I rebuild, and I started early on. The videos on YT were very helpful as were these forums. I got into it after starting out with a miserable little flea market e-cig, then getting EGO/clearo rigs, then a Protank, then a mech, then my first RBA. This took about six weeks. Once I had an RBA and could rebuild it well I was finally happy with my vape.
I started with an AGA-T2, which was a good teacher. It's a cantankerous device and can be frustrating to deal with, but I got it running right, learned to make wicks, wind coils, check ohms, and use the right batteries. Then I got an RSST. Wow! It was a breeze to set up and gave me better flavor than the AGA-T2. It's my primary vape now. I also got into making my own juices, and by all accounts I'm doing very well with that.
I've not yet met another woman who rebuilds here where I'm at, or one who uses a mech either. We seem to be very much in the minority.
Below is a six week progression of hardware I went through: