For me the interest started as a kid. My grandmother collected tea cups. She was more interested in the cups than the tea but it sparked my interest. Between that and reading fantasy fiction like The Hobbit and others of the like it codified my love for tea. It's funny how we go through a phase where we learn a little and think we know a LOT about something. As a teenager I believed I was an aficionado when I had barely scratched the surface.
The first fine tea I had was a single estate line that Barnie's was carrying at their retail store in a local mall. They had samplers set out for the scent test and I was blown away by it. It was high elevation Himalayan teas from Darjeeling, Sikkim and Nepal mostly, at least those are the ones I remember. Before that I was sold on Twinings as the best tea ever. Not to knock Twinings. It is a good tea, just not fine tea. These teas that they had blew my mind with the fragrance but also with the price. At the time I said, "that's great but there is no way I would spend that much for ANY tea." Apparently that was a common sentiment because eventually the price dropped dramatically as they went to the clearance rack. At that price I reluctantly bought a tin...then another, and another until it was gone. At that point I would gladly have paid double the full price if they would have gotten me more which they wouldn't. At this point it doesn't scare me to pay $300-$400/lb for the right tea or possibly even much more if it is something really special.
We do this to ourselves with any kind of fine things in life be it tea, wine, cigars, coffee, caviar or whatever it is. These are great blessings to our spirit but also curses. It's hard to turn back once you are there.
As I said I would glady pay a premium price for fine tea. The problem is finding it to buy in person. Sure you can buy them online but who wants to drop $500 on something they can't see especially when it could be swill? When people find out I know a little about tea they ask me what is good. I tell them just because it's expensive doesn't mean it's good. Just because it's cheap doesn't mean it's bad. Also enjoy what you like because you like it and don't let any tell you what you are supposed to like. Like it because you like it and let that be your reason.
For me it is always evolving, always changing. At first it was only dark black tea with milk and sugar. Then I discovered the very astringent high elevation grown Darjeeling teas and the like; first, second and autumn flushes for their own characters. Actually I prefer Nepali teas when they are good. Then I discovered Oolong and the Kung Fu method, then greens (I also figured out that the reason I hadn't liked them before was because I was too smart to listen to people about water temp and brewing time). What I discovered along the way is that I haven't found a new favorite but ANOTHER favorite... I could go on ad nauseum which I probably already have. Tea is a pursuit that brings so much enjoyment to life I hope to never have to live without it. I'll end it there because I am probably boring anyone brave enough to read all this.