How hard was it to find new Topps series in 1950s, '60s and early '70s?

[saltire]

From 1969 to 1973 (age 8 to 13), I bought the bulk of my cards from the local "Medicine Mart Party Store" on Wayne Road in Westland, MI.

As I recall, they were great at stocking each series but without a doubt in smaller quantities towards the 6th and 7th. By that time, most kids heads were turning towards the winter sports seasons and the new hockey, football and basketball sets that were hitting the shelves. Fortunately, there were 3 or 4 other kids in my class in school who were avid baseball collectors, so between us we always knew when the next series was in stock and raided the store appropriately.

I also have memories of Kresge's at Westland Mall stocking 1969T 7th series cards early in the 1970 season. I still had a few un-ticked boxes on my 7th series checklist and snapped up a buck's worth (10 packs) to finish off my '69 set.

March was ALWAYS an exciting time waiting to see what the new season's cards would look like and which Tigers would be included in the 1st series. Remember, there was no internet or ads or previews of any kind, so you had no idea what you were getting until you ripped open that very first pack of the season.

Good times!