So I am looking on ebay and amazon for the expansions in the first cycle and I am finding that are really expensive(>$50 for the Search for Gollum for example). Is this common for the older expansions or am I just not looking hard enough?

FFG likes to wait to do their LCG reprints, so some subset of expansions will always be out of stock at any given time (and therefore pricey on Amazon, etc.). The first two cycles especially seem to go in and out of availability pretty frequently. But, they will keep reprinting them. Looks like the first cycle is currently awaiting reprint. If you can wait probably 2-6 months, they will be back in stock at normal prices.

check sites like miniaturemarket.com or thewarstore.com. idk if they have those cycles you're looking for, but they've plenty of LOTR LCG stuff

There's also an LotR facebook page and sometimes people are selling their collection.

Yeah, don't pay those kind of prices. They will get reprinted eventually. Second hand collections are also a good way to go.