Jay,
Great FAQ !
May I suggest adding two more online shops:
Japanese shop Rainbow 10
http://www.rainbowten.co.jp/english/index.html
because they usually have the latest kits first
and Australian shop Hobby HQ
http://www.hobbyhq.com.au/
because they have low prices (and shipping is cheap too) and often can get you kits that are long OOP.
--- Eric.