For me, I'd say access to cards in general. When I started collecting, I was about 8-9 years old and besides packs at the local grocer that i could bike to myself, I was dependent on my parents to drive me somewhere or help me order through the mail. I had access to the newest cards in packs myself and that was it.
I don't just mean driving to a store though, obviously. There weren't any card shops or shows I was even aware of within a reasonable driving distance from me. I would get to stop by Pacific Trading Cards every so often when we'd visit my sister. I would also sometimes get to go to the Pike Place Market and there were a few shops in there or close by. That was my experience, along with TCMA and Renata Galasso catalogs.
Ebay and the internet opened up the world and changed my collecting and by that time, I was also an adult and even had a little extra spending money. Of course by that time, the types of cards available had also exploded. Inserts, autographs, memorabilia, etc.
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Looking for: Unique Steve Garvey items, select Dodgers Postcards & Team Issue photos
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