Rebounding from the almost generic, white-bordered design of the 1969 set, Topps returned in 1970 to produce its largest set to date, a 720-card behemoth that was issued in seven series.  For the condition-conscious collector, the exasperating Topps quality control that resulted in so many centering issues was met with the added challenge of silver-gray borders that were more prone to show edge and corner wear than its white-bordered predecessor.  As is the case with most Topps issues of the late 1960s and early 1970s, the cards are frequently found off-center or miscut, sometimes even with pronounced tilts and front snow.  Despite the challenge of building a high-grade set, it remains extremely popular among collectors - 150 different sets are listed in various states of completion on PSA's current finest list.

Presented here is the set ranked #20 on PSA's Registry, with an outstanding rating of 7.88.  The set condition breakdown is outstanding, with 29 cards (4% of the set) grading MINT 9, nine cards (1% of the set) grading NM-MT+ 8.5, and an incredible 619 cards (86% of the set) grading NM-MT 8.  62 cards (9% of the set) grade NM 7, with one sole card (AL Pitching Leaders card #70) grading NM+ 7.5.  Of the 63 cards grading under PSA 8, none are particularly difficult.

What's more, the set boasts a number of extremely difficult low-pop cards, let by card #261 of Curt Motton (PSA 9, 1/31 with just 1 higher), card #414 of Paul Edmondson (PSA 9, 1/37 with just 2 higher), #561 Tom McCraw (PSA 8, 1/58 with just 2 higher), and #661 Jerry Robertson (PSA 9, 1/27 with just 2 higher).  

The key cards and Hall of Famers in the set are, largely, graded PSA NM-MT 8.  One key card, #290 of Rod Carew, grades NM-MT+ 8.5.  Several other keys and Hall of Famers grade NM 7, including #17 Wilhelm, #140 Jackson, #148 Weaver, #189 Munson, #210 Marichal, #300 Seaver, #380 Perez, #455 Robinson AS, #458 Rose AS, #459 Jackson AS, #461 Yastrzemski AS, #462 Aaron AS, #464 Bench AS, #466 Marichal AS, #470 Stargell, #500 Aaron, #530 Gibson, #537 Morgan, #580 Rose, #600 Mays, #630 Banks, #660 Bench, and #670 Santo.  All the remaining keys and Hall of Famers grade NM-MT 8.

Assembling a completely-graded set has become a daunting task.  The cost of grading alone is significant, as grading fees and turnaround times have rendered it far more difficult to build a large, graded set than it was in the past.  Starting and completing a high-grade 1970 Topps set, with 720 condition-sensitive cards, would be an expensive and time-consuming process today.  This tremendous high-grade 1970 Topps set represents a solution to the challenge.  660 cards total.