I've been working on computers professionally since I was 12 (ten years ago) as a contractor for my father. I've always been around computers. Since I was 3 my father has had parts laying around the house. I currently am employed in a small town (less than 50k people) in a small 2 man computer repair shop. I have no certs. I do have an AA in Communications.
The importance of certification matters depending on what career you are looking for. If you want your own business or to work in a small shop, you only need a quick mind and experience. But if you plan on working for a corporation or government organization with a large steady check, you need certifications.
If you're young and have a quick mind you can get hired by a medium to large size company and work your way up, earning certifications as you go. That's exactally what my brother has done. He has Novell, Microsoft, Cisco, 3Com, Hewlett Packard, Compaq, and probably a ton more that I don't know about. He's 23 and gets just about anything he asks for at his company.
But without his background he would have never made it into the door. As with most jobs, you learn from experience and time. However, you have to gain enough experience to get your foot in the door, and then let them pay for the certifications.