The Card

## Plot

SpongeBob is first seen getting money from "Quincy" who works at the bank SpongeBob goes to. He gives SpongeBob his money, but SpongeBob is very picky on what money to give Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy. SpongeBob is at the comic book and card store. He is there to buy Mermaid Man & Barnacle Boy cards. He opens a pack and finds four cards whom he thinks are valuable but the store clerk tells him they are worthless and that there is one valuable card called the No. 54 card. There are only 5 of them in existence. SpongeBob frantically attempts to buy as much packs as possible to find the card, but is unsuccessful. With only one pack left in the store, SpongeBob reveals that he has no more money. Patrick decides to buy the last pack, which coincidently, ends up containing the No. 54 card. SpongeBob follows Patrick home, trying to protect the card from Patrick's carelessness.

When they get home, SpongeBob asks Patrick if he could have it, Patrick asked if he could have it one more day, until sundown. He uses the card to unlock his house (after his landlord changed the lock again) cook burgers and then wipe his face. SpongeBob begins crying, and when Patrick asks what is wrong, he says that card was a very rare one, and he just destroyed it. Patrick says he'll get it some day, but SpongeBob explains that he bought the last pack. Mening that there were no more packs left in all of Bikini Bottom until the new shipment comes(jujing by his crying the shipment must take along time). Patrick then reveals that he has several other No. 54 cards that were also in the pack he bought and gives the four other cards to SpongeBob, who is happy. But then, he has to use one of them because he locked himself out of his house again.

## Home video releases

DVD
* *SpongeBob SquarePants: Truth or Square*
* *SpongeBob SquarePants: Season 6, Volume 2*
* *SpongeBob SquarePants: The Complete 6th Season*

## Reception

This episode is number 19 in Tom Kenny's Top 20 on iTunes. His description says:

> "As a collector of weird old stuff - records, comic strips, anything  - I like how this episode gets into the fanatical mindset of hardcore collectors. The desire to possess that 'certain item' and then to keep it in 'mint-plus' condition can take over the mind. And the sight of a non-collector handling 'the grail' improperly ..."
>
>

## Trivia

* Patrick getting jump from construction site and land in fire as seen American Reality show Fear Factor.
* SpongeBob is once again a neat freak in this episode, while Patrick is very dirty and careless about filth. This previously occurred in "The Battle of Bikini Bottom".
* At one point when Patrick looked at SpongeBob, it revealed that Patrick is sometimes color blind.
* Patrick tells SpongeBob in this episode, "You can't always expect my usual brand of stupidity." Implying that Patrick is aware that he is stupid.

### Cultural references

* When SpongeBob says: "Card #54, where are you?", he refers to the sitcom *Template:W*
* This episode has some similarity to the book *Template:W' episode*

Nate Cash
Steven Banks

## Plot

SpongeBob is first seen getting money from "Quincy" who works at the bank SpongeBob goes to. He gives SpongeBob his money, but SpongeBob is very picky on what money to give Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy. SpongeBob is at the comic book and card store. He is there to buy Mermaid Man & Barnacle Boy cards. He opens a pack and finds four cards whom he thinks are valuable but the store clerk tells him they are worthless and that there is one valuable card called the No. 54 card. There are only 5 of them in existence. SpongeBob frantically attempts to buy as much packs as possible to find the card, but is unsuccessful. With only one pack left in the store, SpongeBob reveals that he has no more money. Patrick decides to buy the last pack, which coincidently, ends up containing the No. 54 card. SpongeBob follows Patrick home, trying to protect the card from Patrick's carelessness.

When they get home, SpongeBob asks Patrick if he could have it, Patrick asked if he could have it one more day, until sundown. He uses the card to unlock his house (after his landlord changed the lock again) cook burgers and then wipe his face. SpongeBob begins crying, and when Patrick asks what is wrong, he says that card was a very rare one, and he just destroyed it. Patrick says he'll get it some day, but SpongeBob explains that he bought the last pack. Mening that there were no more packs left in all of Bikini Bottom until the new shipment comes(jujing by his crying the shipment must take along time). Patrick then reveals that he has several other No. 54 cards that were also in the pack he bought and gives the four other cards to SpongeBob, who is happy. But then, he has to use one of them because he locked himself out of his house again.

## Home video releases

DVD
* *SpongeBob SquarePants: Truth or Square*
* *SpongeBob SquarePants: Season 6, Volume 2*
* *SpongeBob SquarePants: The Complete 6th Season*

## Reception

This episode is number 19 in Tom Kenny's Top 20 on iTunes. His description says:

> "As a collector of weird old stuff - records, comic strips, anything *Template:W* - I like how this episode gets into the fanatical mindset of hardcore collectors. The desire to possess that 'certain item' and then to keep it in 'mint-plus' condition can take over the mind. And the sight of a non-collector handling 'the grail' improperly ..."
>
>

## Trivia

* Patrick getting jump from construction site and land in fire as seen American Reality show Fear Factor.
* SpongeBob is once again a neat freak in this episode, while Patrick is very dirty and careless about filth. This previously occurred in "The Battle of Bikini Bottom".
* At one point when Patrick looked at SpongeBob, it revealed that Patrick is sometimes color blind.
* Patrick tells SpongeBob in this episode, "You can't always expect my usual brand of stupidity." Implying that Patrick is aware that he is stupid.

### Cultural references

* When SpongeBob says: "Card #54, where are you?", he refers to the sitcom *Template:W*
* This episode has some similarity to the book *Template:W*, where SpongeBob (Charlie) is searching through card packs (chocolate bars) to find the rare card (golden ticket). Also, Patrick saying "I don't even believe in pockets" is a possible reference to Wayside School is Falling Down, where a hobo says "I don't believe in socks".

### Errors

* All of the five rare cards were in the same pack but had no other cards while the other packs had more than five cards
* When Patrick shows SpongeBob the four #54 cards, the second one he's holding doesn't show a giant fist punching Barnacle Boy.
* Patrick says he doesn't believe in pockets, but at the end of the episode the other 4 talking cards are pulled out of his pocket.
* Patrick says he has a landlord, but in "Home Sweet Pineapple" he says he built his home, but it is unknown which tale is true. Patrick could have put his house up for sale and he rented the house. However in New Fish in Town he says he would be a landlord when Howard came. The landlord could have sold the house to Patrick prior to this episode.SpongeBob SquarePants episodes

', where SpongeBob (Charlie) is searching through card packs (chocolate bars) to find the rare card (golden ticket). Also, Patrick saying "I don't even believe in pockets" is a possible reference to Wayside School is Falling Down, where a hobo says "I don't believe in socks".

### Errors

* All of the five rare cards were in the same pack but had no other cards while the other packs had more than five cards
* When Patrick shows SpongeBob the four #54 cards, the second one he's holding doesn't show a giant fist punching Barnacle Boy.
* Patrick says he doesn't believe in pockets, but at the end of the episode the other 4 talking cards are pulled out of his pocket.
* Patrick says he has a landlord, but in "Home Sweet Pineapple" he says he built his home, but it is unknown which tale is true. Patrick could have put his house up for sale and he rented the house. However in New Fish in Town he says he would be a landlord when Howard came. The landlord could have sold the house to Patrick prior to this episode.