1960 Topps #552 Walt Bond
About Walt Bond
Walter Franklin Bond signed out of Denmark, Tennessee, with the St. Louis Cardinals, but a racial incident on the team's instructional-league bus led to his trade to Cleveland before he ever played for St. Louis. Standing 6-foot-7 and known as "Big Walt," he debuted with the Indians on April 19, 1960 -- the year Topps pictured him on card #552, a short-printed high number (#507-572) and his recognized rookie card. Diagnosed with leukemia while serving in the Army in 1962, Bond returned that September and batted .380 with six homers in just 50 at-bats for Cleveland. Dealt to Houston in December 1963 after the Colt .45s' doctor cleared him, he delivered his finest season in 1964, leading the club with 20 home runs and 85 RBIs as its first genuine power hitter. He closed his career with Minnesota in 1967, homering off 20-game winner Earl Wilson before his health gave out. Bond died September 14, 1967, a month short of his 30th birthday, and was buried at Houston National Cemetery.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 380 | 0 | 19 | 166 | 132 | 42 | 9 | 12 | 0 |
| SGC | 28 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 13 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 0 |
Graded population — a scarcity guide, not a price. Snapshot 2026-08-20. Half-grades fold down (8.5→8), and PSA's qualified grades are counted separately from the straight-grade rows shown here. The Venezuelan issue, the 1960 Topps Tattoos and Bazooka are separate products and are not counted here.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the 1960 Topps #552 card?
It is card #552 of the 572-card 1960 Topps Baseball set, picturing Walt Bond.
Is 1960 Topps #552 a rookie card?
Yes - #552 is the 1960 Topps rookie card of Walt Bond.
Why is #552 harder to find?
It sits in the high-number series, #507-572, printed last and distributed late in the 1960 season when fewer packs were bought. Those 66 cards are the toughest run in the set and carry the twenty Sport Magazine All-Stars.
How many cards are in the 1960 Topps Baseball set?
572 cards, numbered 1-572, issued in seven series - the last Topps flagship printed entirely horizontally. Cards #375-440 exist on two back stocks, white and gray, which collectors chasing every printed variety count as 638 pieces of cardboard in all.
Sources: Trading Card Database, Cardboard Connection, the PSA price guide, Baseball-Reference, the SABR BioProject and the National Baseball Hall of Fame, PSA & SGC population reports. Card data compiled and maintained by T206Cards.com. Page last updated 2026-08-20.