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The Internet List of Import/Bootleg CD Dealers and Related Information

Revision: 14 December 1994

Compiled by Ethan Evan Prater 

PLEASE NOTE! This is the last revision I plan to do of the dealer list. 
Most of the information on the list is no longer current.

This is primarily a list of North American import/bootleg/live/ROIO CD
dealers compiled from information culled from people on the network,
Goldmine, and other places; it includes some related information
about other CD importers and publications.

Again, much of the information on this list is old and out of date. 
Look in Goldmine and Live Music Review (see below) for many dealers not 
in this listing.

This list is not meant to be official or definitive. I started it mainly
as a way to organize information for myself, but also a way to answer
questions I often see about where to get such recordings. I hope some
people find it of use. I am not responsible for any of the information in
this list -- it is accurate to the best of my knowledge. I have no
financial interest in any of the businesses mentioned. Most evaluations
are from my own personal experience; others are from people who mailed to
me their impressions. All are obviously completely subjective. Your
mileage may vary.

Ordering live/bootleg CD's can be treacherous. Many dealers are
unscrupulous, fly-by-night operations that have inconsistent records of
service and have no qualms about lying to customers or otherwise ripping
them off. Never make a large initial order from a dealer you don't know;
wait until the dealer has established service and reliability to your
satisfaction with small orders. Discs can take months to arrive, depending
on the dealer, so be careful about how you pay for your orders. Sending a
money order off for discs that may come in three months or not at all can
be unpleasant.

These dealers' catalogs and lists are usually available by writing or
calling them; some will charge for their catalogs. It's usually a good
idea to have some idea what you want when calling a dealer; most will try
to find those items if they do not have them in stock.

A progressive music dealer mail order list exists. Check
alt.music.progressive for more info. There is some overlap with this list,
but it has information about imports and other hard-to-find CD's. Bob
Gajarsky  compiles a list of Greenwich Village,
NYC, record stores, many of which sell boots. 

Feel free to distribute this list anywhere, but please keep it completely
intact. The sections are as follows:

- Dealers, including as much address/phone information as I have
- Related Resources on the Net, including servers and legitimate CD dealers
- Publications, including Goldmine, Hot Wacks, and others

Dealers
--

ABCD
33 North Main St
Port Chester, NY 10573
(914) 939-2223
(914) 939-3879 -- FAX

ABCD deals primarily in legitimate imports and has extremely quick
delivery time of items they have in stock. They can get almost any import,
bootleg or legitimate (so they claim) but take notoriously long to do so
and their prices are sky high. I notice that they lag behind others in
awareness and ability to get new titles. They take MC/Visa, and charge
about $35 per CD (for bootlegs; legitimate CD's vary) plus $5 UPS shipping
on any size order; computerized ordering and distribution makes it easy
for them to check on your order. They have a decent reputation on the net,
but do not rely exclusively on them to find what they say they will. You
might be left hanging for a long time. 


Barax
PO Box 411
Mineral Ridge, OH 44440

I wrote them for their catalog, but received nothing.


Ken Barker
4495 Academy St
Acworth, GA 30101
(404) 917-0141

I wrote for his listing but never received it. I did not call him.


Kim Brandner
717 East Jerico Turnpike
Suite 113
Huntington Station, NY 11746
(516) 724-8337 -- voice and fax

This catalog lists legitimate imports, bootleg CD's, and bootleg videos.
Prices and shipping costs are higher than average. I haven't ordered from
this dealer or heard from anyone who has.


Michael H. Briggs
Mill Valley Vinyl/CD
PO Box 2401
Mill Valley, CA 94942

Apparently has no boots. He referred me to Neal Frederics, below.


CD Banzai
PO Box 17081
Beverly Hills, CA 90209-2081
(213) 965-1103 -- 24 hour phone line
(213) 653-2311 -- FAX

This place says, "If it exists on compact disc, we'll find it!" I've begun
to test this claim, and I think it's just hype.  They have a great listing
of bootleg CD's from many artists, but a spotty record of finding even
semi-rare stuff. Several reports from (very) dissatisfied customers say
that CD Banzai is unreliable as far as shipping dates and credit card
overcharges; be careful with any orders. Prices are slightly above
average. I believe Rodney at CD Banzai sells a catalog for $10.


