At flea markets and antique shops - I ALWAYS ASK.
Sometimes they have stuff piled so high - you won't see 'em if you're looking. At swap meets... after asking - people have gone into their RV's and pulled things out, saying, "Oh... you mean like this??"

And same here - I have had people bring things the following week... I leave my card. At antique shops, I am so persistent, they finally call me at home to tell me, "I wanted to give you first crack at so-and-so."

Many times your search will produce nothing. But as many on this Board know... one shopping trip produced at funny colored "One-Armed Bandit" chip (he was SO cute - and is in someone's Nevada .10c collection now ) worth more than I could have imagined. Your "first find" is EXCITING... of course... so is the second... and the third... and the big ones and the little ones...

JUST HAVE FUN and GOOD LUCK!!
I picked up these at the local ghetto-meet yesterday (we have a depressed economy here... most the time I'm lucky to find an interlocking orphan