For me it was 1999. I went on a big spree of collecting Mark Grace cards and was able to pick up stuff that shops didn't have. From there I started going for vintage cards and loved that I could find any card I wanted on the internet. Around the time of 98-99 the card shops by me only focused on the newest cards and packs and the hope of the ever elusive "chase card". I only have 1 shop within a few miles of me but I can get whatever I want with a mouse click instead of taking a crap shoot and usually losing by walking in the doors of the shop. Prices are better on the net because there is a low overhead
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