And so it begins.... <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

That's pretty much how I got started. I wasn't planning on making my own, but when I bought a kit, and it turns out it wasn't what I thought it would be. The parts were lower quality than the parts in the display model, and the packing wasn't very efficient. I thought "I could replace this with that" and so on. It evolved slowly over time as I aquired better items. It did turn out to be kind of a time and money sink, but the end result? Not only do I have a kit personalized for me, but I also learned a TON along the way, which is probably even more valuable.

But.... that's all up to you. It depends on how interested you are- buying a commercial kit (even the less expensive ones) is better than nothing, and even that bit of preperation puts you ahead of most people.