...Look at all the alts before and after the November rush...
That was extreme, it takes many newbies to cause what happened to the alts before xmas.
Buy and hold isn't quite right; You need an entry strategy that includes lowing your average cost as the masses are selling.
Most alts just keep falling (with minor rallies), and falling, and falling....so holding a single purchase, "in every coin", doesn't get the best results.
It's not easy, the real bottom can look and feel the same as
25 false bottoms, then suddenly everything flies high at insane speeds (i.e Namecoin going from ~65 cents to over $10)
Good luck and have fun