I would like to purchase a vintage bamboo rod for fishing. What are some of the better brands/models/lengths that are of a reasonable cost?

How much do you want to spend, and what length do you want?

Shorter rods have more value.

Not according to Carmen Electra and Pamela Anderson.

First choose the fish you plan to cast to. Determine the fly size needed for the fish, which in turn will choose the fly line & thus the rod needed. There are some good beginner rods; as some folks just don't like the s-l-o-w pace of casting & fishing cane; so won't want a high $$$$$$+ Garrison rod. Small streams are more fun with shorter rods, rivers with bigger & longer rods. Long rods are also preferred for nymph fishing as long as there's not to much brush in the undercover along a streambank. There's old H & I, Grangers, Heddons, Montys, etc. for $$$ that are still great cane fishing rods; but there's also Orvis, T & T, Leonards, Paynes, etc for $$$$ & more that might be more suitable for the R & R

Why vintage? you could purchase a very nice new bamboo rod with the same taper as one of the mentioned -Garrison- leonard-payne etc , try looking for A.J. Thramer, he has some fine replicas you wont be scared to fish with. G/luck

The South Bend 290 is a desirable rod. They sell on ebay for about $3-400. Its a 7 1/2' 5/6 wt 2 pc. Its counterpart in 4 pc is the 291, its sell for slightly less. Orvis rods sell at a reasonable price ( a $K or so) because there is so many of them.