Doll collecting, like any other hobby, passion, or obsession, is a very personal subject.  Therefore, it would be very presumptions of us to state an exact starting point for doll collecting.  However, we'd like to suggest a few things to think about that may help guide a beginning doll collector in a desired direction.  Your doll collection will be a reflection of yourself.  Therefore, the first thing you should think about is not dolls, but your own personality.  What's your main motavation for doll collectiong?  Is it for investment purposes?  Or is it to have a physical reminder of nostalgic memories?  Is it the craftsmanship you admire?  Do you admire the realistic qualities of the dolls, or is it the fantasy elements that fascinate you?  If you're like most people, the answer is probably a combination of several of these answers (plus some)!  Once you've answered these questions about yourself, there are several other factors you should consider.  What are your resources (i.e. money, time, space).  How much of your time (money, house) are you willing to spend on your collection.  Some collections can fill up several rooms in a house, while others need no more space than that of a single bookshelf.  Most fall somewhere inbetween!  The following text may give you some ideas to inspire you. 
COLLECTING AS AN INVESTMENT 
Though most people collect purely for the love of the doll, some people combine this love with a saavy business sense, and consider their doll collection an investment.  If this is the route you're choosing to take, keep in mind that you can never do enough research.  Peruse doll collecting books and magazines, establish a relationship with reputable doll dealers, and keep yourself abreast of up-to-the minute trends via the internet.  These are just a few examples of the ways you can keep yourself informed about the market of the particular doll you choose to invest in.  There's truth to the saying that knowledge is power.  The more you know about the doll you choose to invest in, the more informed your purchases will be.  Of course, there's no guarantee that your costly investment will rise in value (in fact, there are many examples of  "limited edition" collector dolls whose value never rises above a minimal amount).  Know what you're buying.  If there's a doll you really want, and feel it's worth the investment, then go for it.  Of course, there are times you'll sink big money into a doll, only to find her on sale for half-price a few months down the road.  Like all investments, it's a risk you'll have to be willing to take and live with. 

COLLECTING THEMES 
The choices are so vast when it comes to collecting.  Special editions, limited editions, holiday specials, collector's editions - where to start?  You might want to consider collecting along a theme.  Are you attracted to vintage?  Perhaps you might concentrate you collection on certain decades.  Or maybe celebraties (real and fictional) are more to your taste.  Maybe you'd like your collection to reflect the global community by having representatives from each country.  Or, maybe you prefer a certain ethnicity (asian, hispanic, etc.) that reflects your own heritage or cultural interest.  Perhaps your partial to blonds, or prefer a collection of redheads.  Maybe a collection of beautiful brides peaks your interest.  Whatever, your interest, you'll find that collecting is less overwhelming if you have a definate starting point.  Once you've got your collection started, you may discover that you've got sub-collections withen your main collection.  As an example, if you're partial to collecting African-American fashion dolls, your collection may include a sub-collection of African-American brides, or African-American holiday issues.  After you've been collecting for a while, you'll discover your preferential niche.  As a personal example, I started my collection with the intent of having examples of every Barbie doll (and friend) manufactured.  This included many ethnic friends of Barbie doll as well as the less sterotypical Barbie dolls such as those with brunette or red hair, or those with short hair-do's (as opposed to the typical long, flowing locks).  Therefore, my collection consisted of old and new dolls, both limited edition and pink box.  As the years passsed (and the face molds, until recently, pretty much stayed the same), my interest in customizing increased.  I decided that if I could not purchase the doll I envisions, perhaps I could create one.  Even though I still purchase dolls who remain in their boxes, the pride and joy of my collection are the dolls I've customized and the older dolls I kept (and the vintage I hope to one day own).  I've related this story to show an example of how a collection can shift directions from one year to the next. 

COLLECTING AS ART 
We've established that customizing dolls is an art form.  It takes a great amount of creativity to design and sew garments, re-paint faces, re-style hair, and remold body parts.  However, customizing is only one aspect of collecting dolls as an art form.  Photographing your dolls can be a rewarding hobby in itself.  You might photograph your dolls modeling fashions of the day or fashions of an era.  You might want to capture your dolls in certain situations, such as a movie premier or a domestic situation.  Perhaps historical scenes are more to your liking - Joan of Arc at the stake, or Cleopatra at her best.  Your resulting collecting will consist of not only of beautiful dolls, but also a stunning photographic portfolio capturing these dolls at their best.  Photos can be traded with other collectors, enlarged and framed, or converted to digital format and posted on the web.  And speaking of digital, using the computer to enhance your art can bring another dimension to your collecting.  Use digital pictures of your dolls to create fantasy scenarios, or for animation (such as the kissing face image on this page).  These are just suggestions - let your imagination be your guide. 

Just remember that your collection should reflect your personal interests.  Don't collect a certain series (holiday issues, designer collections, etc.) just because you've heard it's a must have.  If you want to remove a doll from her box, do so.  Life has enough complicated rules to follow - your hobby should be the realm where the only rules you have to follow are the ones you set!