheeks
7 Spongebob Squarepants / Patrick Star / Squidward
8 Spongebob Squarepants / Patrick Star / Mr. Krabs
9 Spongebob Squarepants / Squidward / Sandy Cheeks
10 Spongebob Squarepants / Patrick Star / Sandy Cheeks
Real Sponge Cards Checklist
5 cards.
1:12 packs.
Awestruck
Gleeful
Overjoyed
Silly
Thoughtful
Sketch Cards Checklist
1 artist.
1:151 retail packs.
Paul Tibbitt