Vintage cards are older cards from a previous era of card production — though the exact cutoff depends on who you ask. Most collectors and grading companies define vintage as cards produced in 1979 or earlier, though some extend the boundary into the early '80s.
Vintage collecting is a deep, rich corner of the hobby that connects you directly to baseball history. You're holding cards that were produced decades ago, featuring legends of the game on cardboard that's survived wars, attics, shoeboxes, and rubber bands.
Condition is paramount in vintage — finding high-grade vintage cards is genuinely difficult, which is why well-preserved examples command enormous premiums. If you love the history of the game as much as the cards themselves, vintage collecting is where the hobby gets truly special.