What the other grey-hairs said.
My choice, 1950's to present-day, was Sherman-Klove -> SK-Wayne, -> SK.
I had to buy ONE socket each 88-cent-an-hour payday at first.
Metric was a need, but not yet an easy option. I made-do with 1/32'ds socket sizes, and even at least one 1/64ths size.
Fill-in was, and remains "Wright" tools. Snap-on are for lending to others, no need to bother returning them, thanks. Craftsman are not what they used to be, if even they EVER were.
Everyday workaround while building up to the nearly 60-year plateau is a simple one:
Eschew "12 point" nut-rounder sockets altogether. Go and buy the handiest of SIX-POINT black-oxide-not-Chrome finished "impact" wrench sockets - even HF, Lowe's "Kobalt", or HD "Husky" - and use them manually - with your FIRST "uber-good" purchase.
S-K or Wright RATCHETS, breaker bars, speeders, Tee-handles, extensions, and 1/4-3/8 - 1/2-3/4-1" bothway adapters.
Do NOT skimp on ANY of THOSE items.
Fill-in with better sockets, deep well, thinwall, EXTRA deep, and EXTRA EXTRA deep, plus box, open, combo (both short and long..), and self-ratcheting wrenches as you can do.
Also 8-point for squares, Hex/Allen sockets, spline-drive, "Penta" Socket (Jaguar electric parking brakes...) and Torx.
By this late stage in life, I also have Metric and US open-end crowfoot, Metric & US flare crowfoot, and Metric & US combo flare-nut wrenches.
Lots of folks can go a long lifetime and never realize just how much easier a good flare-nut wrench set can make certain tasks, nor how much easier an Allen or Torx socket-wrench adapter vs ignorant "Ell" can work.
Crowfoot need - they are an abomination, actually - is REALLY rare, but when you need 'em, (down inside a water-meter box, last go) nothing else will do, if only for lack of space.
4CW