thanks for the pointers man, I'll start slow and use whatever I can get my hands on first. Can't wait to have more! I supported the Marauder kickstarter as well so there should be plenty when that release
Firefly is a favorite. I can understand the whole situation with loose parts being expensive, especially when you're from another country. There's a specific section called the Custom Parts Needs/Haves thread where some members can help you out as long as they accept international transactions/trades. Unfortunately I don't anymore due to the postal system...
yeah still getting to know the joes and cobras. currently my fave is firefly, beachhead, snake eyes, and storm shadow of course, I like em close to real squad. horus done such a great custom and he's another reason why I'm here. I live in Indonesia, don't think the ToysRUs here sells GI Joes but plenty of fan based store so it should be fine. been hunting on loose parts on eBay but that can get expensive at times
Kit-bashing can be easy depending on which figure you try to make. Painting is somewhat easy except for repainting the joint areas, such as at the shoulders without fear of paint wear. You'll find plenty of talented customizers on this site and you could even ask them for tips.
Your local Toys R Us should have plenty of GI Joe stuff, mostly Wave 4 Retaliation figures like Lady Jaye, Alley Viper, Dark Ninja, etc., though if you wait about a couple of months or so there will be another new wave of figures to come out such as Beach-Head and Low-Light.