Combining ability and encourage gems is poe currency so strong that it is beneficial to begin considering your offensive abilities in terms of gem combinations rather than attack skills. Once you start doing so, the socket links in armor and weapons could be significant than the modifiers about the items themselves.
Path of Exile inundates the participant in torrents of all loot. When you begin the game, you'll pick up everything which drops to sell to vendors. It will not take long before you are leaving 90 percent of it on the ground and saving your inventory space for what's beneficial or useful.
Value and use could be two different items in Path of Exile. Unique and rare items your character can use are always valuable, but they might not be helpful. It is not unusual to end up in a circumstance in which you sell, store, or leave increased quality items behind because using them means losing.
Do not ignore low-level (white) loot drops simply because they are low level. They might have socket links which can be used to buy poe exalted orbs make combos. Keep in mind that almost every weapon and item feature can be changed via crafting. The result can be arbitrary and unlikely to create exactly what you want, but it is always an option if you find a low-level item with an appealing collection of sockets.