Sometimes you can get great pulls in the most unlikely places.

So those of you who know me from the boards I frequent, know that I'm a big fan of the "alternatives" when it comes to hockey cards. Being in a town where the only two small hobby shops (both having limited selection when it comes to boxes) are a half hour drive away, I tend to seek out other ways to get my fix. What you also know if you know me from the boards, is that I seem to have pretty good luck in these places. Here's a few of them, along with some of my more memorable pulls.


GAS STATION:

Once the lock-out ended, and the hobby started gaining momentum again, the local gas stations started carrying hockey cards. So since then, I've been picking up a few packs along with my fill-up. Some of my more noteable pulls have been:

05-06 UD Crosby RC
06-07 UD Malkin RC
07-08 UD Carey Price RC

On top of these, I've also pulled countless RCs, many game-used and more inserts than I know what to do with.


DOLLAR STORE:

In Canada, we have a chain of bargain stores called A Buck Or Two, and they often carry various products from various years, mainly 03-04 Pacific products. These are usually a steal, mostly at 2 bucks a pack, and you often get some decent stuff (at least, if you get there before the pack feelers). Here's what I've gotten over the years:

03-04 Parkhurst Original 6 NY Ed Giacomin Auto
03-04 Parkhurst Original 6 NY Phil Esposito GU
03-04 Pacific Vincent Lecavalier Auto
02-03 PS Reserve Rick Nash RC
02-03 PS Reserve Henrik Zetterberg RC

Aside from cards, the dollar store also has other hockey stuff. I've been able to add to my Maple Leafs collection including bobbleheads, pucks, die casts, and mini jerseys.


THRIFT STORE:

OK, so cards aren't usually found here, but the local thrift store is often a great place to find Jerseys, pucks, toys, and other hockey-related items.

Allow myself to introduce... myself...

Hey, I'm Al! I'm 23 from Sudbury, ON and this is my hobby blog.

Well, now that that's over with, let's talk about my little blog here. Being a hockey fan, pretty much all of my collecting habits revolve around hockey. I collect different types of cards at different times, but I'm always looking for these:

Steve Sullivan
Jeremy Williams
Toronto Maple Leafs

I do a whole bunch of online trading, and can be found on www.ultimatecardboard.com, www.hobbyinsider.net, and www.sportscardforum.com. On all three sites, my user name is sullivan_fan.

Anyways, this blog will be my way of talking about my favorite hobby, I'll talk about my sweet pulls, my latest maildays, my thrift store/ yard sale/ dollar store steals, as well as any beefs I might have with Upper Deck, Beckett.com, and the likes. I'll also throw in a few random blogs about the Leafs and NHL in general, as well as some tidbits regarding my Through The Mail (TTM) autograph campaign.

So I hope you enjoy, and don't be afraid to let me know what you think.