It always pays to shop around. I try to support a few of my favorite retailers if their pricing isn't outrageous. Of course, Tamiya quality is sometimes worth it.
That's a good point. When Tamiya released its P-38 kit two years ago, it retailed here in the States for around sixty bucks, and that was just the kit, before you might have it shipped from an online vendor.
I bought mine through HLJ, who had it on sale, and with shipping, using the private warehouse feature and combining several items, it came out less than $60 for that kit.
And I bought DoraWings' P-43 kit through an eBay seller from the Ukraine, who offered the kit for $45 and free shipping. That, too, was less than retailers here were asking for the kit, before shipping.
Definitely look around and see if you can find a discount.