Just got in the pair of 997DSLR I bought on the cheap from the END sale. The quality of the toebox, the suede, and the construction is really bad.
I hate to say it, but these might be my last pair of NBs. (at least for new models)
I don't think they are as limited as the other collabs of that era, but the number of good conditioned pairs are decreasing. They were slept on hard from release all the way until a year or two ago. I remember seeing these getting an Asian re-release almost a year after the original ARC release...
I do have to agree that the price hikes that NB has putting out lately has gotten out of hand. They're definitely trying to cash in on the recent hype in America. But ppl here shouldnt forget that ppl in asia are buying NBs up at our current prices (or higher) long before most ppl here got into...
Read this: http://*************.com/news/new-balance-1300jp-history/ and maybe you will understand better. In essence, this model isnt made for someone like you. They're coded "JP" for a reason lol.
The history and the reproduction are what ppl are (and should be) buying into 1300JPs for. Think...
Speaking as someone who owns both, the JP toebox isnt filmsy at all (but it is bulky). And the material is wayyyy better than your GR 998.
As for the price, you might be not use to paying these kinda prices for NBs, but ppl in Asia is. When resellers there are charging $500 and still selling...