The CD Bar
281 Queen St W
Toronto MSV 1Z9
(800) 663-1616 and (416) 977-6863
(416) 977-6865 -- FAX

A high class place that deals mostly in legitimate imports, but can order
CD boots. Since they're in Canada, they take advantage of looser import
laws to get boots more easily. The owner's name is Paul, and he is
extremely willing to help find anything. He won't, however, send out a
list of what he has; you have to call and ask. I haven't been too pleased
dealing with the order takers at the toll free number, but they basically
know what they're doing. CD Bar has a fancy computerized ordering and
distribution system and they take credit cards; you can call at any time
to check on the status of your order. Prices vary from very high (about
$37 American for _Rushian Roulette_, 1 CD boot) to very low (same price
for _Happy Birthday Sting_, 2 CD boot). Make sure you know how much you
will be paying; they have occasionally tried to get by without telling me
how much my cedit card would be billed. An excellent an reputable source
for legitimate imports, especially Canadian CD's.

Orders can take a long time, especially discs they have to track down in
Europe. I ordered some rare legitimate and bootleg CD's from them and
called back six months later to check on the status; the discs had been
deleted or were otherwise unavailable, but no one had notified me of that.
I recommend this place for legitimate imports and common boots, except for
the long waits for rarer stuff. They don't charge your credit card until
they ship your order, there's no chance of losing your money, and all the
calls are toll free.


CDC Co.
618 S. Northwest Hwy.
Suite #120
Barrington, IL 60010

This place deals in CD boots only. They have a wide selection from many
artists as well as the _Hot Wacks_ collector's guide for $20. I received
_Hot Wacks_ from them within a week of ordering it. Their prices: 1CD -
$25, 2CD - $48, 3CD - $68. Shipping is $3.50 per order (in the U.S.),
insured. They take Visa/MC; allow 4-6 weeks for delivery of most items.
Write them for their extensive catalog; they'll send frequent updates,
too.


CD Europe
PO Box 8561
Deerfield Beach, FL 33443
(305) 481-8984 -- orders, 7 days, 9am-11pm Eastern
(305) 481-8817 -- FAX, 24hrs, 7 days
(305) 481-1724 -- order status, misc. inquiries; weekdays, 9am-5pm Eastern
telnet access: cdeurope.com

A large distributor of legitimate imports and bootlegs that publishes a
free monthly newsletter with about 3,000 titles and has a large catalog
(about the size of an average telephone book) for $15. They have
instituted dialup access (any speed up to 9600 baud, 8 data, no parity, 1
stop) at the following numbers:

Sunnyvale     (408) 733-0801
Boston        (617) 639-0238
Chicago       (312) 477-3518
New York City (212) 532-4045

Prices are high, selection is extensive (they maintain no inventory, but
order everything individually); Visa/MC, Check/MO. Completely
undependable; they waffled on shipping my catalog. Almost universally
despised on the net, mainly for their credit card policy. However, they no
longer charge your credit card immediately when you place an order. They
list titles they know are out of print. I recommend against this place. Be
careful, at least. 


The CD Exchange
430 E. Kirkwoods Ave, Units 8 and 9
Dunkirk Square
Bloomington, IN 47408
(812) 334-2588

AND

Roscoe's
430 E. Kirkwoods Ave, Unit 19
Dunkirk Square
Bloomington, IN 47408
(812) 333-0272

The above two businesses are in the same building and have the same owner.
I haven't figured out why. They have CD boots (I only asked about Rush,
but they had some hard-to-find titles) for $30 for 1 CD ($55 for 2), and
will ship for $2. They don't take credit cards, so you have to send your
check or money order to them first. A couple of people on the network have
dealt with them and have good things to say. Like most retail stores not
geared toward mailorder, they allow customers to listen to CD's in the
store. This means what you order often is unwrapped, but the discs I got
from them were in very good shape.


C.D.I. Imports
PO Box 471
Lincoln, MA 01773
(617) 259-9155

Their Goldmine ad says to send $5 for their catalog of 4000 titles.


