Q: Who are you guys, anyway?

A:Good Question!..We are a partnership comprised of Teri and Jim, who share a common love of music. We are also, like a great many of our customers, die-hard collectors. We are active in the metal community, Jim more behind the scenes, and Teri more visibly, as a DJ with Seismic Radio, and as a promoter and befriender of various bands.
  Before we started Hard n Heavy, when we were customers, we had ideas for what the ideal online vendors would be. So, we just decided to be those things ourselves! We strive to be that customer-friendly, knowledgeable, fast and reliable vendor that we always looked for. The added dimension for us, though, is the fact that we have contacts all over the world, and thus can find those out-of-prints and obscure titles easier than most can. 

Q: I bought a NEW CD from you and it isn't shrinkwrapped. What's up with that? 

A: 90% of the inventory that comes direct from an overseas distributor is NOT shrinkwrapped. This is very common. We still guarantee the discs are new and unplayed!  
    Another reason your new disc may not be shrinkwrapped is that it came from the supplier with a cracked case. We COULD leave it in the shrinkwrap with the case cracked, but what we choose to do is open it up, and put the CD and paperwork in a new jewel case. We figure most customers prefer that, because that is what we would want someone to do for us!
(obviously secondhand CDs wouldn't be shrinkwrapped in the first place)

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Q: I have never had a disc mangled in the mail before, so I didn't take the insurance option with you. Why won't you replace my smashed disc?

A: Some of our inventory is comprised of one-of-a-kinds and collectibles. We offer the insurance option on every shipment domestically, and registration with insurance on every international shipment. We mail everything well-protected, but cannot take responsibility for the postal service playing frisbee with your package, or customs officials deciding they need your order more than you do... so we recommend the insurance. If you don't take it, we can only offer you our heartfelt "we feel your pain"..and honestly, we will!..we have only had this happen once, but it was heartbreaking for US, too!

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Q: I sort of want to buy a certain disc, but i am not sure if i will like it..can i get a sample so I know if it is what i would like?

A: Sure! There are a few ways we can do this for you..we can play a bit of it for you on the phone (this isnt the best way to get the full impact, but it sort of gives you an idea)..We can also send you a short clip via e-mail or icq. 
Another way would be to tune into Teri's internet show on  SeismicRadio and make a request to hear what you like by emailing in advance or during the show via the interactive IRC chat (clicking the above link gives you information on all that) 

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Q: Why isn't what i wanted available when you show it in your catalogue?

A: We update constantly, but there is always the possibility that we might sell out of the very last one of a certain title an hour before you ordered!  We hate to say "unavailable" as much as you hate to hear it!..Sometimes we can still get the CD you want, but other times, especially with rarities and out-of-prints, it is not possible. We will always tell you one way or the other.

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Q: Hmmm...my shipping costs seem to be higher than it says on the package..how come?

A: Bubble wrap, mailing boxes, labels, tape, and time and expense getting orders to the post office. Unfortunately, all that stuff raises our costs for getting your discs out to you quickly and safely..honestly, we TRY to keep our shipping/handling prices as reasonable as possible!

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Q:What do abbreviations like AOR, NWOBHM, OOP, etc mean?

A: You will see a variety of these used, due to lack of space for descriptions. Here are some of them. If you see others elsewhere or here, e-mail us and ask..we are happy to share!:
AOR - Adult Oriented Rock (also some say Album Oriented)..examples would include bands like Journey, Styx, Balance of Power, Ten, Westworld...some AOR is heavier than others.
NWOBHM - New Wave of British Heavy Metal..examples are Iron Maiden, Demon, and Praying Mantis
OOP - Out of Print. This mostly alerts you to stuff which is usually one of a kind, or harder to get, no longer being released.
HTF- Hard to Find..yeah, that's why the price is so frickin high!..:). These are almost always one-of-a-kinds, and we don't expect to be able to replace them once gone.
Cut-Out - This isn't really an abbreviation, but this is a good place to explain what it means. Some discs are cut out of inventory, and then a notch is placed in either the spine of the papergoods or a slit is made somewhere on the booklet or back liner. The disc is not affected at all by this, but collectors who want perfect papergoods have a right to know when a CD is a cut-out.
Promo hole - also not an abbreviation, but often we take in trades, and people have promotional releases which have holes punched out of the barcode. Again, the disc isnt affected at all, and its a cheaper way to own a full cd with complete paperwork.

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