>>5505732That's the slowpoke tax, we all gotta pay it at some point. I had to drop around a hundred higher than retail on my Heisei Goji Monsterarts and am still lamenting that I'll never have Biollante. Still, amazon isn't the worst as long as you find things for a reasonable price. But in terms of affordable old stuff, Mandy is probably the best place to look. I got half my Revo collection from them for dirt cheap. Just have to be careful with shipping, as EMS will wreck your shit. Bought the OOO deluxe belt with all the fixins and ended up paying around 80 in shipping.
Another big thing is, look for reviews. I prefer photo ones or short text boxes to rambling autistic reviewers, but things I've been either on the fence about or wanted badly have been cut off by bad reviews. This alone can cut some stuff off your list and make it easier to find the things you want. And on that note, 99% of PlayArts are actual hot garbage and nowhere near worth their original $80 price tag, let alone with the markup they run. You'd be better off getting one of the cheaper versions than trying for one of them, speaking as someone who was dumb enough to buy more than one.
As for TFs, if the hasbro stuff doesn't do it for you, check out the 3rd Party general. Much pricier, but some of the most fun toys I've ever bought. Lots of cheaper options nowadays too with Iron Factory and other similar companies churning out tiny stuff. Not to mention literally everyone and their mom doing MP-Alikes.
>>5505709This guy's got it though. Buying flavour of the month or buying purely on hype is a good way to waste money and time. That preorder time is a long wait, and the smart person will cancel a few here and there when bad reviews leak out or hype dies down. That being said, still buy what you like and fuck everyone else. The worst thing that'll happen is we'll all say we told you so.
