The blade also should not be too thick to flex at all or require great strength to bend. Another flex test can be accomplished by putting the point on the ground and pushing down some. Good blades should flex approximately three inches, thinner blades like rapiers about five. Being able to flex-test properly and judge the results takes some experience. How much you spend for a sword is of course a prime determinate in what kind you can get.
Cost is therefore a prime factor in most any sword purchase.
Good replica swords are not cheap. Although most swords now range from within a few hundred dollars, the market varies greatly often without regard to quality. Essentially, what we want is value for our money. It goes without saying that we are almost always limited by what we are willing or able to spend. In fact, this is the very reason we should know something about evaluating a product and take care in making an educated purchase.