@ Robm: Just a couple of hints for a beginner.
If you have a stamp store near you be aware that you can almost certainly pick up decent used albums at a fraction of the cost of new.
In catalogs the prices listed are those that a professional dealer will probably charge you for a stamp. This price includes the cost of doing business. So it is always wise to check on what collectors are actually paying in the completed listings at
ebay, etc, or stamp auctions.