All of the advice so far is good advice. I would re-emphasize that you should collect what you enjoy. From day 1 in collecting I realized I didn't particularly care about completing sets. I have always been a variety type of person so I am a type collector. Don't worry so much about cards that are graded, or not, but if you spend serious money (to you) then the graded route is a bit safer, at least at first. There are millions of ideas and ways to collect so pick what you enjoy and move forward, slowly
. If you move too fast you might burn out. BTW, it's ok to think about the money aspect of it all but I wouldn't dwell too much on it. You want to make smart decisions but when you see something you really need, and it's rarely seen, then that is the time to pick it up. I have rarely regretted paying a bit more than I want to for something I really want. You could probably spend the next year reading old archives on this board....and we do have an archive section in the upper right of the screen. Good luck!!