CD Wherehouse
4779 Transit Road
Apartment 11-172
Depew, NY 14043

They will send a catalog for $1. Their prices are average with some rare
titles. This is the same dealer as Bill Dorsey (see below); this address
is probably more current.


Chicago Compact Disc
1640 Orrington Ave
Evanston, IL 60208
(708) 328-2202

All I know about this place is that the owner's name is Michael and the
manager is Cliff. They're supposedly very helpful, but I have never dealt
with them.


Compact Platters
9102 N. Arch Village Ct.
Suite B
Richmond, VA 23236
(804) 330-5618
MWF 6-10pm Eastern
SatSun 12-7pm Eastern

This guy (Jeff) seems to have a good operation going, and he caters to
Rush and Beatles fans. Call before ordering for availability. Prices are
average ($25 per CD, $3 shipping). Unlike many other dealers, he will not
cash a check until he gets the items in stock and ships the order. He does
not take credit cards. My shipment from him arrived about two weeks after
he said it would, and the case to one CD was damaged, but I'm not unhappy
with his service.


Dead Parrot Disks
PO Box 51631
Indianapolis, IN 46521-0631

I have had no dealings with this dealer, but two people on the net sent
checks to Dead Parrot that were cashed, and the customers never received
anything. Another person said his check was cashed immediately, but his
order was shipped three months later. I believe they sell _Hot Wacks_ for
$20. I sent for their listing but never received it. Dead Parrot has been
vilified on many mailing lists by many people, so I recommend staying away
from them, if you can contact them at all.


Digital Disc
1125 Rt. 112
Port Jefferson Station, NY 11776
(516) 474-0167

This place is on Long Island. The manager's name is George Siciliano. He
takes credit cards, but selection is limited to what he has in stock, and
his prices are high ($35 for a 1CD boot).


Dr. Wax
5210 S. Harper OR 2529 N. Clark St.
Chicago, IL 60615
(312) 493-8696 OR (312) 549-3377


Bill Dorsey
1312 French Rd #A-30
Depew, NY 14043
(716) 668-4316 -- voice and fax

Average selection with the occasional hard-to-find selection; $25 a
disc. Some multidisc sets are cheaper. Shipping is $3 for the first
three discs, fifty cents each additional. I have not ordered from him,
but one person said he had no real trouble. He waited three weeks to
receive his shipment, even though he ordered with a money order, so
perhaps Dorsey takes a while to ship. Another report says that he
occasionally misrepresents what he has in stock or how long an order
will take to arrive (not unusual with most dealers). 


C. Dunn
532 LaGuardia Place #221
New York, NY 10012


EPA
(previously NYC -- now defunct)

This company, which attempted to set up shop in NYC some time ago, sent a
letter to all of its customers saying that they were going out of
business, closing up shop and going back to Holland. It's unclear whether
they will attempt to fill any outstanding orders (they have $127 of my
money -- they cashed the check more than a year ago and sent only one CD).
Stay away from them, assuming you can track them down at all.


Neal Frederics
1816 N. Stanley Ave.
Hollywood, CA 90036
(213) 876-1354
before 10am, after 10pm daily

I wrote for his catalog, but never heard back.


Hip Cat Records
1098 W. Dundee Rd
Wheeling, IL 61042


Tom Hudson
156-47-77 Street
Howard Beach, NY 11414


N. Lafferty
PO Box 142
Bloomfield, NJ 07003
(201) 743-0878 -- voice and fax


Mad City
Madison, WI
(608) 251-8558

This place said over the phone that they have no Police or Rush at all
(November 1992).


Madhatter Music
143 E. Wooster St
Bowling Green, OH 43403
(419) 353-3555

Ask for Jim or Billy. They don't have much in stock but they will try to
find it quickly. Prices: $26-28 for 1CD, $45-50 for a 2CD set. Delivery
time varies.


Magic Com
PO Box
D-56294 Gappenach
Germany
49 2654 7031 -- PHONE
49 2654 8175 -- FAX
(reachable via e-mail; I don't have address available)


Miss You
7095 Hollywood Blvd. #376
Hollywood, CA 90028
(213) 469-1065

No response, though I wrote for their catalog.


