I started skating with some old flimsy department store brand skates from the 70's that I found on eBay. They didn't hold up very long. I then went directly to fairly high-end, following an ice dancer's advice to get Graf Edmontons and MK Gold Stars. I loved the blades, but hated the boots, which were destroyed in half a year, splitting apart at the heels and causing foot pain besides. Choosing more carefully for my next skating boots, I ended up getting custom Klingbeil boots, and in the process discovered that the Grafs had really been too long for me which was what had caused some of my foot issues in the first place. Unfortunately, the Gold Stars would not fit on properly-sized boots as they were too long, so I decided to switch to John Wilson Gold Seals. Loved them too, though they did feel quite a bit different. The Gold Stars had been more maneuverable lending to quick footwork and great agility and maneuverability, but the Gold Seals allowed me to skate faster longer and I could center spins significantly better on them, plus jump landings became steadier. I was a better skater by the time I got them so that's also a factor affecting my judgment, but I'd probably opt for Gold Seals again over Gold Stars. Anyways, I got the Gold Stars a couple months after I first started skating, and the Gold Seals in less than a year - both worked out great for me, and I definitely do not regret those purchases! I never competed and am mostly self-taught, but I can do all the single jumps through the lutz and at one point could spin up to 35-40 revolutions.
Unfortunately, the Klingbeils with Gold Seals got stolen (I still miss them so much), and I ended up getting another pair of Klingbeils, but this time with Paramount 440c blades that advertised having a Gold Seal profile. I still have those today, many years later, as I haven't skated very much since then. I really don't like the Paramount blades. On the bright side, they stay sharp forever - I think I've had them sharpened only once to change the ROH. But they don't feel at all the same as the Gold Seals did. I've never been able to center my spins on them well, I feel more wobbly on them, etc. Not really sure why but they just don't work well for me and make me feel frustrated. I think part may be due to the materials being more rigid whereas carbon steel flexes more, and I think that the profiles must actually be somewhat different between the two for spins to be affected.
I'm probably going to get back into skating regularly soon, and am contemplating replacing my blades yet again. I haven't skated with any regularity in over a decade, but I'll still opt for something high-end. I loved the Gold Seals and those are the first choice that comes to mind. I also have many fond memories of skating vigorously on the Gold Stars and am tempted to try returning to them. Part of me wants to try Pattern 99's to experience the difference. I'm pretty decided on traditional John Wilson or MK blades (not the Revolution models). I'll have to work my way back up from severe lack of practice but I wouldn't want to bother with lower-end blades after having experienced the better ones. As an adult skater, I made rapid progress when I learned to skate, and I attribute some of that success to having good blades that made me feel confident on the ice. Since your feet aren't going to keep growing, if you get properly-sized boots then the blades will last for many years, so the cost really isn't that bad considering all the other costs of skating.