Can't say how many times I've heard people wanting 1W of 532 for under $200, but there was a Time we were all noobs. I remember looking at wickedlasers' (who I thankfully ended up not going with) site and wondering, how come the "1W" krypton is $1000 and the 1W arctic is "only" $450?
Up to 500mW, 532nm lasers are pretty reasonable in price, but past 500mW and especially past 800mW they jump in price. DPSS in general will cost a pretty penny, especially in high powers. just wait till you see the prices on 589nm and 594nm.
I broke lots of rules as a noob. my first laser was 5mW, then I jumped to 1W and thought I woundn't need safety glasses if I was just careful. I was wrong. I did not own the laser long before I realized the glasses were vital. I didnt blind myself or anyone else, but this is a most real possibility without glasses. some "safety glasses" out there suck (cough cough lazerer), so make sure to get good ones, rated OD4 for the wavelength you end up getting
finally, in your shoes, i'd recommend getting a builder member on the forum here to build you a 1W 445nm. there are builders within the U.S. In this manner, shipping will be faster, cheaper, and your laser need not pass through customs, risking siezure. in say, a SF501B host with an aluminum heat sink, this laser shouldn't be much over $100.
the best bang for buck I've seen is offered by ricktrent. Here is a link to his site:
Most powerful Hand Held Laser
each laser kit can become 3.2-3.5W 445nm, 3W 445nm, 2W 445nm, 1.3-1.5W 445nm, or 1W 638nm
these prices will be hard to beat. once more, glasses. please be safe, your actions could effect the hobby for all, these are by nature high profile devices, so it can be hard to be low-key
