Will Smith Cards Worth Money? Hockey Rookie Guide

Estimated reading time: 11 min

Key Takeaways

• Will Smith cards worth money are mostly rookie, first-year and serial-numbered cards. Base commons from deep print runs rarely carry much value.
• There are two collectible Will Smiths: the hockey center and the Dodgers catcher. Confirm the sport before you look up a price.
• The hockey flagship is the 2024-25 Upper Deck Extended Series #701 Young Guns. Condition, centering and border chipping decide whether a copy is worth grading.
• Compare sold prices, not asking prices, and only grade when the expected PSA 10 premium clearly beats the $30+ submission cost.

Card values — live data from Midpoint's card database, as of 2026-09-04. Prices move; Midpoint refreshes these daily.

	Card	Raw	PSA 10	Gem premium
	Will Smith [Rookie Autograph] #SP-WS 2024 Upper Deck The Cup Splendor Patch	$412.92	$1,769	4.3×
	Macklin Celebrini / Will Smith [Speckled Rainbow] #499 2024 Upper Deck	$244.83	$1,125	4.6×
	Will Smith [Exclusive] #701 2024 Upper Deck	$281.00	$1,094	3.9×
	Macklin Celebrini / Will Smith [Exclusive] #499 2024 Upper Deck	$302.02	$1,013	3.4×
	Macklin Celebrini / Will Smith [Deluxe] #499 2024 Upper Deck	$240.00	$900.96	3.8×
	Macklin Celebrini / Will Smith [Outburst Silver] #499 2024 Upper Deck	$132.62	$851.31	6.4×
	Macklin Celebrini / Will Smith [Silver Foil] #499 2024 Upper Deck	$105.50	$629.00	6×
	Macklin Celebrini / Will Smith #TT-SC 2025 SP Game Used Troupe Threads	$125.00	$576.02	4.6×
	Will Smith [Outburst Silver] #701 2024 Upper Deck	$145.00	$503.41	3.5×
	Will Smith #EL-WS 2024 Upper Deck The Cup Elegant Etchings Autograph	$104.26	$468.31	4.5×
	Will Smith #3D-WS 2024 O-Pee-Chee 3-D Marquee Rookie	$110.52	$436.79	4×
	Will Smith #P-62 2025 SP Authentic Pageantry Autograph	$81.33	$395.99	4.9×

Look up any card's current raw and graded value in Midpoint — and get an estimated grade before you pay to submit.

Table of Contents

• Section 1: Are Will Smith Cards Worth Money? Hockey vs Baseball
• Section 2: Most Valuable Will Smith Cards to Chase
• Section 3: Variations That Move Value
• Section 4: Will Smith Rookie Card Value, Raw vs PSA 10
• Section 5: Best Will Smith Cards to Grade
• Section 6: How to Identify Your Will Smith Card
• Section 7: Where to Sell and How to Price It

Section 1: Are Will Smith Cards Worth Money? Hockey vs Baseball

Are Will Smith cards worth money? Some are, but the answer depends on which Will Smith you hold. The name is shared by a Los Angeles Dodgers catcher and a young hockey center in the San Jose Sharks system. Their markets have almost nothing in common.

This guide focuses on the hockey side. That is where most of today's collector attention sits, led by the Young Guns rookie. It also covers the baseball cards you are most likely to confuse with them.

Two players, two markets

Hockey collectors chase young, high-draft-pick talent. Cards are valued on potential, so prices can move quickly with a hot streak, an injury or a call-up. A Will Smith hockey rookie is priced on what the player might become.

Baseball collectors price the Dodgers catcher on an established career. His key cards are:

• 2016 Bowman Draft, a first-year card from his draft class
• 2019 Topps Update, his MLB-debut-year rookie
• 2019 Topps Chrome Update, the shinier version with refractor parallels

Why mixing them up costs money

Searching only "Will Smith card" in a marketplace returns both players, plus occasional entertainment-themed cards of the actor. Sellers sometimes mislabel listings, so a mixed-up comp can make your card look far more or less valuable than it is.

• Check the sport logo and team name on the front.
• Read the card back for position, birthplace and stats.
• Match the set name and card number to a checklist.

Treat any single price you see as a snapshot, because prices on young-player cards change often.

Section 2: Most Valuable Will Smith Cards to Chase

The most valuable Will Smith cards follow the same hierarchy as most players: scarcity, rookie status and eye appeal. The same few card types lead for both the hockey and baseball players.

Hockey: the Young Guns flagship

The headline card is the 2024-25 Upper Deck Extended Series #701 Young Guns. Young Guns is Upper Deck's long-running rookie subset and one of the most recognized rookie designations in hockey. Collectors treat it as the rookie card because of that history.

Why it leads:

• It carries the Young Guns branding, which hockey buyers actively search for.
• It is the card most buyers mean by "Will Smith rookie card."
• It is likely to have a deeper pool of sold comps than his other cards, which makes pricing easier.

