For instance all but the most smallest of towns had actual record shops who held a certain level of stock including all the current releases and could order up any 'back catalogue' items thing still available new but not the biggest sellers, for you.
In addition there were mail order outfits which you usually subscribed to a years catalogue and update list which you used to fill out a order form making sure you made clear what to do if any items wasn't available and enclosing a money order or cheque.
Two examples I can remember in the UK were Cob Records and Adrian's in Essex that had massive catalogues covering titles from the UK and all over the world many of which in the smaller towns you'd never see.
One smaller outfit based in Telford, Shropshire was Oldies Unlimited who tended to specialize more in 45's (or singles to Brits) and one thing they quite a few of was special packages of so many singles by named artists that were a very cheap way of establishing your collection.
Recently I received a similar style pack in the mail from eil.com who aren't generally the cheapest place for stuff although they have monthly promotions that help in the same vein.
This was a pack of five singles for the UK market by the female rock singer Belinda Carlisle all mint unplayed copies in their original picture sleeves for just over £10
The titles included were Leave A Light On, La Luna and Summer Rain from her Runaway Horses album, Little Black Book from the Live Your Life, Be Free album and finally Big Scary Animal from belindacarlsilereal which came out in 1993 when vinyl singles sales started falling.
I liked her music an awful lot but bought albums on cd mainly back then so I was glad to get this set cheaply.
This is the cover of Big Scary Animal as issued in Europe:
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