My observations from going to these sales since 2006:
- They’ve definitely evolved over the years; back then they sold used and newish gear for pretty low prices but there wasn’t a lot of it so you did have to go early if you wanted something in particular. Nowadays there is a LOT of equipment available (especially gloves and pants this year) but the prices aren’t ultra low so you are paying a bit for the novelty of having “pro” level stuff (someone mentioned practice jerseys for $100). That said, things like skates and sticks can cost $$$ at retail so there are probably some bargains still to be had. Also, some items were marked down from previous years, you just had to dig around and find them (there were at least one pair of Backlund CCM gloves for $25, same as last year).
- The best deals IMO are the locker room clothing for $10 — I managed to snag a players hoodie (they ones the players wore last year for press conferences ets) for $10 even though they retailed for over $100.
- New this year is that they gave season ticket holders early access; you can debate that if you want but there was still a LOT of equipment available by 9:30 when the doors were first opened to the general public. It sounds like that stuff may have gotten picked over pretty fast (especially the gloves), and yes, by then most of the $10 clothing had been snapped up.
- Depending on what your expectations are, hopefully it’s a good experience for everyone who attends and they are able to find something worthwhile. At the very least, the Fan Attic is 35% off, which is more than what season ticket holders normally get during the year.
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