They’re not conducive to my collecting style and I don’t like half of them.
Rayquaza and Regice are the only ones I love (gem mint and english) but they’ve never been a priority. Much less now when the former is worth a new car and the latter is worth half a vintage booster box.
I’m with Rattlesnake on this one. I get a certain level of joy when a friend picks one up and they’re smiling ear to ear because they’ve achieved a goal but they do nothing for me and I’m grateful for that.
The last thing I need is another piece of cardboard to buy 
May I suggest Japanese unlimited! Rare and cheaper than english
unless its the gold stars from the world championship pack, those are rarer in unlimited than in first edition
If I’m not wrong, UED gold stars are rarer than 1st ed except for clash of the blue sky. Looking at psa population for reference.
makes sense, I think I was confused by the wording of your initial post
Here’s the bulbapedia article on WCS for anyone curious
my jp ray is UED, but my latias and os are both 1st ed. kinda annoying, but i can’t be bothered enough to do anything about it lol
Hey zubat,
Having completed both English and Japanese in PSA 10, hopefully my experience will be helpful for you:
English or Japanese?
The main difference is the yellow border in English vs gray border in Japanese. I personally was accustomed to the yellow border, but the gray border does blend better with the rest of the card. As for the other more subtle, yet still noticeable difference, the ink colors on the Japanese cards felt more saturated when doing a side by side comparison. I still personally leaned towards English simply because I enjoyed reading the texts on the card as well.
What grade?
This really just depends on your goals of collecting and what condition bothers you. i.e. - does whitening/creases bother you more than scratches? Are you planning on putting them into a binder set for display or displaying them in graded slabs? Personally, I abhor creases, and scratches, and the loss of sheen of the surface on the holofoil - whitening is less of a priority for me simply because it’s not visible when the card is mostly a binder.
Why do so many Japanese 9s have atrocious edge wear?
Grading standard things per the respective grading company
Do I collect all of them or only certain ones? (I’m leaning towards only Gen III Pokemon)
Also a question only you can decide on, but unless you only care about specific species, collecting the entire set is more rewarding and enjoyable - it’s not like ARs where there are hundreds of them - the limited quantity of gold stars is small enough that the journey of the chase can be enjoyable. Again, depends on your personal collecting preferences.
Is it worth the cost to own these cards?
Do you plan to resell for a profit in the future, or are you collecting purely for the joy of collecting? Based on this question, I am wondering if this also will also be related to your question about grade. The responses to these questions will vary depending on whether or not you are collecting for consumption, investing, or trying to find some happy medium for both.
Can I even store these cards safely?
Remove sunlight exposure and control humidity. Gold stars are no different from any other Pokemon card in terms of required storage or protection. Risk of thefts, fires, and other hazards will depend on where you reside.
Buy Rayquaza first? Or wait until later in life and hope I hit a jackpot?
Order of purchase will depend on your financial situation. If you are considered about price volatility, historically speaking, Rayquaza has generally been the first of the gold stars to experience growth when the markets/demand increase for gold stars. Markets are very different today than what they were a decade ago so merely use the previous statement as a data point.
Pass on Rayquaza all together?
Personally, Rayquaza Gold Star looks to epic to not collect if you decide to pursue gold stars, but that is just my preference.
Do I try to buy these graded from Japan or wait for domestic auctions?
Having just returned from Japan, I can confirm that currently, their PSA 10 valuations are peak prices when looking at recent sales in USA, even after the conversion of the currently weak Yen, relative to recent years.
Huge cost commitment
This is something you will need to consider and prioritize based on your other collection goals and financial commitments.
I am asking if anyone else has been on the sidelines for their collecting journey? Are you still on the sidelines? Did you finally make the jump? Do Gold Stars even appeal to you?
I had since disbanded my PSA 10 set because I was not enjoying the completed set given the opportunity cost of keeping them. The main issue I had was that the completed set was simply sitting in a box since I had no reasonable way to display and actually enjoy the cards. I am, however, currently working on rebuilding a binder copy of these cards because the artwork, holo design, and historical significance of the cards are still worth the chase for me. The journey, no matter how long, is oftentimes more enjoyable than the destination 
Hope this helps, and good luck!
cpbog1
Thanks guys. I did read all the replies and have just been thinking about since. I’ve decided to get Mudkip Goldstar in Japanese. If I like that card, I’ll save up for Rayquaza.
Thank you all for taking the time to share your thoughts. Additionally, I enjoyed reading about people’s experiences sharing gold stars so if anyone else would like to share their experience please do!