By Amar Shah

No matter where Matt Huber was—whether in a war-torn country where there was no electricity or internet or in the middle of the night—he would always get his bids in.

“I was up all night bidding on a Joe Tinker autograph,” Huber says. “And my boss said, ‘Matt, you look so tired. What's the matter?’ I said I was up all night bidding on baseball autograph auctions. And he kind of rolled his eyes and said, ‘My goodness, you're crazy.’”

Being overseas, Matt would bid into the early morning hours of most auctions on an array of signed memorabilia, setting his sights on getting as many rare Hall of Fame autographs as possible.

For nearly 40 years, Huber lived in places most people only read about in headlines—war-torn Kosovo, post-earthquake Haiti, and the conflict zones of Afghanistan, South Sudan, and Yemen. His life’s work was devoted to humanitarian aid, bringing clean water and stability to communities devastated by crisis.

Yet, there’s no place like home. No matter how far he traveled or how unstable his surroundings, Huber always carried a piece of it with him: baseball autographs.

Now, as he prepares to retire and return to the United States, Huber is parting with the priceless memorabilia collection he spent a lifetime building—one last homecoming before he starts the next chapter of his life.

A Ty Cobb signed photo and a Christy Mathewson signed check are two of the notable items from Matt Huber's expansive collection

Huber’s love of baseball began in Pennsylvania, where he once dreamed of becoming a professional ballplayer.

“When we were kids, my father used to take us down to Connie Mack Stadium and Memorial Stadium,” Huber says. “Connie Mack Stadium was in Philadelphia, and Memorial Stadium was in Baltimore. After the games, we would hang around by the locker rooms and get players’ autographs.”

Very often, he would hang out by the visitors' locker room and get signatures from the opposing team. One of those teams was the Oakland Athletics.

“I remember going to an American League playoff game at Memorial Stadium where the Orioles were playing the A’s. And after the game, all the A’s came out and these were the heroes of the day: Reggie Jackson, Catfish Hunter, Rollie Fingers. I also remember Sal Bando and Dick Green. They were all coming out, and they were all signing. We also got Vida Blue, and that was one of my memorable childhood experiences.”

That tradition continued at Veterans Stadium, where Huber and his brother collected signatures from some of baseball’s biggest names. Eventually, he transitioned to through-the-mail autograph collecting, sending letters to his favorite players in hopes of receiving a signed photo or baseball card in return.

But life had other plans for him. Five days after graduating from college, Huber left the country for good.

In 1985, he joined the Peace Corps and was stationed in Haiti. His work was simple yet essential: drilling wells, planting trees, and creating access to clean water in remote villages.

The problem? 

“It was difficult to continue my collections from Haiti because I was living in a village with no electricity and no running water,” Huber said. “So I couldn't do any bidding in auctions or anything.”

Despite this, his passion never faded. Over the next four decades, he worked in countries often defined by conflict and instability. And yet, even in these extreme environments, Huber found ways to keep baseball close.

It was a balancing act—humanitarian work by day, chasing autographs by night.

Through years of living in conflict zones, baseball remained his tether to normalcy. Huber spent his time scouring auctions, placing bids, and tracking down rare signatures from Hall of Famers.

“I have a lot of autographs from people that aren’t that common,” Huber says.

One of the most notable pieces in his collection is a Christy Mathewson signed check. And while his collection features numerous autographs from legends like The Christian Gentleman, it also includes items by more obscure, yet accomplished Hall of Fame players from the 19th century such as Joe “Iron Man” McGinnity, “Smiling Mickey” Welch, and Amos Rusie.

Huber's collection also features a Tris Speaker signed real-photo postcard and a 1948 W464 Baseball's Great Hall of Fame Exhibits Grover Alexander

Some of Huber’s most treasured items include a postcard signed by Sam Thompson, one of baseball’s earliest stars, along with a rare framed 1929 Cubs team photo signed by Rogers Hornsby, Hack Wilson, and Charlie Grimm, among others.

While many pieces of his collection were obtained through auction houses, some hold a special place for Huber because he was able to secure an autograph directly from the player. One such piece is a Roberto Clemente signature that he received from the late Pirates legend after a Phillies game in Philadelphia. He also attended a Phillies Old Timers game where he was able to get a signature from Hall of Fame pitcher Lefty Grove.

But it’s the ones that got away that still haunt him.

“There were a couple times when Josh Gibson [signed items] came up for auction, and just went so expensive that I couldn't get it,” Huber says. “Pop Lloyd came up and I just couldn't bid. King Kelly came up on a ticket stub that he had signed, but I couldn’t get that one. I just got priced out of the market.”

As Huber transitions back to life in the US, he’s preparing to part with his collection and will be selling the items as part of several upcoming REA events, starting with the Spring Catalog Auction that opens on April 11. A number of additional highlights will be offered in REA’s Summer Catalog Auction in conjunction with the National Sports Collectors Convention in July. 

“Every time I came home, I was criticized because I spent more time going through my Hall of Fame autograph collection,” Huber says. “I would spend hours in the storage space that I rented. So my family said, ‘You're coming home to see us, but you don’t spend any time with us, Matt, because you’re spending all the time with the autographs.’”

His mother, who once thought he was crazy for collecting autographs, may now finally see it for what it is—an investment, a lifetime passion, and a love letter to baseball. Huber hopes the auction proceeds will help fund his return to the U.S.

Now, as he sells his collection and moves back, one thing is certain: home is where your collection is.

Amar Shah is a multiple Emmy-winning writer and producer who has written for ESPN.com, NFL.com, The Wall Street Journal, The Orlando Sentinel, Sports Illustrated for Kids, Slam Magazine and The Washington Post. In the 90s, Amar was a teen sports reporter and got to hang out with the Chicago Bulls during their golden era. He even landed on the cover for Sports Illustrated for Kids with Shaquille O’Neal. His debut novel "The Hoop Con" is now available with Scholastic. You can order it here:  https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-hoop-con-amar-shah/1143287376?ean=9781338840315