Collecting Hidden Gems and Legendary Home Field Advantage
For Matt C, collecting isn’t just about the cards—it’s about the chase. As a lifelong sports fan, Matt’s journey into the hobby didn’t begin with baseball but hockey, which was fitting for a collector growing up in Canada. In the mid-2010s, he found himself immersed in the resurgence of hockey cards. But when his son’s love for baseball deepened, so did his own. In 2015, he made a bold decision: he sold off his entire hockey collection and shifted his focus exclusively to baseball.
That decision would ultimately define his collecting philosophy—focused, deliberate, and fueled by an insatiable desire to track down the hardest-to-find cards. He didn’t just want any baseball cards. He wanted the super short prints (SSPs), the cards that elude even the most seasoned collectors.
The Legendary Home Field Advantage Spark
Matt’s obsession with SSPs started with one iconic card: the 2022 Topps Baseball Series 1 Legendary Homefield Advantage #LHA1 Derek Jeter. The moment he saw it, he knew. “I said, ‘You know what? The hell with it. I’m selling everything and chasing the super short print stuff,’” he recalls.
Legendary Cards, indeed (📸 Matt C)
Matt’s approach to collecting was clear from that point forward. He wanted the hardest-to-find sets that required detective work, patience, and an unrelenting drive to track down. He dove headfirst into completing the Legendary Home Field Advantage set, acquiring every card released—except for the elusive 2023 Series 2 additions, which remain shrouded in mystery.
Despite his best efforts, only a handful of these 2023 SSPs have surfaced. He knows who owns the Mantle and the Sandberg, but beyond that, the checklist is a ghost. He’s spent over a year trying to pry the Mantle from its owner, but so far, no luck. And he’s not alone in the search. “I post on social media and stuff, and nobody can tell me who the other three are.”
Hidden Gems and the Thrill of Discovery
Some of Matt C’s precious Hidden Gems (📸 Matt C)
If the Legendary Home Field Advantage cards set Matt on his path, the Hidden Gems cemented his reputation as a relentless insert collector. These ultra-rare cards, scattered across 11 different Topps products and never formally listed in a checklist, became his next great pursuit.
When he learned about the Hidden Gems’ existence, he saw a chase unlike any other he’d encountered in The Hobby. “I love the mystery of it,” he says. “I love the fact that I had to do all the work to create the checklist.” As he pieced together each release, he realized just how scarce they were. “We’re coming up on two years since the first five were released, and I still haven’t seen another Trout or Alonso.”
Matt’s dedication to this set goes beyond just completing it—he’s the only collector with a fully-graded Hidden Gems set, which he confirmed through pop reports. “Every single pop one you see on there, it’s mine.”
The Hunt Never Ends
What drives Matt isn’t just the thrill of owning rare cards—it’s the pursuit itself. He doesn’t buy boxes. He doesn’t chase the hottest rookies. He scours online forums and social media, constantly searching for the missing pieces to his puzzles.
For him, it’s about solving mysteries, uncovering overlooked treasures, and outmaneuvering an industry that thrives on scarcity. His collection isn’t built on luck but on knowledge, patience, and an unparalleled eye for what’s truly rare.
The Collector’s Eye
Ask Matt about his favorite cards, and he has no hesitation. From the Legendary set, his top picks include Jeter (“the first in the set”), Clemente (“the first I acquired”), and Babe Ruth (“the last one I needed”). That final card held a special irony—it was one of only two cards he ever bought from a seller in Canada. Everything else had come from the U.S.
For Hidden Gems, he highlights Jackson Chourio and Paul Skenes, two players he believes will be future stars, along with Trout and Alonso—because they remain the rarest of the rare. “They were part of the first five released, and I’ve never seen another one.”
A Legacy in the Making
For all his success in collecting SSP insert sets, Matt’s collection is not always recognized as the collecting achievement it is. Oftentimes, dealers don’t know what he’s holding when he pulls out his case. “I go to shows and ask for Legendary Home Field Advantage or Hidden Gems, and they look at me like I have three heads,” he laughs. “Even the dealers don’t know what they are.”
That, he believes, will change with time. “In 20 years, people will realize these cards don’t surface. This will be one of those sets that everyone’s chasing.”
Matt isn’t just collecting—he’s curating a slice of hobby history, one SSP at a time. For him, the greatest thrill isn’t in owning these cards; it’s in knowing that he hunted them down when few were chasing them. And that’s what makes his collecting journey legendary.
