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I needed a birthday present for my wife quickly. It occurred to me that her old radio/cd player besides being inferior, had been returned when it failed to operate.

So, I found a really nice item, the Nakamichi SoundSpace SS1 Stereo Music System, which is a stylish mini-system with cd and am/fm radio (using http://www.epinions.com , worth looking at for any purchase one is considering, great reviews and info). The average price was around $370 (even at Costco online, it was $369.99 + shipping and tax).

I checked out Etronics.com, saw the item for $274.99 (+shipping). They boldly advertise that they only sell new items, no reconditioned or otherwise not 'brand-new' stuff.

So, I ordered it (as well as a promotional 'Stock Stuffer', Samsonite digital camera case for $9.99, that popped up at checkout, because I needed one for a camera I bought recently).

After a rapid-fire series of automatic email updates, keeping me posted on what was going on, within a few hours I was notified that the items had shipped, and provided a tracking number and link. The next morning at about 9:30 AM, my order arrived.

Both items were in at least as good condition as if I had purchased them at a local store, obviously brand-new and never opened. The packing was flawless, and they had merely added some shipping tape around the stereo box to reinforce it during shipping (which is a great idea, also lets you know if someone 'got into it' on the way).

The stereo is fabulous, unbelievable sound from such a small unit (to get any better, one would have to buy an expensive, full-size 'audiophile' unit), my wife loves it. The camera case is very nice, too (after all, it's Samsonite), I've seen the same one for around $15-$20 + tax locally, so, all I can say is, I scored!!!

I will definitely look at Etronics first in the future for anything I need that they carry, and recommend them to anyone (bad reviews not withstanding, I can only comment on my great experience!)