Definitely get Vicki and Mike, after you've learned your way around Poser. Get the feel of the program and how things work, then make the investment. It's well worth it. You get much more realistic renders with them. The stock Poser 4 male and female (sometimes called Posette and Dork) characters are pretty plastic, more like mannequins, whereas Mike and Vicki are so much more diverse and lifelike. Melanie