This are listed by the source I purchase the most from first. Shipping time, is the apparent time it takes them to get something into the mail. Customer service (if listed) is my experience when I had a problem.

Columbia House - This is my favorite source for buying massive quantities of Popular music CDs. This is not a good source if you are buying one or two at a time, but if, like me, you can buy them in batches of 6 or more, the prices drop dramatically. Including S+H the price per CD averages less than $ 8.50 and sometimes less than $7.00 per CD. Wait for the buy one get two free offers and the buy one-get one free and the rest for 2.99 offers. Their new program allows you to elect to only receive the selection of the month if you act, thus setting the default to don't send me the selection of the month. I've always had this, but I joined while I was stationed in Hawaii, where that was mandatory, now everyone can have this. The only catch with Columbia House is I often have to wait a few months for them to get the CDs I want and their selection is limited to mostly popular titles. Fast shipping time, excellent customer service, although they do tend to make the same mistakes from time-to-time.
 

Time - Life - Their CD collections are without a doubt excellent. If you want to get a lot of the rock hits from the 50's on thru the 90's then this is the way to go. The price per CD could be lower, but I feel I get my money's worth as any other method of collecting these songs would cost me 5 times as much. I priced it to make sure. Acceptable shipping time, good customer service. This would be excellent, but I always have to call them up to get the last one or two CDs in the collection.
 

Amazon.com - Amazingly I have found that their prices are often lower than any other on-line retailer with the exception of batch orders from Columbia House. When Columbia House does not have a CD or I really only want one to three CDs that month this is my recommended choice. They have, overall, the best selection of the CDs I have been searching for. A little lacking on imports, but I look here first, since their selection is still increasing. Fast shipping time. No problems so far.
 

Nettwerk - Good place for hunting down Sarah McLachlan and recent Delerium albums. Fair prices, fast service. Good shipping time, good customer service. Lately, not as good for Delerium, but then I have everything Nettwerk offers on them. The nifty trick is to catch them at a Lilith Fair and scarf all you can at reduced prices with no S+H. (Especially since Lilith Fair has been so good)
 

CD Banzai - If you need an unusual North-American title in new condition, this is a good first place to look. Varied shipping time. marginal customer service - The glitch here is they are not good about telling me if an item is no-longer available and some products were shipped much later then others. However, I have not been charged for anything I did not receive, so I trust them with my credit card number

Music File - Large collection of miscellaneous music. Found all but one of my obscur titles on the site. Have not ordered from them yet. Prices seem high, but probably because it is a collection of rare music stores feeding into this one internet location.

Hypnotic Records Also Cleopatra Records- Good source for Electronika, Industrial, Gothic, and some unusual titles. Alternate source for older Delerium Titles, which I could find no where else.
 

Total Recall - This is a Used or Off-shelf CD source in Europe. They have an interesting collection of hard to find European titles in the Dance, Industrial, Techno category with emphasis on German groups. The Catch is you have to check back on an occasional basis to see what they have come up with since the last time. They don't make very many guarantees, but they do allow contingencies to the order (Such as if you can't get me this one then send this instead). I have only made one order so far, so I can not vouch for them other than that order was recieved.
 

CD Import Plus - I have not ordered anything from them, and they had nothing I was looking for, but it is a source.
 

CD Now - I have not ordered anything from them. Their selection nearly as good as Amazon.com for the CDs I was looking for. Also their prices are sometimes lower, but usually slightly higher than Amazon.
 

DJ Rhythms - This is not an on-line store, but they have links to other stores. It is a source for finding out which albums exist or have been newly released.  This is oriented towards Dance/Club music.
 

Neurodisc Records - I have not ordered anything from them. Some interesting CDs come out from them in the Techno category. I can usually find them cheaper via Amazon.com
 

CD Europe - I have not ordered anything from them, but it is a source.
 

TVT Records - Good source for Gothic, Industrial and Soundtrack titles. I recommend using the web site to find CDs, but buy them from Amazon.com, they are cheaper that way.

The Following Sites were provided by several persons from the alt.music.techno newsgroup. I have no clue if they are worth bothering with.
As of 01 May 1999 they existed.

Alpha Music - Site is in German with prices in DM. It had a fairly extensive collection - more than just dance music.
Forced Exposure - This site had an interesting selection
Other Music - Kind of disappointed in the selection.
Bent Crayon - Decent selection of Dance music, limited outside that.
Siren Disc - Main thing I will give them is a selection of Japanese Imports of pop music groups
Throb - Pretty much the same as everyone else - dance oriented
www.juno.co.uk - Primarily a Dance Music resource page, but fairly impressive
Crazy Beat Records - Oreiented towards Rap and Hip-Hop. Not impressed, but not my thing either.
Direct Dance Music - Annoying site, but it did have dance music.
Hard to Find Records - A source for Vinyl, looked like they had a fairly good selection
Rub-A-Dub Records - Another Vinyl Source, looks more like a club then a store
Sonic Groove Records - Another Vinyl Site, mostly New York Underground
dance-music-finder - Interesting Selection
Kushi - Interesting, but limited selection

I got bored, so I did not review these sites yet, wait for next update

www.spinmasters.com -
www.611records.com -
www.satelliterecords.com -
www.planetxusa.com -
www.dancegrooves.com -
www.cdblowout.com -
 
 

This page last modified by Longwatcher on 01 May 1999 at 1245 EST