This was mid-late 1879s. No Internet and lots of older, neighborhood record stores that didn't return stock, and you could literally pick an area, look in the Yellow Pages and leisurely walk in and say howdy. LPs at old prices? Howdy!
Also, "collectors" were not really out in force then. So finding stuff like this was something you could look forward too, not unlike fishing, just be patient and know where the good spots are.
Different world.