I mine a couple different ALTs. It is all about what kind of setup you have and what time/power you are willing to put into it. For me it didn't cost anything since I had most of the hardware laying around and power isn't an issue. My personal opinion on the ALTs is that until they have some kind of weight behind it like BTC does, other than speculation, meme-fame, or uniqueness for the sake of a name change they will just be coins for trade only. I still mine them, and it is fun but as I have said before. I like to gamble. Currently I mine DOGE, GRAIN, 42 and just about anything new that comes along for at least a couple days to build up a wallet with some in it. I play the long game tho and hold, I don't just dump them and run. Doge has shown some interesting prospect for gains but only for the reason of good marketing however marketing is everything. The price jump in BTC from October to December shows that. You don't necessarily need to have a better or unique product. It just has to be a product as good as the others. As long as it does the same functions and is well supported, the rest can be hype. It's Pepsi vs Coke vs RC Cola.