Appreciate your thoughtful reply and advice here. I really do hope in the long run we get more high quality GMK alternatives at reasonable prices and delivery in a reasonable timeframe. Hopefully this will result in a more accessible hobby for all.
The gateron milky browns I got are from here. I don’t think those are CAP milky browns, but I get the feeling that your advice would apply to them just the same. They do come factory lubed, but the product description does recommend additional hand-lubing.
I see your point about how if I’m going to hand lube them anyway, a break-in period wouldn’t result in a lot of value added. But after considering everything, I think I will try breaking them in regardless. I’ll use them as my daily driver for a few weeks to break them in (I’m pretty much on the computer for 14hrs a day). I guess the way I see it, I’m in no hurry to finish the build, so the cost of breaking in is low for me—with the added bonus that I get to put off the task of hand-lubing them just a bit longer. I’m also itching to just assemble the board and get to using it.