1976 Topps #535 Dave Nelson
About Dave Nelson
Dave Nelson's 1975 with Texas was limited by injury: he stole six bases in the first 11 games, then reinjured his ankle sliding into second against the Royals on April 19. He finished at .212 in 28 games. The Rangers sent him to Kansas City for Nelson Briles after the season. His 1976 Topps card, #535, shows him as a Royal, the club he played 78 games for that year.
David Earl Nelson was born June 20, 1944, in Fort Sill, Oklahoma, and starred in football, baseball, basketball and track at Junipero Serra High School in Gardena, California, before playing at Compton Junior College and Los Angeles State College. Signed by Cleveland Indians scout Bob Mattick, he climbed the minor-league ladder as a prolific base stealer and reached the majors with Cleveland in 1968, earning a spot on the Topps Major League Rookie All-Star Team at second base. He played for the Washington Senators in 1970 and 1971, then moved with the franchise to Texas as it became the Rangers, shifting to third base and then back to second. His best year came in 1973, when he hit .286, stole 43 bases and made his only All-Star Game appearance. He spent the 1976-77 seasons with the Kansas City Royals, reaching the postseason in the 1976 ALCS. Nelson later coached and broadcast in the majors for decades, including as Milwaukee Brewers first base coach, before his death in 2018.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 125 | 14 | 53 | 48 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
Graded population — a scarcity guide, not a price. Data as of 2026-10-19. Half grades fold down for both graders (8.5→8); PSA qualified slabs (OC, ST, PD, MC and the like) are not counted.
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Team card: #236 Kansas City Royals Team
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- #194 1975 AL Home Run Leaders
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Frequently asked questions
What is the 1976 Topps #535 card?
It is card #535 of the 660-card 1976 Topps Baseball set, picturing Dave Nelson of the Kansas City Royals.
How many cards are in the 1976 Topps Baseball set?
660 cards, numbered 1 through 660 with none skipped and printed in equal quantities as a single series. No card carries a catalogued print variation, so the base set and the master set are the same 660 cards.
Sources: Trading Card Database, PSA CardFacts, BaseballCardPedia, Cardboard Connection, Baseball Almanac, 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 2026-10-25.