Mother People
PO Box 16908
West Palm Beach, FL 33416

This place (the owner's initials are R.C.) will send you a catalog for $2,
refundable on your first order. Subsequent catalogs are free if you make a
purchase. He has an extensive selection for average to low prices, and he
gives all sorts of bonuses for frequent and large orders. I have never
ordered from him, but we correspond somewhat regularly, and he appears to
be quite reliable and conscientious, definitely in the business for the
long haul. Cash, check, or money order only. 


Revolver Records
45 West 8th St
New York, NY
(212) 982-6760

This place would not discuss live recordings in detail with me over the
phone, but they have one of the largest boot CD selections in the City. 
If you call and ask for specific titles (that they have in stock), they
will hold them for you to send a check/MO. No credit cards accepted.
Prices about $20 a disc. Their selection of live recordings is very good
and rotates frequently, though the employees are quite unfriendly. They
are slow on mailorder, though they do send the discs -- just a week or
more after they say they will. 


Rocks In Your Head
157 Prince St
New York, NY
(212) 475-6729

I hear they have a handful of boots at really high prices. They have no
Police, but I didn't ask about others.


Second Coming
235 Sullivan Street
New York, NY 10012
(212) 228-1313

This place sells only what they have in stock, and the manager says that
varies from day to day. Their selection of bootleg CD's is tremendous for
a retail store; prices usually a little under $20 a disc. Call and ask
them about specific titles. They apparently will do mail order.


Second Coming
1105 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02138
(617) 576-6400

Perhaps a branch of the New York store; a very popular place in the
Harvard Square area. Their mail order service record is uneven, but they
have high turnaround of their very large volume, so it's worth a call.
They take credit cards.


Second Hand Tunes
2550 N. Clark St OR 2604 N. Clark St.
Chicago, IL 60614
(312) 281-8813 OR (312) 929-6325

One store has vinyl, the other CD's, but I'm not sure which is which.
Neither place will order special, but both will ship what they have in
stock.


Sid's Records and Tapes
Coral Springs Mall
3251 University Dr.
Coral Springs, FL 33065
(305) 345-7111

I wrote for their list but got no response.


Slipped Discs
David Seiferth
4152 W. Main St. #123
Batavia, NY 14020-1235
(716) 591-3892 -- note: changed from (716) 344-1632
9-10pm Eastern

I called this guy and got an answering machine saying to call back three
days later, but I never did.


Sean?
smiegs@delphi.com

Apparently active online dealer. I've never dealt with him.


Smokin' Soundz
PO Box 353
Dunedin, FL 34697
(813) 736-8136
(813) 733-0580 -- FAX
tfcb16d@prodigy.com

A very customer-oriented business. They advertise only items they have in
stock, but their catalog is still very extensive. They have some very had
to find titles discs, and the owners are very helpful about finding
anything they don't have. They track down rare and out of print titles
amazingly quickly. Prices vary. They do sell _Hot Wacks_ and some other
books, and even stock some LP's. Check/MO only. One of the friendliest and
most reliable dealers around; highly recommended. 


Sound City 2000
(503) 654-1296 -- Pacific time zone

I don't have any address information, but this is a very well-known and
controversial dealer. Some people swear they're criminals, others swear
they're completely reliable. They have definitely changed their name
because of problems with the Better Business Bureau. They claim to be able
to get anything -- legitimate imports are probably more likely than
bootlegs.


Stray Toasters
PO Box 130475
Houston, TX 77219-0475

From their catalog it's apparent this is a small operation. They have a
small compact disc, LP, and video selection, but nothing from the artists
I concentrate on. It's mostly the typical stuff: Zeppelin, KISS, Queen,
The Stones, etc. Prices are $25 single CD, $45 double; base shipping is
$2.50 plus extra depending on what is ordered (first class mail).


Ten Mile Music
13722 Nicolett Ave S. #135
Burnsville, MN 55337
(612) 894-9982 -- supposedly 9-11pm Eastern

This guy (Dan?) guarantees all discs against physical defects (not
recording sound quality, obviously); he replaced one person's faulty CD
within a week. Notifies in case of greater than two week delays and gives
honest reviews of quality. He may have mostly Bruce Springsteen stuff, but
he never sent me his catalog. Prices are about $25 a disc, and he holds
checks for clearance the first few orders.


