First, we want to make sure to pass along to our regular customers that we've heard Big Finish will be making available some quantity of free copies of Her Final Flight to all US retailers. We don't know if that's one per retailer, one per subscriber, or exactly what that will mean. We don't know what arrangements are being made for resellers outside the US. All the copies we receive free will go on a first-come, first-served basis AT NO CHARGE to those subscribers and certain other loyal customers who are essentially subscribers based on their purchases. We will determine the final lists of who gets copies when they arrive. At this time, we can't promise copies to anyone beyond a particular subscriber (who has purchased all 63 Big Finish Doctor Who releases AND every spin-off release and quite a bit more from us). What we hope is everyone who deserves a copy gets one, and we'll figure that out when we know what we have to work with.

If you want Her Final Flight from us at no charge, you'll be sure to get consideration if you purchase our subscription by the date we receive copies. Please feel free to take a look at our subscription offer HERE. For US customers and certain international customers, we believe this is the lowest cost subscription offer available.

Many thanks must go to our customers who supported us, stood with us, and even told Big Finish they should consider the loyalty of all regular customers, and not just the ones that come through their web site. Those customers are largely responsible for whatever quantity of these CDs we receive. Kudos, too, to Big Finish for doing the right thing in listening and acting in a way that will serve us all well in the long-term.

Second, we've been doing some thinking.... OK, we know that's always dangerous.

But, seriously, we've been seeing how many people have been able to find some of the items we sell elsewhere. When they're willing to settle for used copies, they've sometimes found them at lower prices. We're frugal by nature, too, and we understand that, sometimes, a bargain is a bargain. So, why should you be coming to us for your purchases in the first place?

For new Big Finish CDs, those of you who are reading this have likely either bought from us through an eBay purchase or have gotten a price quote and have seen our regular web site prices. You know we discount most new items, and our actual day-to-day regular prices are the best in the US. On our web site, we often list retail price on CDs as the reference point from which discounts are applied, seldom as the actual price. Feedback we see suggests our level of service meets or exceeds your needs as well. So, perhaps this is all part of why you've come here. And that's a good start.

For used CDs we sell, we have a hard time keeping them in stock. Because they often sell near the retail price on auction outlets, and because we don't want to lose money by getting them in stock, and because we want to give a real savings versus the price of new CDs, it's not easy for us to get many used CDs for resale. Certainly, we'll try to make a competitive offer for quality used CDs we want, and will be more competitive if it's in trade for other items, but if you're willing to pay the fees and take the time to auction your Doctor Who CDs, chances are this is a good deal for you. That's really why we don't compete well with the price of used CD merchandise...we see it infrequently and sell it quickly.

So, the real discussion is "New Versus Used"...or is it?

If you buy a used item in good faith, and are dealing with a private collector, something still could go wrong. If your CD is scratched, or there's some other problem, you'll need to go through the process of getting a refund, and then again through the process to try to find the item. That's a risk. If you buy a new item from us and insure the shipment, chances are good we'll have a replacement on hand to ship to you, and we'd otherwise be able to refund 100% of your purchase price. Without insurance, we would still stand behind the quality of what we sell, and would deal the same way with items that were manufactured with defects. For many of our items, we carry extra copies in stock, and will do all we can to get you what you paid for.

There's also our long and consistent track record to look at, and we hope you'll use that to purchase from us with confidence. We want you all to be customers for many years, and to tell others we're worth their trust. That doesn't happen if we disappoint you.

There's also the old adage, "Those who want something for nothing usually get what they pay for!" Often, we really can't sell for less. We're not trying to make a "killing," just a profit. So, if someone is selling the same items for less, it's worth looking at the reasons...is the item used, is the seller forced to sell because prices were kept too low for too long, is this the genuine article? Are you getting a bargain price from someone going out of business who CAN'T stand behind the purchase?

With sometimes little price difference between new and used copies of the same items, we're still trying to understand when there's any reason left not to buy something new from a trusted source. And, of course, that little difference is going to be beyond the means of some. That's a good reason.

Ultimately, a copy of any item has to be sold new from somewhere first, before it becomes used. For the new copies that we sell, we'll continue to try hard to give you competitive options on a regular basis.

When there's an opportunity to acquire used copies to sell to you at competitive prices, we'll do that, too. For the collectors' market, this may mean we're forced to charge well above retail price...and that's another can of worms to address another time, or by e-mail if you care to write with questions.

We find our customers usually know the difference between being frugal and being cheap. For the future, we hope to remain the frugal choice, and give the best value and service possible when you purchase from us. We hope we'll be the real bargain for a long time to come.