The Obligatory Links Page

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• CD Now...is GONE!!! Yup, they've been bought out by Amazon.com, and that's where that link leads now. (No, I did *not* just find out about this, I've just been too lazy to update this link until now.) It sucks that Amazon didn't bother keeping CDNow's excellent search engine...I used to search CDNow to find out what I wanted, then order it through Amazon. :) Oh well. R.I.P.
  
• Amazon.Com -- More expensive than CDNow, and few (if any) sales...but their catalog is more extensive, and since they aren't based in California, I don't have to pay sales tax when I order from them!
  
• eBay Listings: Music -- The ever-famous auction site, great for finding that rare item you can't find anyplace else. [WARNING!! THIS PLACE WILL DRIVE YOU TO BANKRUPTCY FASTER THAN A HEROIN ADDICTION!!!
  
• Second Spin -- The world's largest online catalog of USED CDs. Their item info is VERY limited, so watch out if you're looking for remasters, import versions, reissues w/bonus tracks, or bands that have more than one of the same title (like "Deep Purple In Concert" -- ack.) Rare stuff comes through here ALL the time, so set your "personal favorites" and check them often!!
  
• GEMM Bargain Finder -- Not really a vendor, but a search engine with several dozen online stores on its roster. Kind of a nightmare to navigate, but does offer secure ordering. Some of these dealers look pretty shady, so be warned...

• BLACKMETAL.COM -- Now *this* is a great place! Mostly specializing in black metal, but also carries a veritable TREASURE TROVE of classic, "vintage" metal! (English Dogs, Sacrilege, Witchfinder General, Holy Terror, etc...my first order from them was in the neighborhood of $200!!) Fast & friendly service, with most orders sent out within a week. Highest recommendation possible!
• CD CONNECTION -- Similar catalog as Amazon.com, but MUCH cheaper prices...however, they double-billed me on my last order, so they're on my shit list right now...
• CENTURY MEDIA -- Helps to go to the source sometimes. :) Wholesale prices, but shipping can be slow.
• DAVE'S METAL [email only] -- A big eBay seller, with TONS of metal titles at his disposal. If it exists, he can get it for you!
• THE END RECORDS -- Incredibly cheap prices (around $10 apiece, FREE SHIPPING!), super-fast turnaround (if it takes longer than two days, complain), nice selection of titles including the COMBAT reissues by Century Media (the international ones, not the crappy domestic ones!!)...what else is there to say? The BEST vendor around BY FAR!!
• HOLE IN THE WALL MUSIC -- Keith Bergman is one of the nicest guys around, but for some reason I always have bad luck with him. EVERY package I've ordered has arrived open or damaged (although the CDs were fine, the jewel cases would be smashed to shit...even the replacement cases he would send me!) -- I think the post office has a personal vendetta against him. :)
• LASER'S EDGE -- Good prices, excellent ship time. The only real downside is that Ken Golden specialized is VERY obscure prog stuff...it takes some searching to find something you've actually heard of!
• METAL MAYHEM -- Specializing in rare, out-of-print power metal & thrash.
• MOBY DISC ONLINE -- Got bought out by Djangos, so I can't vouch for them at the moment...
• MOLTEN METAL USA -- Massive list of NWOBHM/power metal titles. Service has improved dramatically on my last few orders. "Reborn Classics" titles can be found here.
• MOREMETAL.COM -- Truly a godsend, specializing in progressive rock/metal. Unfortunately, they've temporarily shut down.
• MUSICWEB -- Found this place via GEMM. They deal solely in overstocks & cut-outs. Limited selection, of course, but shipping is DAMN quick! (I found Saint Vitus here!)
• RESTLESS & WILD IMPORTS -- Check out this guy's comments on Rob Halford's sexuality, they're a hoot!!
• SENTINEL STEEL -- Back online at last, this mail-order service offers some really great deals, as well as the CHEAPEST import prices I've run across!
• Perpetual Motion Conference: World Trade Center -- Just one of many message boards where all the traders hang out. I'm far too anal to get into CD trading , but that's your thing, this is the best place to look. This is by far the riskiest form of trading, so try to establish someone's credibility before you make a deal with them.

