Baseball cards have been a beloved hobby for generations, and YouTube has become a popular platform for collectors and fans to share their passion. On YouTube, you can find thousands of videos from collectors showing off their prized cards, breaking open unopened packs in search of rare finds, and discussing the history and value of different players, sets, and cards.
Some of the biggest baseball card YouTube channels have hundreds of thousands of subscribers and millions of video views. One of the earliest and most popular channels is Blowout Cards, which was created in 2007. The channel is run by professional sports card dealer Jeff Weber. Blowout Cards posts several new videos each week featuring pack breaks, collection tours, interviews with industry insiders, and educational content about the hobby. With over 450,000 subscribers, it’s one of the go-to destinations for baseball card fans on YouTube.
Another massive channel is TheCardMan87, run by collector and former minor league baseball player Adam Crawford. With over 300,000 subscribers, Crawford’s energetic and enthusiastic personality has made his channel a fan favorite. He’s known for his “Adam’s Card World” series where he shows off his massive collection that includes some of the rarest and most valuable baseball cards ever produced. Crawford also does regular unboxings of new and vintage packs in search of hits.
While Blowout Cards and TheCardMan87 focus more on the business and collecting side of cards, YouTube is also full of channels dedicated to the thrill of the hunt for rookie cards, autographs, and memorabilia cards in packs. Sportscard Radio is one of the pioneers of pack break videos, posting near daily group breaks with multiple boxes or cases of cards opened at once. Their videos are highly produced with on-screen graphics and music to build excitement during the reveals. Their videos regularly garner hundreds of thousands of views from fans hoping to live vicariously through the chase.
Beyond the big channels, YouTube is home to thousands of smaller collectors sharing their personal collections, unique finds, and the stories behind their cards. For example, the channel CardsmithTV is run by a collector named Dave who focuses on vintage 1960s and 1970s cards from sets like Topps, Kellogg’s, and Bazooka. In deep dive videos, he’ll examine condition, variations, and the history of specific players and sets in fascinating detail. For fans of obscure vintage cards, channels like this offer a wealth of knowledge.
YouTube has also given new life and popularity to many old and forgotten baseball card sets from the past. For example, the infamous 1989 Topps Baseball Highlights set featuring unique artwork on the cards saw a resurgence in interest and demand after breakers on YouTube started regularly featuring the set in pack rips. Seeing the animated and sometimes bizarre artwork revealed afresh sparked collectors’ curiosity. Now the set is one of the hottest modern vintage issues to chase.
The social aspect of YouTube has also created card collecting communities. Breakers and collectors congregate in the comments of videos to discuss pulls, trades, and the latest news in the hobby. Live group breaks bring the community together in real-time to experience the rush of the rip communally. During the pandemic, YouTube became an especially important social outlet and source of entertainment for isolated collectors.
In addition to current packs and boxes, YouTube has also fueled interest in vintage wax boxes which contain sealed packs from sets decades old. Seeing the thrill of unearthing untouched vintage cardboard from the 1960s, 70s, 80s and beyond satisfies nostalgia. And the chance of finding monumental rookie cards or rare chase cards in pristine sealed condition creates palpable excitement. Vintage group breakers like LuxuryCardBreaks and Steiner Sports are masters of the vintage box break genre.
While the hobby can be subject to trends and speculation at times, YouTube has proven a largely positive force for baseball cards. It has introduced new collectors and fans to the history and joy of the hobby while also preserving interest in older sets and players. Top collectors, breakers, and aficionados share their passion freely via video for the entertainment and education of the many fans who appreciate reliving baseball card nostalgia or learning about the intricacies of the pastime through YouTube.
