How about:

Trying to convince a dealer to let you into their stockroom to record a list of their retired pieces that could be shared with "Retired at Retail".

Straining your neck trying to read flag#'s that were not facing you in the display case.

How about mailing that first big money order for hundreds of dollars to a complete stranger on the other side of the country not knowing if you would ever get what you paid for.

Carrying a list of dealers by state in your car just in case you may be in their area some day.

Finding a very valuable HL at retail at a dealer who found it in the back of the stockroom and just put it on the shelf. Remember keeping the poker face until you cleared the store and then yelled, "YEEEEESSSSS!!!!!"

Bob