I think Joe would do well to consider all advice given here, but it strikes me that he's not looking for "smell alikes." As a relatively new collector, he wants to break loose with a big name niche product like Creed. There are many who think Creed overrated, overpriced, liars, etc, etc, etc.
But Creed has the best established name amongst the niche scents. When you're first starting down this insane path, they show up a lot. That, plus in this forum, the mere mention of their name brings out fan boys and haters which makes an impression as well. I remember my first Creed: GIT. It felt special to buy it and wear it whether it was developed for Cary Grant or not. It WAS a cut above the designer offerings I had been wearing.
So I'm taking the tack that Joe wants a Creed. Go for it Joe. But once you know the one you want, you can check out cheaper alternatives than Nieman Marcus retail. Beauty Encounter, Scentiments, Walgreens, FragranceNet among some of the companies selling many of the Creeds for less than usual retail. And they're legit.