I didn't start until 1997, but there have been leaps & bounds improvements since then. Cramming as many NO bulbs (with the sweet 1/2 PVC reflector) into the hood to keep sofites, a canister filter and a biowheel. Later was I introduced to the advanced filtration of a Lee's airstone driven skimmer. And when the Seaclone skimmer came out, man that was some NASA stuff right there! I had a condylactis that hosted my clownfish (and I had 3 species in a 58g, but now that I know better that doesn't work anymore). I saw a MH retro kit in a magazine for $100ish, I got that and thought I was king of the reef world (it was only later that I got confirmation).
I remember one of the shops in town was a longtime FW breeder with a small SW section, Charles at Bixby Fisheries. You were either on his bad side or his good side, I lucked out. He had a very small storefront, with the larger part of his location in the back where he bred and quarrantined. SW critters had 2 weeks back there before making it to the front. I was allowed to roma back there and it was about as cool as it got. I ordered my first tank from him (58g Oceanic) and I can remember him on the CompuServe forum cursing Eric Borneman's stupidity. Charles got me reading off the bat and even gave me the setup I needed for that first NO retro in the canopy my Dad and I built. He was the only person I've met who truly had the creature's best interest first yet still managed to make a success of it.