Compact Discs

Now for a disclaimer. I realize that this page is filled with rare discs. If you ran across this page because you were searching for a particularly hard-to-find disc (Daniel Amos, Mastedon, etc.) I have to say up front that none of them are for sale. I will be glad to help you out in your quest to find your own copy, though. I've already been able to point a few people in the right direction, and have even gotten mail back from them once they obtained their discs. Check the bottom of the page for a list of resources I use to find rare titles.

And if you have available any discs from my want list, please e-mail me!

As promised, here is a list of the resources I use to procure hard-to-find discs:

• Cross Rhythms Music - The first place I look. Almost all used discs are only $8, and the OOP discs are reasonably priced, usually at just a few dollars extra. Most other places know exactly what you are looking for and automatically tack on an extra 8 or 10 dollars--and much more if it's a really hard-to-find title. These guys seem to spend their time moving large amounts of discs in and out rather than wasting time researching just how much they can afford to charge you for each individual title. That makes me eager to support them and send others their way. They also carry new discs, and a large selection of independent bands, complete with RealAudio samples. They offer almost everything you could want. Service is very good, and shipping is fast and inexpensive. ($2 for the first item and $1 for each additional item, with a maximum of $5)
• 777 Music - Although this is my second pick, it's a great place and I recommend it very highly. They don't employ a flat pricing scheme like CRM, but the prices are very good--usually 7 to 9 dollars for used titles. New discs are usually 10 to 15 dollars. I've been able to find many discs here that weren't available anywhere else, and the prices were still low. They also offer some indie artists, such as Livgren, Norman, Saviour Machine, Torman Maxt, etc.. Service is excellent and turnaround is very quick. I've placed many orders on a Monday and received the shipment on the following Thursday. They offer secure ordering on-line with credit cards. Shipping is inexpensive. (1 item $2, 2 items $3, 3 items $4, each additional CD 50 cents)
• RadRockers - These guys are fearless--when it comes to prices, anyway! They can post high double-digit and the occasional triple-digit prices without blinking. The good news, though, is that they do have some of the very rarest discs anywhere. They sell almost exclusively new items, so you're virtually guaranteed to get a pristine copy. And their catalogue of in-print indie and obscure discs is reasonably priced. You can find newly released indie titles for around $16 but, as they say themselves, buy it now before the price goes up. They also have a good selection of unopened titles in several price tiers, starting at only 2 or 3 dollars, and you would be surprised at some of the great titles that show up at even the lower prices. An order will result in a few quarterly catalogues being mailed to you, but be sure to check on-line for the "onesies" category. ($25 minimum order. Shipping rates: 1 - 3 items: $4, 4 - 6 items: $6.50, 7 - 10 items: $7.75)
• Christian Music X-Change - I keep this place in mind, but have rarely ordered from them. The selection is large and, while you can find many used titles listed for 6 to 8 dollars, the one you want will invariably be 14 to 20 dollars. Maybe a lot more.  A quick scan down the list will reveal a high percentage of double-digit prices. Also, their shipping is more expensive, making it hard to justify buying less than three or four discs at a time. Sadly, you are required to pay $5 shipping for a single disc. (1-4 items: $5, 5-10 items: $6) That being said, they do have a large catalog, and it is a good place to locate hard-to-find titles. They also have frequent auctions.
• GEMM - This is a general search engine that includes the catalogues of dozens of companies. Enter the artist or title and it will return all the places that offer the titles you are looking for. Another very valuable tool for finding rare discs, tapes, and vinyl. It does not contain the catalogues of many (if any) exclusively Christian companies, though, so always check the above sites.
• Rock Solid Music - They have a good catalogue format, making it easy to see exactly what titles were released from any given artist, as well as what they have available. But the prices are high, especially for the hard-to-find titles. Prices of 30 to 50 dollars are common, and you'll see higher here and there. One thing they offer that you won't find many other places is CDR remastering of OOP and vinyl selections for about $15 each. If you own cassettes or vinyl copies of older albums that will never be released on disc, I recommend buying a CDR. (If you do not already own a copy of the album, buy one first. Otherwise, purchasing the CDR is not right.) The audio quality and packaging are very good, and I am pleased with the titles I have gotten from them, such as Stonehill's Between the Glory & the Flame, Hotz's Beyond the Crystal Sea, and Rez's Hostage.
• Lastly, here are a few more to try. I don't have personal experience with them, though.
  • Christian Discs
  • Vinyl Diversions
  • Rockrdude's Radical Records
  • Rugged Cross Music Connections
  • Sweet Music