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Most collectors choose the character before the manufacturer, then discover that the same character exists at four different sizes and price points. Knowing which class of figure you are looking at removes most of the confusion, because a prize figure and a scale figure of the same character can differ by a factor of five in price for reasons that are entirely visible on the sculpt.
The second decision is condition over time. Painted PVC and ABS are stable indoors and vulnerable to ultraviolet light and heat, and the damage they suffer cannot be undone. Where a figure lives in your home matters as much as what you paid for it.