ok, just found out that my LHS carries the Tamiya brand, but they don't stock many parts at all. however, i can ask them to stock a few essential parts if i know that i might be going through them a lot (this will take some serious persuasion!). nevertheless, i can always ask them to order stuff for me at no extra cost. BUT, what if i need a part on race day, i don't have any parts on hand at the shop for me.
so, we're back to the question about parts availability, which stems from durability. my LHS stocks a lot of AE parts (TC4), Losi parts (JRXS), and probably some HB and HPI TC parts too (but they mainly stock MT and off-road stuff). the JRXS looks enticing, but the NIB price is a little high for me and i have not heard anything super impressive about the performance of it. maybe an XXX-S? the Pro 4 looks good too, but again the price is pretty high.
nevertheless, i might be able to find some used stuff that is in pretty good condition for a good price. yet, like most anyone, i would like to build it myself and have a brand new car for a brand new class for me.