We work hard to keep our prices extremely competitive. We won't always beat the Amazons, Targets, and Walmarts of the world, but we'll be in the fight. And because we don't dynamically raise prices simply because an album becomes scarce or temporarily hard to find, often you'll find that our price is actually lower.

That said, if you find an online price that seems too good to be true, it's worth taking a closer look at what you're actually buying, and who you're buying it from.

Dropshipping sites: We won't name names, but you've probably seen some of these stores in your Google search and shopping results. They may advertise enormous inventories, unusually low prices, and sometimes paid membership programs promising even deeper discounts.

Some online record sellers don't actually stock everything they advertise (or anything they advertise). Instead, after you place an order, they attempt to source the album from a distributor or other supplier and have it shipped to you. The problem is that the inventory shown on the website may not reflect what's actually available from that supplier. That can result in delayed orders, partially fulfilled orders, or cancellations.

That's one reason we don't dropship music. If our website says we have a record, CD, or cassette in stock, it's sitting in our inventory in Junction City, Oregon, waiting to ship out to you!

Retail liquidation stock: Vinyl is popular again, which means records are showing up in just about every big-box and department store. When those albums don't sell, something that's especially common with seasonal titles, they may eventually be pulled from the shelves and sold through liquidation channels.

There's absolutely nothing wrong with buying a liquidated record, and you can sometimes find a fantastic deal. But condition can be hit or miss. These may be records that spent months on a retail shelf being handled by customers, or merchandise that was previously purchased and returned.

We occasionally offer retailer-exclusive editions at 'Tis the Soundtrack, but when we sell them as new, they're overstock sourced through a distributor not third-party retail liquidation stock.

Grey-market pressings: You'll also find inexpensive new pressings of many classic albums, particularly recordings from the 1950s, '60s, and earlier. Some are released by so-called "grey-market" labels that take advantage of differences in copyright law between countries.

These releases can often be found for $20 or less on major marketplaces and even at some record stores. They can be tempting, but they are often sourced from existing records or digital recordings rather than original master tapes, and their authorization for sale can vary by recording and jurisdiction.

When comparing one of these releases with an authorized reissue, make sure you're comparing the same pressing, not just the same album title.

Ultimately, we're not going to tell you that you should never buy a record somewhere else. We're collectors too, and a great deal is a great deal. We just want you to know what you're getting for your money.

When you buy music from 'Tis the Soundtrack, you're getting an album we've actually purchased and stocked, visually inspected, carefully packaged, and priced as fairly as we can.