Amen to the suggestion up there of getting a copy of Mr. Ritter's book, The Glory of Their Times. Additionally, not instead, get the 4 audio cd's by the same title. It's great to hear the energy and emphasis in their voices... hear them say EEE-vers, instead of the general, mass held pronunciation of ev-ers, when they mention Johnny Evers of Tinker to Evers to Chance... If you do that, then you gather a handful of T206s of some of those players, THAT would be a good place to start.
I think reading about the era, to understand baseball of the day, is a way to derive more enjoyment from collecting the old cards. For me it isn't so much about any value the cards may have, but about the player and his place in baseball. If you follow the board you'll see that some folks love graded cards and set registries; some focus more on the player and the card with less concern with condition; some do both. Get a few cards ungraded and graded, from different sets, and then you can figure out the cards and collecting style that suits you best. Collecting is a journey, not a destination, enjoy the trip.
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