It’s my experience that there’s usually a sweet spot between ordering directly from a slow, traditional, maybe slightly more expensive than necessary official m

It’s my experience that there’s usually a sweet spot between ordering directly from a slow, traditional, maybe slightly more expensive than necessary official manufacturer store and amazon: The specialized enthusiast store that’s usually slightly under the radar but known to anyone in the field. For me it’s often bicycle kit, audio gear or just japanese sencha - all of the those categories are much better served by non-amazon shops that have been around for a long time, offer competitive pricing and are selling genuine, curated products only. I’m sure there are also great shops for the items you’re looking for.