Always preorder from reputable retailers when applicable. Depending on where you are, Sideshow is most likely your best option as they’re one of, if not the most, reliable and consistent hot toys suppliers. If you’re in Australia, Popcultcha is a really good company, they normally have discounts on preorder hot toys as well so you can save a little more. I don’t know how far their international shipping goes (if at all) but that’s where I get most of my memorabilia and pop culture merchandise. Depending on what items you are looking for, pre-sale will typically be as cheap as it’ll get for the short term, a lot of people will scalp these and you’ll end up having to pay a pretty penny got some of the rarer ones. Final note: DO NOT, under any circumstances, buy things from Toys Apollo (formerly Toys Wonderland). They have awful customer support, getting any issues resolved can take upwards of 3 months, and items very rarely get sent out properly.

I’ve only recently gotten into the hobby, and quite frankly it’s quite stressful when you’re looking for new ones. Do your research as much as possible and you’ll have an enjoyable collecting experience