TapeStock Online.com

Full review
Nothing strikes fear into a parent's heart faster than a malfunctioning camcorder on Christmas morning, but that is exactly what I was faced with. We got a few good minutes of film before my new Sony camcorder started blinking at me telling me it couldn't record with a dirty head. I realized two things: one, it wasn't talking to me about shampoo, and two, Beanie's birthday is coming up fast, and I needed to be able to tape! A quick scan of the shelves at my local Target confirmed my worst fears; everyone had cleared out the tapes and head cleaners, so I turned to my trusty Internet to find me a good deal that could get what I needed here quickly. Enter TapeStock Online.com.

::: Tapes, You Say? :::

I have to tell you right out that the name TapeStock Online.com is an outright lie. Yes, that's right. These folks also carry DVD media and some other accessories that are not tapes. However, I will forgive them this little deviation, because they really are all about tapes. From VHS tapes to MiniDV tapes to Betacam tapes for professional videographers, every type of audio and video media you can think of is available at TapeStock Online.com.

The site is fairly basic in design, with current specials featured on the front page, and a busy left-side menu broken down by type of media, with additional sections for Expendables like gaffer's tape, Media Storage, Accessories, and a Clearance section. A search feature is available if you already know what you are looking for and don't feel like scrolling through every manufacturer in your chosen media format. Prices are listed with a breakdown for discounts at certain volume levels under a picture of each item.

Accounts are available for businesses and government agencies, and acceptable forms of payment are checks, money orders, wire transfers, Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, and government IMPAC cards. Most orders are shipped via FedEx; however, APO and FBO orders are accepted, and will be shipped via USPS Priority Mail.

::: So You Bought Some Tapes, Right? :::

The minimum quantity for the 8mm tapes I needed was six, and they are sold in quantities of 6, so I purchased a dozen, plus two head cleaning tapes. I placed my order on a Monday morning, and received an instant email with my order confirmation. Since TapeStock Online.com is run through a Yahoo! store front, I had the additional security and convenience of using my Yahoo! Wallet for checkout. Two days later, I received a pre-shipment email from FedEx acknowledging my tracking number, and giving an estimated date of arrival eight days after shipment (which sounded reasonable considering New Year's was smack in the middle of the shipping time). The tapes arrived exactly on the date promised, packed securely with bubble wrap.

Two things I noted that were more curious than anything else. One is that the picture shown on the web site of the tapes I ordered did not match what I received. Since I knew what tapes I wanted, I was pretty sure that the photo on the web site was incorrect, but if I had no idea what I was ordering, I might have been confused. Secondly, the tapes are sold wholesale in boxes of 10, so I received a full box, plus two loose tapes. It seems arbitrary to require quantities of six when ordering when the tapes are sold in boxes of 10, but it's more an idiosyncracy than anything else.

::: And Now I Have Tapes :::

My experience shopping with TapeStock Online.com was most satisfactory, and if I can't find tapes at my local Target again, I will certainly know where to buy them.