I think newer players (like myself) have a big advantage because there is plenty of information on which characters are outdated and no longer endgame material. We don't have to farm, say, Luminara or Barris. Instead, we can go straight for Jolee. We don't have to waste resources on the Endurance or level Executrix beyond what is needed to farm zetas, and can instead focus on building a rebel fleet early on with an eye on Han's Falcon.
Of course we, too, will eventually have an inventory full of outmoded characters and ships after a few meta shifts. But for now, we can pick what currently works best and avoid bloating our inventories with all the has-beens.