This looks like something I would sink way too much money into. Maybe if I had a big house to put albums in and way too much money...
discogs is amazing. You can build up a nice collection of records that cost a buck or two without having to sift through musty bins of crap.
digging is one of the best parts of collecting. walking into a shop, not knowing what is there and discovering a gem is something that sticks in my memory for a long time. i can spend hours upon hours in a store and enjoy every second of it, especially if the place has a listening station set up.
Twist & Shout in Denver is great, ChiCat.
It can absolutely be a money pit, but if you take your time and build up incrementally you will have something you are extremely happy with in a few years. You can also look for record lots on craigslist and potentially buy a few hundred for well below what you will find in stores by people who are just looking to get rid of entire collections they no longer want/don't know what to do with.
btw, Crusty, what is your Discogs user name?