How do you shop for a skill toy you want to learn on?

If I am buying a skill toy to learn and play on, I never purchase it believing that I can keep it mint.
If your going to buy a learners then you can most def expect it to go through the ringer, but for a skill toy it’s just tough love. Almost anything I get in my hands is getting the works so I usually dont worry about it. Keeping all that in mind it’s probably a good idea to purchase something your comfortable messing up or potentially destroying. Dont go get an autographed $300 signature skill toy for a learns. It’s not that type of party.

There is usually a good set of recommended beginner models that cover this isn’t there?

I dont usually follow this as I am known to buy A grades for heavy play.