Tabou Records
1318a Ste. Catherine Street West
Montreal, Quebec
H3G 1P6
(514) 861-8767
(514) 861-0917 -- FAX


John Young
PO Box 14126
Gainesville, FL 32604-4126
compactdisc@delphi.com

I got a few bad reports at one time, but this dealer has been very
reliable and straightforward in my dealings with him. He sends a four part
e-mail catalogue about 200K large. He will refund money if titles aren't
available. Four other customers have good things to say about his service
and reliability, saying he replaced defective disks promptly, etc. His
selection and prices are almost exactly average, maybe a little high. I
ordered a disc from him and got it with no hassle. Check/MO; shippping is
$3 for the first CD, fifty cents each additional.


Zaba Music
PO Box 293053
Dayton, OH 45429
(513) 298-2344

I wrote for a catalog, but never heard back.
--


Related Resources on the Net
--

Compact Disc Connection
1030 E. El Camino #322
Sunnyvale, CA 94087
(408) 730-9015
(408) 733-0801 -- FAX
cdconnection.com (199.35.15.2) -- browse and order via telnet

This online CD browsing and ordering service can be accessed by telnet to
cdconnection.com (199.35.15.2). They have an immense online catalog of
domestic CD's of all genres and list some legitimate imports. Their prices
are very good, and everything is done over the computer (Visa/MC only).
They claim their order fill rate is in the high 90% (though some people
say it's lower), and from all accounts seem to be very reliable. Business
is conducted very professionally, and the proprietors will discuss orders
and shipping over e-mail, if necessary. Orders take up to four weeks to
arrive, but there are various shipping options. Highly recommended for
harder to find domestic titles and also the more common imports.


EAR/Rational Music
David Steinhart
ear-rational@xmission.com
(303) 530-GIFT -- phone and fax?

Does not sell bootlegs, but specializes in obscure alternative imports.
Send a message with CATALOG as the Subject line for a quick automated
response. I have ordered from him a number of times with no problem. I
believe he can also get mainstream imports. Check/MO only.


Ranjit Padmanabhan
PO Box 10151
San Jose, CA 95157-1151
(408) 255-6077 -- FAX
ranjit@netcom.com

A well-known and reputable dealer, specializing in progressive rock with a
small number of live releases. His listing is available for ftp at
netcom.com in the pub/ranjit/ directory, along with ordering information.
He will also mail it to you. Ranjit waits until he has something in stock
before you send payment to him; check/MO. I believe he has a mailing list
for his new releases; write him to get on it.


Sid's Music Server
ssowder@copper.ucs.indiana.edu
Subject Line: HELP, BOOTLIST, BOOTHELP, SELLLIST, SUBSCRIBE, BOOTADD

Not a dealer per se (this person trades from his large music collection
and also sells/trades radio station promotional material) but if you send
a letter with any of the above subject lines you'll get an immediate
automated response. BOOTLIST will get you an extensive list of net boot
tape traders and what they have available, what they want, and other
information of that ilk. BOOTHELP is a partially accurate, limited
description of what boots are.  SELLLIST is basically a list of tapes,
LP's, and CD's that the person (Missi Wilkenfeld?, Sid?) wants to sell; I
believe it is constantly updated and SUBSCRIBE gets you on a mailing list
of updates. BOOTADD is a way to add your list of rare live recordings to
the big bootlist trading list.


Sights and Sounds
Robert Wolf
Suite 246, 1050 Route 35
Shrewsbury, NJ 07702
(908) 922-6311 -- 4-10pm
(908) 922-4668 -- FAX 24hrs
genesisman@aol.com

This guy will send an extensive catalog though the mail (his listing is 
not online) for no charge. The place specializes exclusively in 
progressive rock from all over the world, more obscure legitimate than 
bootleg releases, though some live stuff was listed at one time. He 
apparently (judging from letters to me and posts to newsgroups) has a 
spotty record of shipping dates, offering numerous excuses for delayed 
orders. Check/MO only.


