The first mail order dealer who helped me get started was Kit Young. He always had a lot of material in his SCD ads and he was very hands on. He would take my order and spend a good deal of time answering my questions. I remember buying my first 52 Topps high number from him, and then asked the beginner's question of did he know of anyone who had ever completed a 52 Topps set
There were others I bought from before Kit but he was the first that made me feel like a real collector.