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Mike Irwin has it right. Almost every area of the country has gun shows, sometimes several a year. Go to one but don't take money, checkbook or credit card. Just look at guns that interest you. Talk to exhibitors. (Some will brush you off unless you have $100 bills sticking out of your ears, but others will be happy to talk with you about what they have.)
Then buy books. I recommend buying a good book every time you buy a gun. (Good books are not cheap - research requires time and money.) Not necessarily a book about that gun, but a good gun book.
Most collectible Colts and Winchesters are out of the price range of the beginner collector, but other interesting guns can be bought at reasonable prices. Some collectors say to buy only perfect examples, which, like "Don't pay air fare, buy a 757" is good advice if you are Donald Trump. But don't buy rusty junk either. As an example, I recently bought two old-timey revolvers, a Maltby-Henley and an Iver Johnson Bicycle model. The IJ is like new; the M-H is not as nice but is an interesting gun. The cost for both was $210.
Jim
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