This is a topic that could be a book. But a quick personal observation is that the social aspect has changed. Before eBay we would all make efforts to meet at local shows, in Las Vegas and at our homes. Trading was the main source of geting new strikes after winning them. Gary Heinz and Ralph Bjornson and I would have great times doing tailgate parites swapping strike for strike and knowing that value was relative to getting the missing strike in a series. Email, not eBay was a primary source of connecting with people and then you would meet face to face at the Convention. It was great fun. It was different. Very few catalogs were available so the chance of finding a great piece at a flea market or pawn shop or casino cage or a coin shop was not only possible but probable. Many have great stories to tell of the steal or the deal. I have found some great strikes prior to eBay in the oddest places and also let some go right off a table that I had missed and a sharper eye saw. But, things change, so to say it was better is sour grapes. It was different, but we now have the Silver Strikers Club and so many more people and it is a trade off. People come and go, as in all hobbies, but I have made some of the best friends of my life since I started collecting Silver Strikes, so it was great before eBay, but it is still great after eBay....Peter