We have made the decision to break up an EXTRAORDINARY 1963 Topps set
- the #4 Master Set on the PSA Set Registry. The 1963 set is a
particularly difficult set to complete in high grade due to Topps' poor
quality control in the era which resulted in
considerable print defects. The large and colorful border at the bottom
simultaneously lends a distinctive design element and a condition
challenge, as they are extremely susceptible to
chipping and wear.
The example offered here is card #18, Buc Blasters, featuring four great hitters from the Pittsburgh Pirates: Roberto Clemente, Smoky Burgess, Dick Stuart, and Bob Skinner, graded NM-MT 8. Some extremely minor diamond cutting is present, with a fisheye on the nameplate and light edge chipping along the blue border. A great, unique pose from Clemente and his teammates at Forbes Field gives this card tremendous eye appeal.
Only 17 of the nearly 2,000 examples graded by PSA have ever received a higher grade than the NM-MT 8 offered here, but 3 of those had qualifiers.