Umm... hey guys, let's be mindful of
bidoofdude's relatively young age.

If I were in your situation bidoofdude, I would recommend either option 3 or 4 -- because that's absolutely what I would do if I were your age. Actually, option 3 is pretty much what I
did do when I was that age (i.e. buying lots of toys from local retail stores - only that it was G1 at the time

).
While Masterpiece Transformers appeal to us oldies who grew up with G1, I don't really see the appeal to younger fans who don't hold the same nostalgia. Also, your average Deluxe offers better play value than most Masterpieces which tend to be more like articulated and transformable (and very expensive) display pieces than proper action figures.