Higher-end Young Guns parallels, such as Exclusives, High Gloss and other numbered versions, sit above the standard copy when they exist for your set. Always confirm the exact parallel before you price it.

Hockey: prospect cards and autographs

Before the NHL rookie, there are prospect cards from his USA Hockey and college years. These are often autographed or numbered, and they appeal to collectors who bought in early. Certified autographs from reputable manufacturers generally carry a premium over unsigned base cards.

Baseball: the Dodgers catcher

For the baseball Will Smith, the order generally runs:

• 2016 Bowman Draft first-year cards, especially autographs and numbered parallels
• 2019 Topps Chrome Update refractors and numbered colors
• 2019 Topps Update base rookie, usually the more affordable entry point

Rare parallels and short prints generally beat base cards. A common base card from a later year, with no rookie logo and no serial number, is usually worth very little.

Section 3: Variations That Move Value

Two cards from the same set can be priced very differently. The variation, not just the player, drives the premium. Here is the ladder from least to most valuable.

Base, chrome and refractors

• Base cards: the most printed and cheapest. Value depends heavily on the rookie designation.
• Chrome cards: a glossy, chromium-stock version of the base design, as in 2019 Topps Chrome Update. These usually trade above paper base.
• Refractors: shiny parallels of chrome cards. Colored refractors carry more value as print runs shrink.

Parallels, short prints and serial numbers

Parallels change the color, foil or finish. Short prints are produced in smaller quantities than the base set. Serial-numbered cards are stamped like /99 or /25, which states exactly how many exist.

The lower the print run, the stronger the scarcity story. A 1-of-1 is the extreme, but buyer demand has to exist too. A /25 of a player nobody is chasing may sell for less than a plentiful card of someone hot.

Autographs and memorabilia

• On-card autographs are signed directly on the card and are generally preferred.
• Sticker autographs are signed on a label and applied later. They tend to be valued lower.
• Memorabilia cards contain a jersey or patch swatch. The most desirable have multi-color patches or clear game-use details.

Combination cards, such as a rookie patch autograph that is also numbered, stack several demand factors at once. They are rare and often the priciest items on any player's checklist.

One caution: do not assume a shiny card is a rare one. Many parallels are plentiful, and the card back or a checklist will tell you the actual print run.

Section 4: Will Smith Rookie Card Value, Raw vs PSA 10

Will Smith rookie card value comes down to two figures: what a raw (ungraded) copy sells for, and what a graded copy sells for. The gap between them is the reason collectors send cards for grading in the first place.

Raw vs graded: how to read the gap

A raw card is sold on the seller's description and photos. A Will Smith PSA 10 is a sealed, third-party-authenticated card in gem mint condition, so buyers pay for certainty. The size of the premium depends on how common PSA 10s are for that card, a number known as the population.

• If PSA 10s are rare, the premium can be large.
• If PSA 10s are common, the premium shrinks.
• Dark-bordered or glossy cards are harder to grade perfectly, which affects supply.

The population concept is covered in our guide to card grading for low population cards.

Sold prices vs asking prices

Asking prices are wishes. Sold prices are facts. A listing at an optimistic number that has sat for months tells you nothing about value.

• Filter marketplace searches to sold or completed listings.
• Match the exact set, card number, parallel and grade.
• Look at several recent sales, not one outlier.
• Ignore best-offer listings unless the accepted price is shown.

Why I am not quoting numbers here

Prices on young-player cards shift quickly, and any figure printed in an article ages fast. Look up the current raw and graded values for your exact card instead. In Midpoint, card lookup shows raw vs graded values across 250,000+ cards, and the numbers carry a date so you know how fresh they are.

Section 5: Best Will Smith Cards to Grade

Not every card deserves a slab. Submission costs commonly run $30+ per card, depending on the grading company and service level, and that cost stays the same whether the card is worth $5 or $500. The best Will Smith cards to grade are the ones where a high grade clearly lifts the price above that cost.

Grade these first

• 2024-25 Upper Deck Extended Series #701 Young Guns, if the copy looks clean
• Numbered parallels and short prints with strong corners and surfaces
• 2016 Bowman Draft, 2019 Topps Update and 2019 Topps Chrome Update for the baseball player, if they look near-perfect
• On-card autographs where the card itself is in clean shape

Usually skip grading

• Base commons without a rookie designation
• Cards with creases, heavy edge wear or surface scratches
• Cards where raw and likely graded values are close

Pre-grade before you pay

Four things decide the grade: centering, corners, edges and surface. Centering is the easiest to measure and the one most often missed by the naked eye. Upper Deck cards, Young Guns included, can show edge chipping or surface flaws out of the pack. Inspect every edge under bright light.

Midpoint measures centering and estimates a PSA, BGS, CGC or TAG grade before you submit.

