[nine_k]

You could find anything, but mostly by chance. Looking for a particular thing was hard.

And, of course, you had to allocate 2-3 hours for the adventure, and traveling there and back again.

[mirimir]

Sure, but people spend at least that much time browsing random stuff. Also, many stores did organize their collections, at least somewhat.

When I was ~13, discovering New York City, I found a copy of Fortunes in Formulas for Home, Farm, and Workshop. And an ad in a comic book for a chemical company in Texas that sold fireworks supplies. Years of fun followed.