Alex, like me, your experience in 1/35 has helped you with being able to take these more expensive figures and not fear modification to either make them appear more real or to repair manufacturing mistakes. Your trial and error period is kinda behind you. I too come from the model making/train layout world and grew tried of spending weeks just to make something look natural and real. It always seemed that I had bit and pieces of something in some stage of completion and when I did finally get something completed, there are the other 100 scattered around still in progress.
I do hesitate occassionally to take a retired K&C into my shop for modifications or repairs, but I do have enough self confidence that I will not completely destroy it. Previous mistakes have shown me where and when to stop before any real damage can be done.
Also, now that I am getting a bit older, my eyes and hands don't respond as they used to. Gawd, I sound like my old grandfather, wait a minute, I AM A GRANDFATHER x 5. Ah crap, I am old.