The 1956 Topps baseball set was the company's last issue to utilize the 2 5/8" x 3 3/4" format, as the 1957 set was shrunk slightly to today's standard size.  The issue was similar in design to the 1955 set, but was significantly larger in terms of number of cards.  While the 1955 set is a landmark due to the popularity of that season and the number if important rookie cards included in the set, the 1956 set is popular due to the beauty of design and the large number of stars and Hall of Famers included.  This complete set of 340 cards is a clean, collector-grade set, fairly consistent in appearance.  Each card boasts strong color and registration but the hallmarks of handling reduce the technical grade.  While the cards may grade in the lower registers (a few EX, 8% VG/EX, 30% VG, 34% GOOD, 22% FAIR and 6% POOR), the cards largely boast clear images and rich color.  We submitted 12 of the cards for grading, which were returned as follows:  #5 Williams (SGC VG 3), #20 Kaline (SGC FR 1.5), #30 Robinson (SGC VG 3), #31 Aaron (SGC VG/EX+ 4.5), #33 Clemente (SGC VG 3), #79 Koufax (SGC GOOD+ 2.5), #101 Campanella (SGC GOOD+ 2.5) ,#130 Mays (SGC GOOD+ 2.5), #135 Mantle (PSA GOOD 2), #164 Killebrew (SGC GOOD+ 2.5), #200 Feller (SGC VG+ 3.5), and #292 Aparicio (SGC VG/EX 4).  A breakdown of the remaining key cards would be #10 Spahn (G), #15 Banks (VG), #107 Mathews (G), #110 Berra (F), #113 Rizzuto (G), #118 Fox (G), #120 Ashburn (VG), #145 Hodges (G), #150 Snider (F), #180 Roberts (F), #240 Ford (G) and #260 Reese (F).  A strong, collector-grade set, clean and presentable, an outstanding example of one of Topps' most beautiful 1950s issues.  340 cards total.