First off, everyone is right in that you should buy what you like, first and foremost. You gotta enjoy it, amiright?
But I think you should also keep an eye to market value and resale potential. I think too many people get into this hobby without any standards or eye for detail, they just wanna build up a set of something, and they load up on off center cards with corner dings, creases and pinholes. Which is fine if you understand what you're getting into, but then there are those who later try to sell but get a real shock when they find their cards aren't worth nearly as much as the book says, because they bought poor condition cards which don't have a lot of future resale value.
I'm a big believer in what Will Rogers said, that "Folks should worry more about getting their money returned than getting a return on their money." I'm not worried about making a profit, but I am concerned about getting my money back on a card I sell. And I'd like for the card's value to at least keep pace with the rate of inflation. And for me, you'll have much better luck getting a nice a card as possible.
As far as grade, I think you should let your budget dictate what you can buy. I'm building the '52 Topps set, and my budget pretty much has me buying cards in the PSA 6-7 range. Rarely I'll venture above that, but I've not yet bought an 8, because it falls outside my budget plans, and it would look out of place aesthetically anyways.
Another reason to get as high a grade as your budget allows is the nature of pricing, which tends to go up exponentially, given the supply varies inversely, with fewer cards at each grade level. Suppose a PSA 6 card you want is 30 bucks. And a PSA 7 is 45. And a PSA 8 is 200. The PSA 8 is likely too much, but it is a more reasonable proposal to consider spending an extra 15 for that PSA, which will stand to attract more buyers later one who will want a higher grade than a PSA 6, and perhaps pay a premium for it.
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