Is Karl Mecklenburg [Autograph] #AL-139 worth grading?

Football · Football Cards 1997 Upper Deck Legends · full price guide →

Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw

A PSA 10 Karl Mecklenburg [Autograph] #AL-139 sells for $116 against $19.50 raw: a $96.50 spread, 5.9× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($96.88) clears the raw price after an economy-tier ~$25 fee, so a near-miss still comes out ahead. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.

Raw (NM): $19.50
PSA 10: $116
PSA 9: $96.88
Gem premium: 5.9×
As of: Sep 4, 2026

Break-even by outcome and fee

Karl Mecklenburg [Autograph] #AL-139: net result of grading versus selling raw, by outcome and fee tier
If it comes back…	Sells for	Economy / bulk (~$25.00)	Standard (~$50.00)	Express (~$150)
Gem — PSA 10	$116	+$71.50	+$46.50	−$53.50
PSA 9	$96.88	+$52.38	+$27.38	−$72.62
PSA 8	$47.38	+$2.88	−$22.12	−$122

Net = sale price − $19.50 raw value − fee. Fee tiers are illustrative; plug your grader's current price into the calculator below.

Expected value — how often does it need to gem?

Karl Mecklenburg [Autograph] #AL-139: expected value of submitting by gem probability
Chance it gems	Expected sale	Expected net (standard fee)
25%	$102	+$32.16
50%	$106	+$36.94
75%	$111	+$41.72

Even a miss (a 9) beats selling raw after the standard fee — the gem rate only decides how much you win by.

Which grader pays the most — and what a 10 takes

All centering standards →

Karl Mecklenburg [Autograph] #AL-139: top-grade value by grading company with centering tolerance
Grader	10 sells for	vs best	Front centering for a 10	Back
BGS 10	$151	best	55/45	70/30
PSA 10	$116	−$35.00	55/45	75/25
CGC 10	$70.00	−$81.00	55/45	75/25
SGC 10	$70.00	−$81.00	55/45	75/25

Tolerances are each company's published centering standard for its top grade; surface, corners and edges must also be clean. Centering is the one you can measure yourself before you pay.

Full grade ladder

Raw conditions & history →

Karl Mecklenburg [Autograph] #AL-139 graded prices by company and grade
Grade	PSA	CGC	BGS	SGC	Graded
10	$116	$70.00	$151	$70.00	—
9.5	—	—	—	—	$107
9	—	—	—	—	$96.88
8	—	—	—	—	$47.38

Swipe the table for the other grading companies →

Run your own numbers

Should I pay this?

Asking priceGrading fee

Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.

Other 1997 Upper Deck Legends cards worth checking

Full set checklist →

Mike Webster [Autograph] #AL-176

Raw $75.35PSA 10 $2,032

Mike Ditka [Autograph] #AL--29

Raw $56.91PSA 10 $1,493

Marion Motley [Autograph] #AL-53

Raw $60.00PSA 10 $1,570

Otto Graham [Autograph] #AL-34

Raw $59.00PSA 10 $1,544

Ken Stabler [Autograph] #AL-166

Raw $89.27PSA 10 $2,320

Johnny Unitas [Autograph] #AL-9

Raw $150Graded $6,710

Grading Karl Mecklenburg [Autograph] #AL-139 — FAQ

Is Karl Mecklenburg [Autograph] #AL-139 worth grading?

How much is a PSA 10 Karl Mecklenburg [Autograph] #AL-139 worth compared with raw?

A PSA 10 Karl Mecklenburg [Autograph] #AL-139 (Football Cards 1997 Upper Deck Legends) sells for about $116 versus $19.50 for a raw near-mint copy — a 5.9× premium as of Sep 4, 2026.

Which grading company is best for Karl Mecklenburg [Autograph] #AL-139?

By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $151, ahead of PSA 10 at $116. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.

What centering does Karl Mecklenburg [Autograph] #AL-139 need for a BGS 10?

BGS publishes 55/45 front and 70/30 back centering as the tolerance for a 10 (Gem Mint). Off-center copies are capped below the top grade regardless of surface — measure yours before paying the fee.

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