Publications
--

Goldmine
700 E. State St
Iola, WI 54990
(800) 258-0929
(715) 445-2214
(715) 445-4087 -- FAX

This is a record and CD collectors' publication published twice a month
once known for being a forum for bootleg buyers and sellers. Unfortunately
Goldmine has in the past year or two phased out detailed advertisements
for boot CD's, though ads for radio shows and other obscure items
proliferate. Some live CD dealers still advertise, but you will often have
to write to them for their catalogs. The classified ads are still a great
place to find tape traders and dealers. Subscriptions are $35 for a year
(they run frequent specials on subscription rates); you can call and order
by Visa/MC, or mail them a check or money order. If you call them they
will send you a free sample copy, which might have a subscription discount
coupon with it.


Discoveries
Arena Publishing, Inc.
Box 309
Fraser, MI 48026
(800) 666-DISC
(313) 774-4311
(313) 774-5450 -- FAX

This monthly publication is nearly identical to Goldmine, except that it's
not quite as extensive. There are fewer ads and more articles, and these
people don't discriminate as much against detailed boot CD listings. A
year subscription mailed in the US is $19; one can be had with Visa/MC by
calling the 800 number.


The Hot Wacks Press
PO Box 544
Owen Sound, Ontario
N4K 5R1
Canada
Contact: Bob Walker
(519) 376-9781
(519) 376-9449 -- FAX

_Hot Wacks_ Book XV, "The Last Wacks", is an 802 page discography of
bootlegs arranged both by band and label. It gives times, setlists, and
sound quality ratings. This is the last publication of this book in its
current form, as the bootleg market has grown too large to provide a
complete discography (their term) in one book. The company has published a
supplement (January 1993) and will publish another in January 1994. In
January 1995 it will put out something called "The Ultimate Wacks".  The
1993 supplement is available from most dealers for $9.95 plus about $4.00
shipping (U.S. funds).

The large volume book is heavily LP and tape oriented, but it lists some
CD's.  Its listings are very limited, and in many cases downright wrong.
Sound quality is rated in only three categories (good, very good, and
excellent -- I guess there's no such thing as a bad boot), which may not
be specific enough for some collectors. Label and catalog numbers are
often provided, which can be helpful when trying to track down CD's. The
publisher supposedly sells it directly, advertising a price of $16.95 plus
about $7.50 shipping. One person sent a money order to the publisher to
buy a copy and never heard anything back. If you really want this book,
you're probably best off ordering it from a dealer. The 1993 supplement
concentrates almost exclusively on CD's; it gives much better information
about setlists and label/catalog numbers.


Live! Music Review
PO Box 1464
Rogers, AR 72757
(501) 275-8025 -- FAX

Monthly publication geared toward serious collectors of live stuff. This
magazine reviews mostly bootlegs (with some legitimate), and several
European distributors advertise in it. Apparently the editors are
well-connected as far as knowing new releases, sales figures, etc., and
the reviews separate performance quality from sound quality. A year
subscription is $36 in the U.S., $54 elsewhere; check/MO, Visa/MC.


Why A Pig?
PO Box 3239
London, SW6
United Kingdom

Quarterly publication reviewing bootleg issues. Separate quality rating
systems for soundboard and audience recordings. As with _Live! Music
Review_, each issue deals with a special subject/artist(s), as well as
presenting a number of standing feature articles. A year subscription (4
issues) is:

     USA air: US$20 (cash by registered mail)
     USA sea: US$15 (cash by registered mail)
     UK:  GBP10 (Sterling; pers. cheque, Postal Order, or cash by
                 registered mail)
     Europe:  GBP12 (Sterling; Eurocheque, Int'l Money Order, or cash by
                     registered mail)
--

Many people have mailed evaluations and dealer/publication information to
me; special thanks to Joshua Paxton  for help with
many of these names and addresses.

DO NOT ask me to send you any revisions to this list, because I won't be
doing any more. Feel free to send comments or additional information if 
you cannot resist. 

Please note that all reports and judgements in this list are my own
impressions or those of people who chose to write to me. They might be
biased or otherwise completely inaccurate. 

Again, I take absolutely no responsibility for any of the information in
this list, which is accurate to the best of my knowledge. Permission is
granted to distribute this list freely in its unaltered entirety.


Ethan Evan Prater
prater@minerva.cis.yale.edu
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