From Ethan Evan Prater I have compiled a list of North American CD boot dealers from information culled from people on the network, Goldmine, and other places. I have also included some relevant information about books, trading lists, etc. This list is in constant development, so please mail me with any suggestions, additions, clarifications, whatever. Most evaluations are from my own personal experience; others are from people who mailed to me their impressions. All are obviously completely subjective. 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 or other interest in any of the businesses mentioned. My interests lie mostly (exclusively, I guess) toward Rush, The Police, and Sting, so note any bias toward these artists. If you are interested, please contact me for my trading list of boots and other rare recordings of these artists. I always want to trade. The dealers on this list do of course sell other artists' stuff. Revision 22 January 1993 -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Goldmine 700 E. State St Iola, WI 54990 (715) 445-2214 FAX (715) 445-4087 This is a record and CD collectors' publication published twice a month known for being a forum for bootleg buyers and sellers. Goldmine has phased out detailed advertisements from all but the largest dealers, including a crackdown on classified ads. This includes tapes and videos, but *not* CD's. Subscriptions are $35 for a year; 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. The Hot Wacks Press PO Box 544 Owen Sound, Ontario N4K 5R1 Canada FAX (519) 376-9781 "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 will publish a supplement in January of each year until 1995, when it will publish something called "The Ultimate Wacks". This book is heavily LP and tape oriented, but it lists some CD's. Its listings for Rush, Sting, and the Police (the only ones I'm qualified to judge) are very limited, and in many cases downright wrong. They only rate sound quality in 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 many people. There are ads for three European boot dealers at the end. The book itself gives no indication that the publisher sells it directly; one person sent a money order to the publisher some time ago and still hasn't heard anything. If you really want this book, you're probably best off ordering it from a dealer like CDC. The CD Bar 281 Queen St W Toronto MSV 1Z9 (800) 663-1616 (416) 977-6863 A high class place that deals mostly in legitimate imports, but can order a lot of high-quality CD boots. Since they're in Canada, they can 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). They have a fair amount of Rush, a lot of Sting, and a minimal amount of the Police. CD Bar is one of a growing handful of places in the world that sell the album "Whale Music" by the Rheostatics. This is a local Toronto band on whose album Neil Peart of Rush plays three tracks. Though some orders can take a long time arriving from their European and Japanese distributors, I highly recommend this place. They don't charge your credit card until they ship your order, there's no chance of losing your money or getting poor quality, and it's toll free. CDC Co. 618 S. Northwest Hwy. Suite #120 Barrington, IL 60010 This place seems to deal 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 that lists the most popular Rush titles, including "Over the Europe"; they'll send frequent updates, too. 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 fans. He has all of the newer Rush CD boots as well as the standard Sting selections. Call before ordering for availability. Prices are average ($25 per CD, $3 shipping), and he holds checks for clearance before sending out orders. 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 Supposedly a good dealer, but I have had no dealings with them. I believe they sell "Hot Wacks" for $20. One rumor is that the owner cashes checks as soon as he gets them, but he takes forever to ship. I sent for their listing but have not received it after sixteen weeks. Digital Disc 1125 Rt. 112 Port Jefferson Station, NY 11776 (516) 474-0167 This place is on Long Island, New York. 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). He has some Sting. 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. 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) 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. Be aware that they allow customers to listen to CD's in the store, so what you order often is unwrapped and has a scratched jewel case, but the discs I got from there were in very good shape. Second Coming [no address info (NYC, obviously)] (212) 228-1313 This place sells only what they have in stock, and the manager says that varies from day to day. They didn't have any Police boots at all on 26 Oct 1992. 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 sound quality); 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 I haven't received his catalog yet. Prices are about $25 a disc, and he holds checks for clearance the first few orders. I have nothing but the given information on the following dealers (special thanks to Josh Paxton for most of these). I think the ones that are names of businesses are basically retail stores that will sell what they have in stock but don't take special orders. I've mailed most of them to get listings and prices; I'll add information as I get it. Ken Barker 4495 Academy St Acworth, GA 30101 (404) 917-0141 Barax PO Box 411 Mineral Ridge, OH 44440 Bill Dorsey 1312 French Rd #A-30 Depew, NY 14043 (716) 668-4316 Dr. Wax 5210 S. Harper OR 2529 N. Clark St. Chicago, IL 60615 (312) 493-8696 OR (312) 549-3377 Mad City Madison, WI (608) 251-8558 This place has no Police or Rush at all. 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 usually find it within a few weeks. Prices: $26-28 for 1CD, $45-50 for a 2CD set. Delivery time varies. 