Attached Link: http://store.daz3d.com/

Hi Mike, welcome to the madness. First off congratulations on getting Poser 4, I think that's a wise choice over Poser 5. Many people like it but it has it's ups and downs and would probably be harder to learn and you could always get it someday.

Where to begin?

The beginning's a good place I guess. Let's address your questions.

As to which models to buy...Buy what you can afford or what would help you do the artwork you want to do best. To be honest I'd spend a little time with Poser 4's basic models to get a feel for them. Take advantage of all the free stuff you can download here and at other sites to expand your arsenal of props, clothing, etc. Read the forums and browse Renderosity's site, lot's of good information here to be had.

While you've spending some time even if it's a few weeks with Poser's native models, read forum comments relating to Mike and Vicki and decide which ones are in your budget or might be the most effective or useful for you. Sales at Daz do happen from time to time so waiting a while may be helpful if you're on a budget. Vicki 3 is great but unless you use the V2/V3 version of her (included with V3) you'll need to spend more money on clothing if you can't find what you want for free. Get to know Daz inside and out, look at all the items they have available and see what interests you the most. Think about joining the platinum club, it will pay for itself right away if you want to buy a number of things to use with Mike,Vicki or ?.

Renderosity is a great place to learn the pro's and cons of the individual models and what you can expect from them and how they work. Another thing on the horizon is Daz Studio,It's not available yet but will be a free download while it's under development. Learn what it is and what it can do, it may be something you might be interested in after you master Poser.

There's so much to pass along I could go on forever. All I can say is welcome and whatever you decide Mike and the various Vicki's are great models and you won't go wrong whatever you decide. I'd suggest at least Mike2 and Vicki2, Stephanie's good also. If you want to test the water a little there are low res versions of them available too which aren't as pricey. What ever you do have fun that's what it's all about!