How to find the commons.

[steve B]

It takes a lot of looking. When the cards are actually hard to get it takes even longer.
If you want a specific card

Regularly searching Ebay.
Asking here.
Going to shows and asking dealers.

Being willing to pay a bit extra to finally add that one card.

Even some really common cards can take a while.
I didn't make an all out effort, but I needed Jose Canseco to finish my 88 Topps set. It had been a somewhat better card, so it was never in big lots I'd buy. But it had gotten "cold" in the market, slid to the dollar box, then to less. Usually the old no longer selling dollar box "out back"
Everyone was sure they had it. But even offering $2 for what was then a 25 cent card wasn't enough for anyone to go dig it out.
Yes, I could have bought a complete set for something like $10 but where's the fun in that?
It took around 2 years I think but I did finally find one.