I want advice from a person that's been doing this a while. There are so many ways to card, and I'm unsure on what to focus. I have the capital...should I skip in-store and go straight for a skimmer, focusing on d+p?
If you haven't even started carding yet, in-store or skimmer would be too fast start. This is if I understand your question correctly. Always best to start online carding, unless you are "special".
Focus on in storing for now.
you will have more experience then you can move onto atms
(you will learn about 101 and 201)
if you dont know what 101 and 201 are, you program a 201 card on a 101 and use it in a EMV atm machine and the card is blank (no design) + you were wearing no gloves and atm eats card you are fucked.
take it into baby steps