How to buy the right cymbals for your needs-THE BASICS

First, let me say, you know by looking at the myriad of cymbals old and new just on okay alone that this is something you should research first before gemitting your hard earned money on.
What type of music do you play? How hard to you hit? , Do you play regularly on stage under amplification or just in "your woodshed"?, How much money do you have budgeted for these expensive "pies", Do you have the money to replace any if they are damaged either in transporting them from place to place or under playing conditions? These are some of the questions you need to ask yourself before plunking your hard earned ( or your parents!!!!) money on a counter.
Now once you have decided some of these questions, lets find you possibly some good cymbals to rock the house.
First , lets look at some of the qualitites of old and new cymbals and their intended purposes.
Cymbals gee in sizes from 4 inches up to a whopping 30 inch ride I saw not long ago. Generally the smaller the diameter- the tighter and higher the pitch. This varies with the thickness of the cymbal itself and the alloy of bronze or other material its made of also. A 20 inch ride can sound dry, pingy, glassy, dark, bell-like among other things for a quick example.
Alloys are generally a bronze variation( tin and copper)with differing amounts of tin added to warm up or brighten up the alloy. The most basic bronze is called a B8 bronze ( meaning 8 percent tin and 92 percent copper). This alloy is used in many starter cymbals such as the sabian B8 and zildjian zbt brand cymbals. It has a very bright and almost brittle sound that is generally considered intermediate at best) these cymbals are made forming thecymbal from sheets ofbronze under machine pressure to get the form, leaving an average sound and a product that tends to crack more easily under stress of playing due to the lower quality and worksmanship. Lifespanof "sheet bronze" cymbals is usually much less. While the "gold standard" of bronzes is widely considered B20 bronze (80 percent copper and 20 percent tin). This bronze has a very musical sound and is very professional in performance and price. There are exceptions to every rule and cymbals are no different. Paiste uses a B8 bronze in many of their professional cymbals such as the dimensions and 2002 lines.(and stopped using B20 altogether with their signature line being B15 bronze)The difference being they pour the bronze from individual castings and most if not all of the cymbal making and lathing is done by hand. John Bonham from Led Zeppelin - possibly the most famous rock drummer of all time used only B8 bronze so that tells you its in the making more than the material. There are B10 , B12, B15 bronzes out there so the sounds of each go up the scale from very bright and loud at the B8 end to musical and moderate volume levels at the B20 side. The amount of tin changes the sound accordingly. Just manufacturing and cymbal thickness change the timbre of each pie. (along with if the cymbal is an individually cast cymbal or one made from sheet metal) , but that is rudimentary. Professional cymbals are usually always made from cast bronze. It allows a higher quality bronze with less imperfections and more individual personality of the instrument with more variation from cymbal to cymbal.(as each one is usually unique in some small way)
Cymbals used in jazz for example are much different than those for rock and for good reason- durability and sound. Jazz players generally hit lighter and need dark , geplex sounding cymbals and this is acgeplished usually with thin cymbals. Rock players hit much harder and play louder therefore using heavier thicker cymbals to be heard and to have durability. The thicker a cymbal , usually the higher the pitch of the metal goes. This is because as the thickness increases, the ability of the cymbal to vibrate decreases. And with the lessened vibration gees a shorter "wavelength of sound" which to our ears translates to a higher pitch. Think about hitting a thick pipe with a hammer- it will make a high pitched "ding", but use that same hammer to hit a thin sheet of 1/16" sheet metal and the sound will be much lower. This is generally whats happening. Not to be trying to sound like a physics expert, just giving you the background to learn about these geplex items.
If you are interested in jazz, your main purchases should be centered around a good ride and a good set of hi-hats. These are your bread and butter. Place most of your money in these 2 items as they can be all thats required for most gigs. To purchase a good ride for jazz , consider a medium thin to thin model from 20-24 inches. The thinner the cymbal, the more sounds you will be able to coax out of it by hitting it in different areas of the cymbal. To get the desired tone for a good jazz cymbal look for a good quality new or used B20 bronze ride. Make sure there is no damage to the center hole with "out of roundness" called keyholing, cracks near the bell (the center bump) , cracks or dingson the edges , or along any of the tonal grooveson the body from the lathing process. If you can hold it up to the light to see any subtle cracks along groove lines. Dents or dings anywhere on the bell, or the edges can turn into cracks with playing. Make sure the cymbal lays flat on a table and isnt warped. Dont worry about dirt or fingerprints, as a vintage "patina- buildup of dirt and fingerprints over the years, can mellow out the sound of a cymbal for the better. And if that bothers you, it can be cleaned off with cymbal polish and elbow grease. The shinier a cymbal, the brighter it can sound , so keep that in mind. As for hi-hats , thin 14-15 inch hats are widely used for the quality of the sound , not necessarily the volume. For you Rock players out there! Thats a different animal all together, now we get into cost and variety. I have a wide collection of cymbals for my rock band and after 25 years of playing, I will tell you what worked best for me. I have 15 inchvintage 1976 hi-hats, (paiste 2002's) a 24 inch ride cymbal (probably considered medium thinin thickness) 2002 vintage. and multiple crash cymbals in every size from 15" up to 22" . If I am playing miked up, I use for example a 16,18,20 inch crash. All in medium to heavy weights. (dark, thin cymbals just wont be heard past the stage so dont waste your money- you will overplay them to get them heard and possibly break them......expensive oops there!) If your budget allows for new cymbals, TRY THEM OUT IN THE STORE. you are spending good money. Dont ting ting ting lightly, buy it, take it home and not like it, when you bring it back its now USED. You lose money right there. I have driven store guys nuts trying out pies but I always got what I wanted and was happy. Dont be meek. If your budget doesnt allow for new cymbals you can get excellent pies used. Make sure you check music store used shelves and even pawn shops, as these can hold many great condition used cymbals. But dont make rash decisions. Do your homework to make sure it is what you need, not just a good deal for a cymbal you cant really use.I helped a buddy buy 7 professional quality used cymbals from a pawn shop for the price of 2 new ones so defininately look there.
There is much information out there and this is just a starter guide to help some less informed people try to get started. Remember- cymbals are good and bad. If they sound good to your own ears, thats usually enough as you are the one playing them. Always hit your cymbals with a glancing blow from one side to the other, never straight on - or even worse on the edge. They ARE metal but can be damaged from improperly hitting them. NEVER try to get more volume out of your cymbal by just hitting it harder or using bigger sticks. They do have a volume ceiling and overplaying themWILL break them. ALWAYS transport them in a case (not very expensive) as they are an investment and will last for years with care. NEVER EVER let your guitar player play your drums or hit your cymbals ( nothing more needs to be said about that!!) and most importantly W E A R H E A R I N G P RO T E C T I O N. the high frequencies of cymbals after years of playing will get you your first hearing aid at age 40. I cant stress that enough.
Just remember that if you like it and the price is right It probably is a good deal. Good quality cymbals usually never lose their value if their condition is kept up, and if you buy it and "grow out of the sound", it is much easier to sell a quality cymbal than junk or beginners cymbals. People rarely want them new, much less used beginners cymbals. So keep that in mind when buying. AND HAVE FUN!!!! dont stress out about buying percussion items. Just start slowly and expand your collection as needed.
QUALITY over QUANTITY usually wins anytime.