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. Neal Frederics 1816 N. Stanley Ave. Hollyw Miss You 7095 Hollywood Blvd. #376 Hollywood, CA 90028 (213) 469-1065 Mother People PO Box 16908 West Palm Beach, FL 33416 This place (the owner's initials are R.C.) will send you a catalog if you send $2 first. You will get a coupon along with your catalog for $2 of any order; subsequent catalogs are free if you make a purchase. There is an extensive selection (the best Police selection I've seen at one business) for average prices. This place gives all sorts of bonuses for frequent and large orders. Cash, check, or money order only. Rebel Records 319 Bleecker St New York, NY (212) 989-0770 They said they have no live recordings, but I suspect that if you're actually in the shop, it might be a different story. No good to order from, though. Revolver Records 45 West 8th St New York, NY (212) 982-6760 This place would not discuss live recordings over the phone. Rocks In Your Head 157 Prince St New York, NY (212) 475-6729 They have no Police, but I didn't ask about others. 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 Smokin' Soundz PO Box 353 Dunedin, FL 34697 (813) 736-8136 FAX (813) 733-0580 Obviously a very customer-oriented business. They only advertise items they have in stock, but their catalog is still very extensive. The owner is very helpful about finding anything they don't have. Prices are slightly above average. They do sell "Hot Wacks" and some other books, and even stock some LP's. Stray Toasters PO Box 130475 Houston, TX 77219-0475 From their catalog (available if you write to them) it's apparent this is a small operation. They have a small compact disc, LP, and video selection, but nothing from the three 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). Subterranean Records Cornelia St New York, NY (212) 463-8900 They have no Police, but I didn't ask about others. Venus Records 13 St. Marks Place New York, NY (212) 598-4459 OR (212) 941-6350 The guy here maintains that Police boots don't exist. I stopped talking to him after that. John Young PO Box 14126 Gainesville, FL 32604-4126 e-mail: jry@reef.cis.ufl.edu This guy sends an e-mail catalogue about 135K large. One person says that this dealer is unreliable and difficult to deal with. He misrepresents what he has available and takes forever to ship. I personally have not dealt with him. Zaba Music PO Box 293053 Dayton, OH 45429 (513) 298-2344 ABCD (914) 939-2223 This place has computerized ordering and distribution. They have a lot of hard to find Police, including the excellen 1981 Melbourne concert under the name "Wallaby". EAR/Rational Music 1118 Castillo St Santa Barbara, CA 93101 (805) 564-4949 e-mail: angst%cs@hub.ucsb.edu A great source of legit imports and reachable through the net. Originally he told me he had no Police, but some Rush and Sting; I think now he maintains he has no boots at all. He also has the very hard-to-find Stewart Copeland solo album "Klerk Kant". He emphasizes that he does not sell bootlegs. You might want to e-mail this guy for his on-line catalog, which is heavy on progressive rock and obscure alternative stuff. Check/money order only; no credit cards. Reasonable prices, reliable and fast service. Worldwide CD PO Box 543 Villa Park, IL 60181 (708) 941-7619 FAX (708) 941-7923 This place sells few if any actual boots, but rather deals in in import compilations and remixes. I'm not sure how legal the stuff they sell is. They have many obscure singles, interview discs, and apprently legit videos at average prices. There is nothing from the Police or Sting, but they have a few Rush singles and interview discs, along with the now out-of-print "Exit...Stage Left" video. Shipping is $3.50 with any order; they take check, money order, and Visa/MC. Sid's Music Server mwilkenf@silver.ucs.indiana.edu OR sl291003@silver.ucs.indiana.edu Subject Line: BOOTLIST, BOOTHELP, SELLLIST, BOOTADD Not a boot dealer per se (I think this guy runs a used CD business), but if you send a letter with any of the above subject lines you'll get an immediate automated response. The only one really worth anything is BOOTLIST, which will get you an extensive (145K) list of boot traders and what they have available, what they want, and other information of that ilk. The two addresses above are equivalent. BOOTHELP is a partially accurate, limited description of what boots are. SELLLIST is basically a list of tapes and LP's that the guy wants to sell; I have no idea how old it is. BOOTADD is a way to add your list of boots to the big bootlist trading list. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- For Rush fans: Nate Shue is running a Rush trading list. You can mail him to get a copy or to add your name and selections to the list. This is an ongoing list, by no means complete and still limited in scope. Fell free to e-mail me with additional dealers or commentary about the ones already on the list. Contact me if you want to know of any additions, as I am often adding to and revising this document. A few dealers asked me not to distribute their names and addresses in mass mailings, but I will send them to you if you ask me specifically. I have received a significant number of European dealer names and addresses, many with vast stocks, but since I order almost exclusively from American places, I did not put them on this list. If there's enough interest, I could possibly do a list of European dealers, but someone in Europe would probably be more qualified. Special note for Policans: Stavros Tripakis is checking into European dealers to see what Police stuff they have. Again, I take absolutely no responsibility for any of the information in this list, which is accurate to the best of my knowledge. Mail me if you're interested in trading. Ethan Evan Prater prater-ethan@yale.edu