Originally Posted by noobinsf

Yes, tinkering results in a lot of reselling, but only if you tinker with a lot of different things. Buying and returning isn't really fair to the retailer (unless you genuinely make a mistake and buy something you did not know was incompatible.)

In the end, you're investing in your tactile knowledge of how the bike feels with different components, so it is worthwhile to spend a little time with a measuring tape to see where you may want to trim or add some length/width, and then spend some time researching before you buy. That way, you start from more-than-zero and can spend some time acclimating to a new setup and make a decision. Also, if you buy parts of decent quality, you can always use them on a different bike if you decide this one does not fit.

EDIT: Your approach of trying your current bars with a new stem is a good incremental way to do this. You may find that it transforms the way the bike feels.