Gunluvr, the time to buy a gun is when you have the money. If you are starting out keep it simple. Decide what you are likely to use the gun for, it can narrow your choices down. If I had to start out slow I'd buy a Sterlingworth 12 ga., 28" or 30", Mod and Full and a second gun would be a Ithaca NID 20ga., 26" or 28" barrels in IC/MOD or MOD/Full. With just those two you could shoot just about anything that walks, flies upland or waterfowl. From dove, quail size, rabbits to big honking geese. Plus 12 and 20 ammo is very easy to find at reasonable prices.
Here is my rational for the Sterlingworth. I can find a very decent shape Sterlingworth gun in the $600-800.00 price range with no problem. It will handle just about anything I want to shoot in it and the gun will last me a lifetime. The choice of a Ithaca NID 20 is based in large part in the fact that NIDs were all modern guns, modern steels, with 2 3/4" chambers and decent stock dimensions. I can find a Ithaca NID for several hundred less than either a Serlingworth or LC Smith. And there is no way I can afford a Parker 20 on a limited budget.
Best of all even after I have those two I can always find a reason that I just need one more gun, well more than one to be honest.
And shopping is most of the real fun anyways.
