Run to These Amazing Emmit Smith Football Cards

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The most valuable Emmitt Smith football cards include the rare 1997 Metal Universe #126 Precious Metal Gems Green /15, his rookie 1990 Score Supplemental #101T in high grades, and the modern 2020 Optic #DT-14 Downtown (SSP) PSA 10.

Here is the entire list of most valuable Emmitt Smith football cards based on the last year of sales (from Market Movers), and sorted by max sale amount. Please note these are raw ungraded card values:

• Emmitt Smith 1997 Metal Universe #126 Precious Metal Gems Green /15 Raw, $30000
• Emmitt Smith 2019 Absolute #K-ES Kaboom! Raw, $350
• Emmitt Smith 2021 Absolute #K7 Kaboom! Raw, $340
• Emmitt Smith 2020 Optic #DT-14 Downtown (SSP) Raw, $300
• Emmitt Smith 2022 Select #CW-9 Color Wheel – Gold /10 Raw, $270.5
• Emmitt Smith 2020 Donruss #D-ES Downtown (SSP) Raw, $250
• Emmitt Smith 2020 Obsidian #19 Black Color Blast (SSP) Raw, $182.5
• Emmitt Smith 2021 Optic #MY-15 Mythical – Black Pandora /25 Raw, $176
• Emmitt Smith 2022 Prizm #P-19 Profiles (SSP) Raw, $158.05
• Emmitt Smith 2021 Obsidian #CB-20 Black Color Blast (SSP) Raw, $155
• Emmitt Smith 2020 Luminance #M11 Moments (SSP) Raw, $129.5
• Emmitt Smith 2022 Donruss #GM-4 Gridiron Marvels (SSP) Raw, $125
• Emmitt Smith 2021 Donruss #NM-ESM Night Moves (SSP) Raw, $117
• Emmitt Smith 2003 Topps Chrome #RB9 Record Breakers – Refractor /100 Raw, $100
• Emmitt Smith 2022 Contenders Optic #L-17 Legitness (SSP) Raw, $100
• Emmitt Smith 1990 Score Supplemental #101T Base Raw, $99.99
• Emmitt Smith 1997 Topps Chrome #81 Refractor Raw, $94.99
• Emmitt Smith 2021 Optic #MY-15 Mythical – Gold /10 Raw, $86
• Emmitt Smith 2003 Topps Pristine #14 Veteran Gold Refractor /150 Raw, $86
• Emmitt Smith 2001 Topps Chrome #145 Refractor /999 Raw, $85
• Emmitt Smith 2021 Phoenix #EF-24 En Fuego (SSP) Raw, $70
• Emmitt Smith 2021 Mosaic #BU-8 Busted (SSP) Raw, $60
• Emmitt Smith 2021 Mosaic #64 Genesis (SSP) Raw, $58
• Emmitt Smith 1998 Topps Chrome #151 Refractor Raw, $56.89
• Emmitt Smith 2022 Select #CW-9 Color Wheel Raw, $51
• Emmitt Smith 2021 Optic #MY-15 Mythical Raw, $51
• Emmitt Smith 2003 Topps Chrome #73 Gold X-Fractor /101 Raw, $50
• Emmitt Smith 2003 Topps Pristine #14 Veteran Refractor /99 Raw, $50
• Emmitt Smith 1998 SkyBox Premium #2IN Intimidation Nation Raw, $49.22
• Emmitt Smith 1999 Topps Chrome #30 Refractor Raw, $45
• Emmitt Smith 2000 Topps Chrome #OTG9 Own the Game – Refractor Raw, $45
• Emmitt Smith 2000 Topps Chrome #34 Refractor Raw, $41.22
• Emmitt Smith 2003 Topps Chrome #73 Black Refractor /599 Raw, $40
• Emmitt Smith 2016 Prizm #185 Red (SSP) Raw, $39
• Emmitt Smith 1990 Topps Traded #27T Base Raw, $37.97
• Emmitt Smith 1999 Topps Chrome #128 Season Highlights – Refractor Raw, $35.95
• Emmitt Smith 1999 Topps Chrome #AE6 All-Etch – Refractor Raw, $35
• Emmitt Smith 1998 Topps Chrome #MG12 Measures of Greatness – Refractor Raw, $33.98
• Emmitt Smith 1996 Topps Chrome #TT11 Tide Turners – Refractor Raw, $32
• Emmitt Smith 1996 Topps Chrome #13 40th Anniversary Retros – Refractor Raw, $30
• Emmitt Smith 1999 Topps Chrome #RN3 Record Numbers – Refractor Raw, $30
• Emmitt Smith 2016 Prizm #185 Light Blue /199 Raw, $30
• Emmitt Smith 1990 Pro Set #685 Base Raw, $29.99
• Emmitt Smith 2000 Topps Chrome #198 Season Highlights – Refractor Raw, $20
• Emmitt Smith 2016 Prizm #185 Red White Blue Disco Raw, $19.99
• Emmitt Smith 2016 Prizm #185 Blue Wave /149 Raw, $18.94
• Emmitt Smith 2016 Prizm #185 Orange /299 Raw, $12
• Emmitt Smith 1999 Topps Chrome #SB5 Season’s Best – Refractor Raw, $11.99
• Emmitt Smith 2018 Prizm #A-20 Apex Raw, $10
• Emmitt Smith 2016 Prizm #185 Green Raw, $9.99
• Emmitt Smith 2016 Prizm #185 Silver Raw, $8
• Emmitt Smith 2016 Prizm #7 Decade of Dominance Raw, $7.19
• Emmitt Smith 2016 Prizm #185 Purple Scope /99 Raw, $5.77
• Emmitt Smith 2016 Prizm #185 Red Crystals /75 Raw, $5
• Emmitt Smith 2018 Prizm #HOF-6 Hall of Fame Raw, $4.99

While the list is large and may appear to be all over the map, there are a number of different buckets to explore.

