Hmmm...  Well first welcome to JediDefender.com of course.

As far as how you learn to collect, you really only learn this hobby by jumping in and getting your hands dirty.  If you want everything, you just start looking and buying everything you want as you're financially capable.  Issues of grading figures on your own are simply learned by experience...  You pick the pegs over till you find the quality you want or as near as you can find.  If you want to upgrade it down the road because of a "flaw" you try to do so...

Grading modern figures I liken to putting expensive rims on a $2000.00 car.  Also "you can't polish a turd" comes to mind as an applicable phrase...  So going to a company like AFA to grade your POTF2 Green Card Luke Stormtrooper just isn't smart collecting IMO...

I personally don't view card grading as a smart investment for vintage collecting either.  I collected vintage since I was in my teens and for me I prefer using my own eye, hands, and knowledge of the vintage hobby to grade toys rather than relying on the flawed opinions of companies like AFA or whatever that other one is that you mentioned.  Those people half-ass the effort and  you pay more for someone to basically "do the hobby" for you.

If you want to be IN the hobby, especially vintage, you look at the free vintage resources on the net like stuff Gus Lopez has up for instance...  You learn what's good, what's fake, and whatnot...  You hang out at a good vintage forum, and might I say that our vintage forum has very knowledgeable guys like our own forum mod DSJ (Dale) there to give advice.

Vintage is something you have to maybe read up on more to really learn it, but modern you pick up mostly just by visiting a site like here at JD.com and get involved in the community...

Bare in mind too that "C9+" varies by every dealer/seller...  One guy may think a C9+ Vintage Loose 3PO is one that when you move his limbs you hear the snap of the paint sealed on the plastic...  Others may say that just a 3PO without flaws on the gold and whose limbs don't flop around loosely is C9+...

And worrying about what's "rare" isn't wise unless you're looking to get into something for financial reasons...  With vintage, rares will pop right up when you start looking at what stuff's selling for on Ebay...  When you see the difference between what a Hoth Soldier sells for compared to Amanaman, or how a Luke Skywalker sells against a double telescoping saber Luke Skywalker.

With modern, buying based on value probably just isn't going to earn a lot of friends in the hobby...  Collecting because you really want this stuff though, that's what the community is all about.  And not to mention that what's "rare" in the modern line is generally not actually rare, and it's more just something that will decrease in value real fast down the road.  Thank God...  I like the hobby not having value.  That makes me feel less dirty. 

Target DPCI # has surfaced for one of the upcoming Battle Packs...

087-06-0863 - Skirmish At The Senate Battlepack - $19.99

The Skirmish At The Senate sounds like it could be kind of cool, but hard to say what may come packed in there.  If it's Yoda, Palpy, and 3 Shocktroopers then count me in for a set.   Don't need 2 of those, but I'd like 3 shocktroopers.

Anyway, there ya go guys...  Keep it handy.  I always keep a list of these in my wallet incase I'm out.

I've not seen much of any Battle of the Bulge figures around Nirvana, did you see BotB or Japanese out your way?

The only Bulge figures I saw was a single closed coat German (Series 1) and a Jeep Driver who lingers because that figure simply sucks butt hard.

The Japanese figures I got were simply by the gracious Ryan helping me out if I recall.  I've never seen a Japanese figure in person, series 1 or 2.  Never seen the series 2 German Battle of the Bulge figures either.

Now Marines...  There's a bunch at Wal-Mart in Delmont and Wal-Mart in Kittanning.  No shortage of Leathernecks here that's for sure.  Sucks because I really would rather have Bulge and Japanese figures.   I don't even have a complete Japanese set at this point.

Oh and no Series 3 Marine repaints either...  This sucks.

Hopefully the Twins are still shipping indeed...  I know many around here haven't gotten sets yet.  They were OUTRAGEOUS at the Toy Show a couple weekends ago here.  They seemed to really come and go.  Fortunately my vigilant mother spotted the LAST set at the WM nearest to me while she had the cats to the vet.  It's good getting SW for X-Mas.

I hope for my local buddy's sakes that they are shipping again (and perhaps again) because man I don't know too many who got a set at this point.  I know if I see them I'm gonna try getting an extra set just so I'm sure someone I know who needs it gets it... 

Yeah, I kinda long for the day where I'm more critical of sculpt and paint than I am of articulation...  Unfortunately it's the current anchor holding many figures down.

In all honesty the Cantina Wave was, for me, the ideal "standard" and then Hasbro could sprinkle these truly SA figures like Pilot Obi-Wan around here and there...  One or two a year, and army builders would be a must for this level of articulation but mains could get the SA treatment too periodically.

Indy toys have always been high on my list.  3.75" figures though only.  I can't really justify other scales at this point whereas 3.75" toys (of some quality) I can always collect based on customizing potentials (crossover fodder and such).

I'd dig a revamped 3.75" Indy line though...  Lots of characters to pick from, and it could be a profitable and fun toy line...  I think it'll have a shorter life than Star Wars and it has a LOT less character selection, but I think it is as varied as LOTR was and could last a little while.  Long enough to get some quality stuff out.

http://www.21stcenturytoys.com/area21/articles.asp?newsID=126

Big huge great glorious fantabulous news at 21st's website "Area 21".  You have to be a member to access but it's worth signing up to look.

There's a slew of "new" Battle of the Bulge figures coming.  They mostly utilize the parts of the previous figures and previous headsculpts but they do use new gear too.  A longcoat US Rifleman FINALLY is on tap!

Also, a big step forward for army builders.  21st is including extra heads with these figures, extra arms, and coat/snap on accessories (ala the German Rifleman opencoat).  The benefit to us is that we're getting a ****load of army building potential with 2 heads being packed in with the figure, 2 sets of arms, etc., etc...

Hasbro take note, you could learn a thing or two from 21st Century Toys once again because they're showing clear as day how army builder figures SHOULD be done.  Hasbro has the articulation down pat, but they have a lot of ways to make army building something focal for the modern Star Wars line if they adopt these multiple poppable heads and such.  Especially with the ease of which you can pop heads on SW figures these days.

Enjoy!  I know I will.