Aha yeah I know AO2 can be a little pricy, though they do have some great ones in the cheaper range: the Mini Hydras in SS/Delrin being one of them, which are $20. Great starter set, but it's also impossible to outgrow them, pros. use them still. The weight (18g) is basically the goldilocks weight for most people, the bead shape is excellent

You probably could get a pair from amazon or ebay for like $15 that would serve you well, but I've found those to be either way too light or way too heavy and the beads just kinda feel... shitty, and they might even be unbalanced because quality control is nonexistent.

I don't mean to sound like an aroundsquare shill, I just do genuinely love their products and the owner, Matt, is one of the coolest guys ever