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 #275, Eddie Mathews, graded MINT
9. Though he led the league in Walks (124) and On-Base Percentage (.399), 1963 was the first season since 1954 during which Mathews was not named an All Star. The 31-year-old hit 23 home runs and drove in 84 runs in 1963, the 12th of his 17 seasons in his Hall of Fame career.
This card shows the Braves slugger standing in his imposing left handed batting stance, looking down the barrel of the camera. Sharp corners and edges. Centering just a sliver east on the canvas. A very minor registration issue with the blue bottom border, along with some snow in that area and a fisheye on Eddie's left sleeve keep this card from grading even higher than it already has.
Only 1 example graded by PSA has ever received a higher grade than the MINT 9 offered here.