For a deeper walk-through, see our step-by-step guide on how to pre-grade your card, and read how centering impacts card value to understand why small shifts matter.

Section 6: How to Identify Your Will Smith Card

Correct identification is the foundation of correct pricing. A card from the right player but the wrong set can be off by a wide margin. Work through these fields in order.

Start with the front and back

• Sport: hockey cards show a Sharks, college or Team USA uniform; baseball cards show a Dodgers or minor-league uniform.
• Year and brand: usually printed in the copyright line on the back, such as Upper Deck, Topps or Bowman.
• Set name: look for "Extended Series," "Update," "Chrome" or "Draft" on the front or back.
• Card number: for example, #701 on the Young Guns. This is what matches a checklist.

Check the variation clues

• Serial number: a stamped number like 12/99 means a numbered parallel.
• Finish: refractor shimmer, colored foil or a gloss coating can signal a parallel.
• Rookie logos: the Young Guns mark or a Topps rookie logo changes the value significantly.
• Autograph or patch: look for a certification statement or a visible swatch window.

Verify before you price

Compare your card to an online checklist for the set, and to photos of confirmed examples. Pay attention to subtle differences, because base and parallel versions can look almost identical in a quick photo. If a card claims a limited run but has no serial number or matching checklist entry, treat that claim with caution.

Once identified, add the card to a collection tracker so you can follow its value over time. Midpoint's portfolio tracking handles this, and its lookup covers hockey, baseball, basketball, football and soccer cards in one place.

Section 7: Where to Sell and How to Price It

Knowing that Will Smith cards are worth money is only half the job. The other half is selling at the right price through the right channel. Match the venue to the card.

Choosing a marketplace

• eBay: the largest audience and the most visible sold comps. It works well for everything from base rookies to graded slabs.
• Auction houses: best for high-end, rare or autographed material, usually with seller fees and a longer timeline.
• Card shops and dealers: fast and convenient, but expect an offer below retail since the dealer needs margin.
• Dedicated card marketplaces and shows: useful for finding collectors who already know the player.

Price with evidence

Pull the last several sold results for your exact card and grade, then list near the middle of that range. Take clear photos of the front, back and all four corners. For raw cards, show the edges and any flaws honestly, since buyers discount hidden problems.

Authentication, condition and protection

Graded slabs from reputable companies reduce buyer doubt about authenticity and condition. For raw autographs, look for a manufacturer certification. Whatever you plan to sell, protect it first. Our guide to how to store valuable cards covers sleeves, toploaders and humidity.

Also compare grading companies before choosing, since the same card can be valued differently in different holders. The grading scale differences by company article explains what each top grade really means.

Conclusion

Will Smith cards worth money share a pattern: rookie status, scarcity and condition. For the hockey player, the 2024-25 Upper Deck Extended Series #701 Young Guns is the card to know, with numbered parallels, autographs and prospect cards stacked above it. For the baseball player, the 2016 Bowman Draft, 2019 Topps Update and 2019 Topps Chrome Update lead the way.

Identify the exact player, set and variation first. Then check sold comps, inspect centering and corners, and grade only when the expected premium clears the submission cost. Run the numbers on a card with Midpoint before you pay for a slab, and you will avoid the most common grading mistake: paying $30+ to receive a mid-grade result.

FAQ

Q: What is the most valuable Will Smith baseball card?

A: Generally, rare serial-numbered parallels and autographs lead. Examples include 2016 Bowman Draft first-year cards and 2019 Topps Chrome Update refractors. The plain 2019 Topps Update base rookie is usually the more affordable entry point. Check recent sold listings for your exact card and grade.

Q: How much is a Will Smith rookie card worth?

A: It depends on the player, set, variation and condition. A raw base rookie sells for far less than a numbered parallel or a PSA 10. Look up the exact card in Midpoint or a sold-listings search, and compare raw against graded values.

Q: What year is Will Smith's rookie card?

A: For the hockey player, the key rookie is the 2024-25 Upper Deck Extended Series #701 Young Guns. For the Dodgers catcher, collectors look to 2019 Topps Update and 2019 Topps Chrome Update, with 2016 Bowman Draft as the first-year card.

Q: Are Will Smith baseball cards worth anything?

A: Yes, some are. Rookies, first-year cards, refractors, autographs and numbered parallels hold the most value. Common base cards from later years usually carry little.

Q: How do I identify which Will Smith card I have?

A: Confirm the sport first, then read the year, brand, set name and card number on the back. Check for serial numbers, refractor finishes, rookie logos, autographs or patches, and match everything to a set checklist.

Q: Does grading a Will Smith card increase its value?

A: It can, but only when the card grades high enough for the premium to exceed the $30+ cost. Strong candidates have sharp corners, clean surfaces and good centering. Pre-grade first to avoid paying for a disappointing result.