Never even heard of these brands (but then again, I hadn't bought brushes for years before getting the Vallejos). I'll have to look into them. As for cheap brushes, that'll never happen. I've used ten-cent camel hairs before--wasted ten cents.

One thing I've learned about brushes during the last years, is that usually the small sizes, like the 0 and 00 are vastly overrated for painting details. They simply hold too little paint to be easy to work with. Get a really good (that keeps its point) No:1 instead.
Also, read up on the difference between the manufacturers different series. Most of them have different length bristles, ferrules and handles, all to suit different styles of painting. As an example, Da Vinci have several different series of rounds in the top layer. Short bristles, longer, different styles of handles or ferrules. I like the Series 35 for general painting, but prefere the Series 1505 for details. Both are Kolinsky red sable brushes, with short triangular handles, but the bristles on the 35's are much longer, and holds much more paint, and the 1505's have much shorter bristles, and holds the point better than any other brushes I've ever tried. Different tools for different jobs, but still equally well made and at first look very similar.

I'd wondered whether the smaller brushes would be worthwhile. So a #1 series 1505 would be a good investment, then? Thanks again, everyone, for your responses. I gotta make every dime count at this point!