By now, if you’re a vintage collector, surely you have moved beyond just buying in person at shows, right? RIGHT?? Or maybe eBay is your online go-to? They are tough to beat for inventory, for sure. But there are so many good places to shop online, that I bet even an online-savvy collector can pick up a few more tricks and tips.

So here’s a quick, Cardhound-approved list of some of the best places to buy vintage baseball cards online. Enjoy!

Before considering online buying or selling, it will be a good idea to check out other Cardhound resources such as this one on online safety, this one about packing and shipping, or this overview of 5 things you need to know before shopping for vintage cards online.

• Disclosure: A few Cardhound advertisers are listed below–none paid for a spot or mention here, nor does Cardhound have any sort of affiliate agreements with any business listed herein. 

Massive Online Marketplaces

First up, the big players–these are just a few of several massive marketplaces, all of which feature huge inventory, vetted sellers (mostly), and solid return processes:

eBay

eBay is still king of the hill. eBay remains one of the largest and most diverse online marketplaces for buying vintage baseball cards. Whether you’re looking for a rare card or looking for those last few pesky commons to finish your ’71 set, eBay has millions of listings from trusted sellers. The auction format allows you to potentially snag a great deal, while its vast network ensures a range of options for every budget.

COMC (Check Out My Collectibles)

COMC is a unique marketplace for buying, selling, and trading baseball cards, including vintage. They are also a huge consignment seller. The platform offers a huge inventory of cards. You can filter by year, team, player, or even specific grading company. It’s an excellent place for both novice collectors and serious enthusiasts.

Beckett Marketplace

Beckett is a well-known name in the sports card world, particularly for its card grading services. Its online marketplace is a decent go-to resource for buying vintage baseball cards. Beckett offers both raw and graded cards, with a reputation for quality and a variety of sellers. You’ll find a wide selection of cards across different eras and price points.

MySlabs

If you’re into graded cards specifically, check out MySlabs. They definitely skew a bit modern, but have a reliable platform and decent inventory of vintage.

Direct from Collector

If all of the bureaucracy, rules, and fees aren’t your thing, you can try some good, old-fashioned but higher-tech peer-to-peer methods for buying vintage baseball cards online. There is a bit more risk, but also a more direct connection to other collectors. 

Facebook / Social Media

Facebook is loaded with great vintage groups. I help admin the largest such group, Vintage Baseball Cards, and it features an eclectic mix of just about everything from prewar to 1980’s commons. But there are also specialty groups for just about every hobby niche. For example, I run a group focused specifically on Negro League collectibles. If you are looking to finish a popular set, there are even groups devoted to 1971 Topps, for example.

Cardhound Classifieds

Cardhound is currently building a fun Classifieds marketplace. Here, you are buying only from registered Cardhound members, and our roster features many A-list collectors and sellers. It will take a while to grow this page, but you can help by Joining Cardhound and listing your own inventory. Coming soon as of this writing: all members–even Basic tier–will soon have the ability to list Classifieds for sale.

Auction Houses

There are dozens of large auction houses that specialize in vintage. These are best for higher-end, rare, or unique items. All charge some sort of buyer’s premium (often up to 20%) so do the math as you do your bidding. In terms of “bigger” auction houses, a couple of my personal favorites are REA and LOTG (Love of the Game).

Even if you collect something very specific, you might find an auction house that meets your needs. I collect Cuban cards of Negro League players and recently have been dabbling in Japanese vintage. Enter Cuban Baseball Auctions and Prestige Collectibles (Japanese vintage).

Try a Vintage Break!

If you aren’t shopping for anything in particular and like the rush of a big hit, join a vintage break and test your luck for a ’54 Hank or another monster. In a break, you buy a “spot” (or more) and you win a random card from the break list. So in a ’54 set you might hit Hank or Ernie or Al. But you could also hit Ray (Jablonski) Ferris (Fain) or Paul (MinneI). I entered my first break this year, and it was a lot of fun (though I did not strike it rich). A couple of Cardhound regulars run fantastic vintage break businesses. For a fantastic experience check out T206cards.com or Burl’s Sports.

What Are Your Go-Tos?

If you have go-to online platforms that should be added to the “Best Places to Buy Vintage Baseball Cards Online” list, drop suggestions in the comments!