So Al害羞草研究所� I tried the gum.

A short while back, I pieced together a column on some of the world害羞草研究所檚 best smells.

Noted on the list was hockey card gum.

害羞草研究所淐ould be number one on the list,害羞草研究所� I said. 害羞草研究所淣ow, actually eating the shards of pink glass is another story.害羞草研究所�

Fast forward to last week, and an envelope arrived at the office. For me.

害羞草研究所淲onder what it is?害羞草研究所� I asked aloud, giving it a little shake and hearing a rattle. 害羞草研究所淔rom Chilliwack.害羞草研究所�

Inside was a nice letter from Al (last name withheld so folks don害羞草研究所檛 ask him for free stuff), which I admittedly didn害羞草研究所檛 read until after exclaiming 害羞草研究所渋t害羞草研究所檚 hockey cards!害羞草研究所� and inspecting my glorious and unexpected windfall.

There were two packs of unopened hockey cards from 1991-92.

害羞草研究所淣ot sure if there is any fragrance or not but they have been stored in a sealed container, thanks again for your column,害羞草研究所� wrote Al.

害羞草研究所淧.S. Don害羞草研究所檛 advise you chew the gum, LOL. However, a buddy of mine did and he survived.害羞草研究所�

It was indeed the gum that was the first thing I noticed.

Neither pack had the familiar intact stick of gum. The years had taken their toll, with one stick broken into a few shards and the one in the other pack shattered into 20-plus fragments.

害羞草研究所淪hould I try to chew it?害羞草研究所� I briefly wondered to myself, before turning back to the cards.

It was immediately like being a kid again, shuffling through hockey cards, looking for a hidden gem as I read their names out louds.

害羞草研究所淕ary Nylund; Patrik Sundstrom; ooh, a Gretzky award winner; Jacques Cloutier; Ron Hextall; Greg Adams (the card just said Greg Adams, but I saw the picture and said 害羞草研究所楪reg C. Adams害羞草研究所� out loud); ooh, a Kamensky rookie害羞草研究所�害羞草研究所� and on and on.

Of particular interest were a pair of 害羞草研究所楽oviets vs. NHL害羞草研究所� cards, of Andrei Kvartlanov and Igor Stelnov, a pair of names my mind thought it remembered but wasn害羞草研究所檛 sure.

Each had a piece of the gum essentially welded onto the front, and there was no getting it off.

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Pondering the chemicals involved in that process but noting it was still pink, I made the only rational decision.

I was going to chew some of it.

Not wishing to keel over alone, I summoned intrepid reporter Kevin Forsyth.

害羞草研究所淗ey Kevin, want to try some 30-year-old hockey card gum with me?害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所沦耻谤别.害羞草研究所�

We each selected our own little shard, and the experiment was on.

At first, there was no taste at all. There was certainly no hope of it doing gum-like things and allowing us to continue chewing.

害羞草研究所楰inda gets stuck up in the old molars,害羞草研究所� observed Kevin. 害羞草研究所淣ot bad. Just tastes like powder. Can害羞草研究所檛 chew it, so I might just have to eat it.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淣ah, don害羞草研究所檛 do that,害羞草研究所� I said, spitting the remains of the fragments into the garbage.

Kevin smartly had something on hand to drink, whereas I had to endure the aftertaste, which was somewhere between fresh hockey card gum and licking a rubber dish mat.

All in all, a delightful exercise.

It害羞草研究所檚 been years since I had the pleasure of shuffling through some packs of hockey cards. Talk about instantly transporting yourself back in time.

And it害羞草研究所檚 been even longer since I tried to chew hockey card gum. I害羞草研究所檒l probably ignore that bit of nostalgia moving forward.

If anyone else has some throwback items they害羞草研究所檇 like to send in, don害羞草研究所檛 hold back. Always happy to take a fun look back.

But I think my days of trying any food or drink items from more than three decades ago are done.

Thanks for the laughs, Al. Very much appreciated.

PQB News/VI Free Daily editor Philip Wolf welcomes your questions, comments and story ideas. He can be reached at 250-905-0029, or via email at philip.wolf@blackpress.ca.