• CYBERCD -- German vendor. I hate how they redesigned their site (since they don't list music labels anymore, makes it harder to find Century Media reissues), but they have great customer service and FAST delivery. However, shipping costs are VERY expensive...and be careful you don't accidentally order "American imports" from here. :))
• ROCKHOUSE: MUSIC MAILORDER HOLLAND -- Dutch vendor. Extensive catalog, but woefully out of date. Fairly good customer service, though, and prices are reasonably cheap.

• All-Stars -- Tried ordering a CD listed as "in stock" from these guys via GEMM; six weeks passed, with NO confirmation of order, and NO contact by email. I checked their main page and it looks like they only take payment up front, which of course puts them on the blacklist right there.
• CD Universe -- In November of '99, some Russian hackers broke into their network and stole about 300,000 credit card numbers, many of which were posted publicly on the Internet. It should go without saying, that ANY vendor that keeps unencrypted, personal customer info on a networked computer should be avoided AT ALL COSTS!!! (To be fair, I've been told that CD Universe may indeed be the safest vendor on the 'Net, after this incident. So I'll let you make up your own mind. They *do* offer more "soundclips" than Amazon does, so that's a major plus for "research" purposes at least...)
• Impulse Music -- This place is so bad, it makes me wonder if they even exist at all?? They never send order confirmations, they never reply to emails, and their phone line is ALWAYS busy...well, actually, I *did* manage to procure Phenomena's s/t CD from them, but it took over 3 weeks and I had to call them SEVERAL times (this was a few years ago, before the constant busy signal took over.) All other orders I've placed with them, seem to have disappeared into thin space...well, all but one. Some EIGHT MONTHS after I placed the order, Demon's "The Plague" suddenly appeared in my mailbox...which would have been cool, except I HAD ALREADY BOUGHT THE DAMN THING FROM SOMEONE ELSE!!! Luckily, my brother's also a big Demon fan, so he was able to buy it from me. (I wasn't ABOUT to try to return it for a refund...)
• The Rock & Metal Store -- First time I logged on here, I wound up on somebody else's account!! That should say it all. However, I placed an order anyway, merely because "Flight of Icarus/The Trooper" was still listed (no secure ordering, either...STUPID). No confirmation sent, and only a UK fax number & non-working email address listed. And then...one day, at six in the morning, some guy from Canada called me at home, asking to buy some of my CDs!!! At first I thought it was a cruel joke, but after some research, it turned out that HE had gone to this place and accidentally pulled up MY personal info, and was dumb enough to think it was the store's phone & address!! Luckily, he was too clueless to do any serious damage to my account or rip off my credit card number...needless to say, I quickly went back there and changed ALL of my personal information, so if they ever DO mail out that Maiden CD, it will go to "Lord Belial, 666 Asmodeus Way, Infernoville Heights, Hell."

• Alta Mira -- This vendor is reported to be top-notch.
• B-Sides Music -- This guy makes CDR's of extremely rare b-sides & unreleased tracks of new wave, electronica, alternative & synth bands, such as The Cure, Peter Gabriel, a-ha, etc. However, he's never responded to my emails, so...dunno what's up with him.
• CD Baby -- Small vendor, but has some rare stuff (Ion Vein, etc.)
• CD Banzai -- Why do I even bother keeping this link here???
• Cheap CDs -- Really not THAT cheap, in fact the only reason I bookmarked this one was because they listed a Killing Joke CD that wasn't listed anywhere else (and has since been reissued.)
• Dream Disc -- Another highly recommended vendor.
• Dr. Metal's Trading Page -- Well, at least this guy's legit, but I've never successfully worked out a deal with him. (He only trades, never sells.)
• Electric Obiland -- Thought I'd put this up as a joke. I've never seen such OUTLANDISH prices!!! ($300.00 for a Phil Collins promo CD?? $1500 for a Led Zeppelin 7" single??? DREAM ON!!!!)
• Vinyl Tap -- And just for laughs, here's a rare vinyl shop. I've never ordered from them (obviously).

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