Hi Drew .. and welcome to NamePros!
You're doing the best thing you can do by reading and informing yourself on the industry. Tons of information right here on NamePros as well as all over the internet (if you like podcasts, go back and listen to the last couple years worth of Domain Sherpa Reviews).
I also suggest before you actually start buying, to follow daily curated auction lists like my own (check my signature), pick a few, then look at the auctions to see if they actually sold and if so for how much.
Most importantly .. you'll have a better time networking and finding people to connect with if you share a bit more about yourself, where you're from .. and most importantly what your goals are when it comes to domaining!
Best of luck to you going forward!