I am a massive fan of buying previous years models, if not stuff that is 2 seasons ‘old’. If you buy sensibly you can get a whole ready assembled bike, with a current spec frame (in an old colourway) for the same price as just a frame, if not a little more - if you have to build then of course you can strip and sell.
Builds, as sure you aware if you have done before, can end up costing more than expected through bars, stems, headset bearings, post (if not included), saddle etc. Of course I end up changing bits like saddles, bars and stem but other bits I usually use till they wear out.
Through buying a colourway that people obviously didn’t like (thankfully I did!), or a bike with a slightly unusual spec, I actually managed to get myself 2 bikes.
First was a heavily reduced 2 season ‘old’ new full suspension trail bike, running Fox shocks/dropper and SRAM gears with Shimano brakes. It’s a 27.5 plus bike so suffered with the market being indecisive and fickle, but when you look past that it’s very very similar to the current 29er model in terms of geo and spec - just that bike is £2k more. The whole bike was about same price as the frame is now…
With the money I saved I bought 1 season ‘old’ new hardtail XC again with Fox / SRAM / Shimano (some one tier down from trail bike). The frame is still the current model, this whole bike cost just a couple hundred more than the frame is now.
The rest of the money I saved I have spent on upgrading tyres, tuition (which has made me better than any bike) and a few riding trips away.
Maybe old stock isn’t that common where you are but is worth a look.