You shouldn’t feel that way. I have stayed in the shallow end for years, and happily so, since I refuse to treat this hobby as an investment, and I don’t see the high value in old pieces just for the sake of nostalgia even if there is an active bidding market for it.
As far as I’m concerned, modern artists often produce better art than some of the old stuff because the layouts and dramatic effort in pages has generally become looser and better. There is a thread every year in which people post their best purchases under $300 or so. Some very nice work indeed.
I think the hardest part is to not get carried away by names, and to look at a panel page as to how well it tells a story, while looking at a cover or full splash as to its visual impact (much like fine art). Then, consider your own tastes.