thanks for replies.
i wont be playing at all, just purely collecting and admiring....
Well, if you're collecting then I can definitely help out.
I think when you're starting out it's pretty alright to just go for some packs, but the thing about packs and products as a whole is that you're basically gambling on getting good cards. In most cases, you don't really win out even when you
get an Ultra Rare because they're kinda cheap besides a select few, in the modern era of the TCG. That being said, while you don't always get the best stuff out of opening things, it's still
fun to do so I don't really blame you for doing it.
In the longrun, you want to go for singles. Singles are so much easier to deal with than opening packs because you're buying exactly what
you want and you're getting what you paid for in value, rather than gambling for it. Since around 2016 I've been almost exclusively a singles buyer with a couple of exceptions here and there and my collection's flourished because of it.
So, all in all, buy singles of the cards you want, (I use TCGplayer and any local card shop I have in my area, I'm not sure if you have any), if you want to get TCG products I'd personally wait until they're on sale. You also definitely want to get some card sleeves for anything you get that's valuable, if you leave them unprotected that's not going to end up well at all.
I have a few recommendations on some things you could start looking at to see what you like, you're getting into the hobby at a pretty good time.