The worst time to look for equipment is before you’ve even tried out the thing you’re buying it for. 

I went to the store to buy a tripod/selfie stick and after looking at a few I picked one up. 

I didn't realize the one I picked out was actually too short.  

When I bought it I hadn’t recorded anything or helped anyone out so I thought it was too tall.   

So before you go gear shopping, make sure you understand what it is you need at a fundamental level.