As I'm finally reading the April magazine, a submission to the Scale Talk section (sorry to steal your thunder if the writer is online here) was about what are his factors in a kit.
So how do you decide: AM part availability, decal sets, a preferred manufacturer, what's on sale, previous reviews, etc
What are the factors you take into consideration before a kit comes home?
Myself - its mostly price. Budget modelling is tough, and doesn't leave much room for AM details. I've never looked at before buying the decals that come in the box.