2008 Topps President Obama trading cards tell the story of the 44th President of the United States. From his upbringing to the early days of his political career through to the campaign trail and victory, it’s a biographical release. That said, it’s a modern one so there are a few other surprises along the way.
2008 Topps President Obama Checklist Details
Consisting of 90 cards, the base set starts with Barack Obama’s upbringing in Hawaii. Family is central on these, although his high school hoops career also makes an appearance. This lays the groundwork as things shift into Obama’s adult life, including his marriage and his political rise. The 2008 presidential campaign, understandably, gets a lot of attention. Not only does this bring in cameos from several political allies and opponents but some celebrities as well, including Bruce Springsteen and Oprah Winfrey.
All 90 cards have two parallels that have either a Gold or Silver Inauguration Day 2009 foil stamp. Distribution on these were dependent on whether they came in hobby or retail packs.
The most common inserts in 2008 Topps President Obama are Stickers, which land one per pack. These use more artistic designs, often including campaign slogans or notable quotes from Obama. All 18 of these have Foil parallels with one landing every fourth pack.
The most valuable cards in 2008 Topps President Obama are a couple of single-card issues.
The first revisits Obama as a high school student and creates a retro-style basketball card of him. Landing 1:192 packs, it’s a fairly tough card to come by and ranks among the most coveted of all Barack Obama cards.
Packs also had a special Presidential Pup redemption that was completed once the First Family adopted Bo. This is the hardest card to pull at 1:384 packs. Adding to its rarity is the likelihood that a lot of the redemptions were never sent in.
The copyright on the back reads 2008 but the set came out in early 2009. As a result, it is referred to by both years.
2008 Topps President Obama 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, Blaster – 7
Packs per box: Hobby – 24, Blaster – 6
Shop for 2008 Topps President Obama boxes on eBay.
Base Set Checklist
90 cards.
Buy on eBay:
1 U.S. President Barack Obama
2 Obama: Just the Facts
3 From Hawaii to Washington
4 The Long Journey Begins
5 Dreams from My Father
6 Little Man on the Go
7 Loving, Nurturing Grandparents
8 Fun with Gramps & Toot
9 Next Stop: Indonesia
10 Hawaii Hoops Star
11 Gone But Not Forgotten
12 The Newlyweds
13 First Lady Michelle Obama
14 America’s Newest First Family
15 From Pineapples to the Big Apple
16 Welcome to the Windy City
17 Pioneer at Harvard Law
18 Welcome Back Obama
19 Get Out the Vote
20 A Political Star Is Born
21 Run, Barack, Run!
22 The Speech
23 Victory!
24 Mr. Obama Goes to Washington
25 Playing Political Hardball
26 Building International Cred
27 Best-Selling Author… Again
28 I’m Running for President
29 Stumping in the Heartland
30 Change Is Coming!
31 The Democratic Debates
32 Victory’s within Reach
33 I Will Be the Nominee
34 A Family Time-Out
35 Rousing Warm-Up Act
36 Rocky Mountain Highlight
37 Greek Theater, Denver-Style
38 O Picks Joe
39 Cool Running Mates
40 Hello, Michigan!
41 Issue No. 1: The Economy
42 Cheering for Change
43 Please Pass the Syrup
44 Good Morning, Baghdad!
45 Thank You for Your Service
46 Ready for Prime Time
47 Middle East Peacemaker?
48 Round 1 in Oxford
49 Veep Candidates Face Off
50 Hall of a Debate
51 The Final Showdown
52 Michelle Speaks Out
53 Former Rivals Unite
54 Bill Lends a Hand
55 Future First Family Frolic
56 The (Really Big) Crowd-Pleaser
57 Team Obama All-Stars
58 The Power of Oprah
59 The “O” Street Band
60 Don’t Forget To Laugh
61 Kennedys for Obama
62 Sad Farewell to Toot
63 Not-So-Secret Ballots
64 Obama Wins!
65 Not Your Typical Family Anymore
66 Hello, Chicago!
67 Sharing a Historic Moment
68 Grant Park Celebrates
69 Joe the Vice President-Elect
70 Washington’s New Dynamic Duo
71 McCain Graciously Concedes
72 I Like It Here!
73 One President at a Time, But…
74 Hail to the Chief of Staff
75 The Magnificant 17
76 Meet the Press(ure)
77 The First Spokesman
78 Yes They Did!
79 Economic Team Takes the Field
80 Burying the Hatchet
81 The First Granny
82 American Dream Come True
83 Life, Liberty, Happiness
84 Land of Opportunity
85 I Love This Country
86 Healing Racial Divisions
87 All Hands on Deck
88 The Power of Our Democracy
89 Yes, We Will!
90 Checklist
Gold Foil Inauguration Day 2009 Stamp Parallels
90 cards.
1:3 retail packs?
Silver Foil Inauguration Day 2009 Stamp Parallels
90 cards.
1:3 hobby packs?
Basketball All-Star Checklist
1 card.
1:192 packs.
44 Barack Obama – Hawaii
Presidential Pup Checklist
1 card.
1:384 packs.
Available via redemption.
Meet Bo, The First Puppy
Redemption Card
Stickers Checklist
18 cards.
3:4 packs.
1 Yes We Can…Recycle
2 Hope…You Conserve Energy
3 Change…Your Lightbulbs
4 It’s Our Time…to Volunteer
5 Pumped Up
6 Fight Hunger
7 Growing Strong
8 Be an Energy Supporter
9 Go with the Low-Flow
10 Pedal Power to the People
11 Good to the Corps
12 Man Your Compost
13 Spread the Knowledge
14 It’s Better to Give…
15 Give Peace Corps a Chance
16 Write On, U.S. Troops!
17 Clean Up, Green Up
18 By Golly, Buy Local
Stickers Foil Parallels
18 cards.
1:4 packs.
Poster Checklist
1 per hobby box.
Measures 10 1/2″ by 17″.
President Obama – Inaugural Edition
