Given Collection Started In 1948 - Some Stamps Go Back To The 1880-S

.....and I'm new. Trying to figure out stamps from China, Japan and India is almost impossible. With China, it's the same stamp with different characters, overprints on top of overprints, etc. I've attached a few examples. India is even worse trying to decipher.

What's the best way to start trying to figure out truly foreign stamps like these without spending a fortune?

What do you want to do with the stamps? If you're interested in collecting, the way is slowly to teach yourself, via the web, stamp catalogues etc.

for the Chinese stamps, if (I know, not easiest if) you can find the un-overprinted stamp in the Scott catalog, there will be a footnote below the series it belongs to that lists all the different overprints

It could be right in front of your nose.
Try using this forum's "search" facility, or, use Google's search by image option.
That will generally satisfy c80% of stamp ID queries,

Start with a simple text string "China ID" in our search box.

You also do not mention what Catalogue you employ.
Your last stamp
Sc# 615 1945 A57 10c on $20 on 03c surcharge claret
First Stamp
Sc#531 1943 A45 20c on 13c surcharge
Last Orange
Sc#313 1932 A40 1c orange chen ying shih
Penultimate Orange
Sc#713 1946 A40 $10 on 01c surcharge
Second Orange
North east Provinces
Sc#6 1946 A40 01c Opt north east provinces
First Orange
north china
Issued under Japanese Occupation
Sc#8N1 1942 A40 0.5c on 1c surcharge

Welcome to the forum and the hobby. Use the search function for all of your questions - What catalog, how to display, which albums, stock pages, tools, work area, literature, etc. This forum has a wealth of free info. Once you read a few topics, I am sure that you will have other questions. At some point ask away. Good luck.

Ok, thanks for the advice. I have lots of research to do.