learn about the stock market

A know a guy that is working as a Financial Analyst for an investment firm in Sydney. He recommended I do a Graduate Diploma in Applied Finance and Investment. I’ve done some reading up on it and it looks like just the thing I’m looking for.
Advice that I have received on this goal was to avoid the seminar-style courses and aim for the courses that industry professionals use to either get qualified or to further their career.

This goal may well tie in with my other goal of choosing a new career path. I’m happy to consider doing this course for now. Even if I decide not work in the finance industry I’ll still have very valuable skills for managing my own investments.

I have found investing in what are called PNC’s has been very lucrative. They are stamp/coin combination sets that are released periodically. So far they seem to return 50% to 300% profit on Ebay within a month or two of the purchasing them at their release. The trick is guessing which ones will be in demand and getting enough of them to make it worth while. Then you have to patient while you sell them off slowly enough not to flood the market and lower the price.

I’ve decided that since I have money invested in the stock market I should really understand it. Lord knows I should have learned about it years ago but the money that is in there was a gift and not something I have ever really thought of as “mine”. I know that I want to know what is happening with it though so I can make educated choices about it without having to ask other people’s opinions.