I only get good deals on stuff like this that I could have otherwise lived without. Generally I just pre-order because I am impatient and don't like paying over retail on sold out stuff. But I also never pay a premium for early Hong Kong delivery.
This, hunting for a figure you actually really really want is a waste of time. Just find the cheapest pre-order and then forget about it until release. But it’s great to find a deal on a figure that you wouldn’t have considered, it’s also very likely that you can move it without losing money too if you decide you don’t need it (which sort of was already established).
I’ve had the privilege of checking out so awesome figures this way, that I might never have seen in person otherwise (Batman Returns Batman, Shoretrooper, K-2, Star-Lord, DS Gunner)—some you keep, some you don’t.