Ehhh not really. The Build figures coming out STILL have the exact same quality and sculpting etc as Rabbit/Tank, with none of the advancements brought by 01 etc. Within the series, SHF lines just don't incorporate anything that comes later. This is only really applicable to new series started in Seihou; if Build Genius releases tomorrow it'll be no different to if it had come out in 2018

Oh I completely understand and do like that they now get the value of doing those forms and characters it's just that I remember that point in time when Bandai was completely against doing v-cinema stuff and even outright stated it if I'm not mistaken despite fan demand

That sort of thing comes with any toy line that reuses molds and parts though. If nothing else, the paint, QC, and sculpting should all be better than those older figures, and if not, man, pure laziness on their part.

I can't recall any cases where those have been better on later releases... and why would the *paint* be better?

That is certainly a take :lol especially about Metal Cluster and Dragonic. Those are some coveted forms that are out rn, both going for the triple digits in some places like Yahoo Auctions.

It's assuming people will always go "Oh wow new thing!" as opposed to something they actually like. See: Sparkling being slightly harder to come by than RR.

Cleanliness and detailing, mostly. Yeah, it's no guarantee, and hey, Genius could come out tomorrow and be a total hot mess, but as a general rule, later toys tend to have cleaner paint jobs than earlier ones, atleast in my experience.

(Or in the case of LC be incredibly choosey about who gets it best but eh)

Does anyone have recommendation for inexpensive storage options for loose SHFs? Like a plastic clamshell people use for those small Star Wars figures.

I mean, "oh wow new thing!" is specifically what I feel is the appeal of those rando in-between forms in the first place. People buy them up because oh I think they look cool and it's new, and then stop caring within a few months especially when they get the final form. I rarely see them in anyone's collection unless the person specifically is collecting every form, or as a random curiosity thing.

I can't think of any SHF from Ex-Aid onwards that was particularly underdetailed or not very clean? Not counting stuff like gimmick item details anyway; or the odd issue like Para-DX's eyes. Again, Rabbit/Tank looks just as good as the later releases to me.

Gunpla box + ziplock bags?

A form has its set of fans. I think it's generalization to think most buy up a form because it's the hottest new thing as opposed to a look they legitimately want. That's how I skipped over Jaaku for Jaou. Or buy Dragonic even though I don't normally buy super forms at pre-order. (Although I may just grab all of Saber's forms at this point lol)

I think I prefer just them sticking to a rider's main upgrades and movie form/s. Bandai already has problem as is completing other lines that aren't Kamen Rider or Dragon Ball, I wouldn't want them skipping over things in Kamen Rider because "Not many people want it". It'd effectively head into the GSC route of them just doing 2-3 release before dropping the line. Oh wait, they already do that!