This is a complete 340-card set of 1956 Topps, and it has strong eye appeal throughout. The horizontal design pairs a large portrait with an action scene behind it, and collectors still rank it among the best Topps designs ever made. The stars are some of the nicest cards in the set.

Mickey Mantle #135 comes from his Triple Crown season and shows bold color and a clean image. Willie Mays #130, Jackie Robinson #30 and Ted Williams #5 present just as well. So does Hank Aaron #31, whose card famously shows Mays sliding in the background. Roberto Clemente’s second-year card #33 and Sandy Koufax’s sophomore card #79 are both here. So is Harmon Killebrew #164, which was only his second Topps appearance.

The Brooklyn Dodgers come in force, including Roy Campanella, Duke Snider, Gil Hodges, Pee Wee Reese and Johnny Podres, who had just been the 1955 World Series hero. Ernie Banks, Al Kaline, Nellie Fox and Ted Kluszewski round out a deep run of stars.

Most of the cards grade in the EX range, with vivid color, clean surfaces and generally solid centering. Some cards show light touches at the corners, and a few are slightly off-center. The stars present unusually well for an ungraded set of this age. It would make a great addition to a serious vintage collection.