90’s Inserts

Among the top Emmitt Smith inserts are what card dreams are made of, and stand out as everything inserts should be. Jet propulsion, scowls, and tidal splashes reminiscent of junk wax era baseball “Wave of the Future”—it’s all there.

Of course, if you’re new to cards, the value of any 1997 Metal Universe Precious Metal Gems card (or, PMG, as they are commonly referred to) is enough to make your head spin, but this $30,000 sale in October of 2022 takes the cake.

Interestingly enough, the same card in a relatively poor grade of PSA 7 sold for a whopping $43K in August of 2023. Just goes to show that rare is rare, and while condition is king for most cards with higher pops, simply having a low pop card in any condition might prove to be valuable.

Rookies

Many people would expect for rookie cards to be the top of any similar list, but not when we are looking at raw cards only. Printed in such great abundance, base rookies from the early 90s are literally a dime a dozen.

So, the fact that Smith’s 1990 Score, Topps, and Pro Set sell consistently around $10-$20 and even more is impressive:

• Emmitt Smith 1990 Score Supplemental #101T Base Raw, $99.99
• Emmitt Smith 1990 Topps Traded #27T Base Raw, $37.97
• Emmitt Smith 1990 Pro Set #685 Base Raw, $29.99

Of course, it’s the 1990 Score Supplemental that stands out as the far and away favorite among collectors. Unlike many of the rookie counterparts around the time, the 1990 Score Supplemental card can’t be pulled from packs, and can only be found as part of a standalone set (“rookie and traded).

A PSA 10 sold in September of 2023 for $2.35K (pop 776).

Modern Inserts

When looking at raw cards, it’s not surprising to see more than a couple modern inserts staking their claim. Well, let me rephrase that… it’s not surprising to see more than a couple of SSP inserts. You see, back when Emmitt Smith was a rookie, inserts meant a whole lot more to the hobby. That’s why you still see many of them holding their value still today.

Fast forward to now, and while we still have plenty of insert cards, we also have shiny parallels, numbered cards, and SSPs. Thus, the regular insert has lost its way a bit, while the SSP insert or even “case hit” stands out as a chaser in most products.

• Emmitt Smith 2020 Donruss #D-ES Downtown (SSP) Raw, $250
• Emmitt Smith 2020 Obsidian #19 Black Color Blast (SSP) Raw, $182.5
• Emmitt Smith 2022 Donruss #GM-4 Gridiron Marvels (SSP) Raw, $125
• Emmitt Smith 2021 Donruss #NM-ESM Night Moves (SSP) Raw, $117
• Emmitt Smith 2022 Contenders Optic #L-17 Legitness (SSP) Raw, $100

It certainly helps that most of these cards are absolutely stunning.

Numbered Parallels

Last, you can’t talk much about cards these days without diving into the numbered parallel. The way. to think of it is like this–”Oh wow, this is a cool card. Wait, there is this same cool card but in different colors and printed in lower quantities.”

Meaning, if you see a card you like from any of the best football card boxes to buy (Prizm, Optic, etc.), the chances are that same card will have a long list of parallels; or, cards that look exactly like it in terms. ofthe photo and general design, but in a different color refractor and serial numbered.

All that to say, it’s not surprising to see “already cool” cards like 2022 Select Color Wheel and 2021 Optic Mythical on the list, but represented with their rare color parallels (gold /10 and black pandora /25, respectively).

• Emmitt Smith 2022 Select #CW-9 Color Wheel – Gold /10 Raw, $270.5
• Emmitt Smith 2021 Optic #MY-15 Mythical – Black Pandora /25 Raw, $176
• Emmitt Smith 2016 Prizm #185 Light Blue /199 Raw, $30

A quick look up and down the list though will show it’s not just modern parallels, but many from the late 90s and early 00s as well. The number of parallels back then were far fewer but equally beautiful:

• Emmitt Smith 2003 Topps Chrome #RB9 Record Breakers – Refractor /100 Raw, $100
• Emmitt Smith 1990 Score Supplemental #101T Base Raw, $99.99
• Emmitt Smith 1997 Topps Chrome #81 Refractor Raw, $94.99
• Emmitt Smith 2003 Topps Pristine #14 Veteran Gold Refractor /150 Raw, $86
• Emmitt Smith 2001 Topps Chrome #145 Refractor /999 Raw, $85
• Emmitt Smith 1998 Topps Chrome #151 Refractor Raw, $56.89
• Emmitt Smith 1999 Topps Chrome #30 Refractor Raw, $45
• Emmitt Smith 2000 Topps Chrome #OTG9 Own the Game – Refractor Raw, $45
• Emmitt Smith 2000 Topps Chrome #34 Refractor Raw, $41.22