A hundred fifty quid seems bloody expensive. I'd suggest you spend a bit of time in Taobao, as there is a surprisingly huge amount of quality stuff in there. Presumably either imported by hobbyists who also hate crappy Chinese stuff, or purchased out the back door of the Chinese factories that make the "quality" stuff you'd buy in the UK or US. And though you'll pay a premium for these things, it'll almost certainly cost you less once you factor in the shipping.

Try a comparison. Find some good deal you like in getgeared, then search for it in taobao. most international products include the name and/or model number in english in the taobao listings, so they are not hard to find.

Yes, there's some risk that the "brand name" product in taobao is a fake, but you can generally tell a good dealer from a bad one, and a "too good to be true" price from a reasonable one. I try to locate sellers that are here in Shanghai, then ask if I can come inspect the product prior to purchase.

What specifically are you looking for?

cheers