Okay, so I’ve been on this kick lately, trying to find some unique sports gear. Specifically, I’ve been hunting down some older Denver Broncos stuff. My dad was a HUGE fan back in the day, and I wanted to snag something cool for his birthday.
So, I started digging around. My goal? A 2012 NFL Draft hat. I figured it would be a neat throwback piece. And I specifically wanted the one with “SMU” on it, representing the college where some players were drafted from.
The Search Begins
Man, this was tougher than I thought! I started by hitting up all the usual online stores. You know, the big-name sports retailers. Nothing. Plenty of current stuff, but no vintage 2012 hats.
Then I moved on to auction sites. I spent hours scrolling, looking at listings. I found a few 2012 draft hats, but none were quite right. Wrong team, wrong style, or just beat-up condition.
- I checked sport stores.
- I browsed onine auction.
- I compared a lot of hats.
Digging Deeper
I wasn’t giving up. I started looking at smaller, more specialized sports memorabilia sites. I figured these places might have more obscure items. I also started lurking in some online Broncos fan forums. I thought maybe someone there would have a lead, or even be willing to sell one.
Success (Finally!)
After what felt like forever, I finally struck gold! On a forum, someone mentioned a small online shop. I went the web, I typed the address, and I found It was a little hole-in-the-wall place, but they had a whole section of vintage NFL draft hats! And there it was: a Denver Broncos 2012 NFL Draft hat, with the SMU logo, in pretty good condition.
I added to cart. I paid it. And I did a little happy dance right there in my kitchen!
The Result
A few days later, the hat arrived. It was perfect! A little faded, but that just added to the vintage charm. My dad was absolutely thrilled when he opened it. He put it on immediately and, I swear, he hasn’t taken it off since. Mission accomplished!
It just shows that if I really try to find something, no matter how long it takes, eventually I am able to find it.
