Dancing Bear FAQ

Why can't I find anything by Madonna, Aerosmith, Britney, Bieber, etc. etc.?

This is because we're a fairly specialized shop that only sells music and other stuff related to the (now defunct) American band The Grateful Dead and a few other bands and musicians connected to the San Francisco music scene at the time of The Summer of Love. If all this is gibberish to you, we apologize for wasting your time.

Can I order from you if I live outside Europe?

No, and for very good reasons! Our prices include customs duties and sales tax, but if we have to re-export out of the EU you will have to pay local duties on top of that. We strongly advise deadheads in America, Asia, etc. to order directly from the official Grateful Dead store. This will not only save you money, but also shorten your wait for delivery.

Is Dancing Bear a competitor to Dead Net Store?

No! We deal in official merchandise - supplied by Dead Net Store - almost exclusively. We see ourselves as a sort of European branch, delivering the goods to European deadheads in a more rational  way.

Also, we encourage everyone to visit the official Grateful Dead website (www.dead.net)

Why shouldn't I just do business with Dead Net Store directly?

You are welcome to do so, but if you live inside the EU, first do yourself a favour and compare the prices. Don't forget to add freight, local handling fees, customs and sales tax (VAT, etc.) to GDM's prices.

We think you'll find that Dancing Bear has a lead on smaller orders (the equivalent of 1 - 3 triple-CD sets). On larger orders the total cost (list price + shipping) is about equal.

You should also consider the other advantages, such as total delivery time, flexible payment options, data security, and our unique service offering: CD-subscription.

Can I get everything from you that I can also buy at Dead Net Store?

No. We have excluded some heavy, bulky and/or expensive items (like jackets, lamps, sports equipment, artist-signed posters, etc.), plus some that we simply don't believe would sell in Europe.

Does Dancing Bear accept credit cards?

Yes. All credit card transactions are handled by PayPal. You just need to hold a VISA, Mastercard, or American Express card.

Please check out all our methods of payment here.

How can I be sure that my personal data aren't compromised?

We ask for no other information than your name and address, including your e-mail address so we can communicate about your order. We would also like to use your e-mail adress for our mailing list, which enables us to keep you informed of upcoming releases and special offers. You can send us an e-mail and demand to be removed from the mailing list at any time.

Dancing Bear guarantees, that no information from our customer file will ever be sold to other companies or individuals.

See: Data Protection Policy

See: Is E-commerce dangerous?

Can I pay with Euros?

We cite all prices in Euros as well as in Danish kroner (DKK).

Customers outside Denmark may transfer payment in Euros or DKK. We also accept cash payment in other European denominations. Please inquire before you order.

Why should I subscribe to Dave's Picks and other live releases?

Many deadheads have said - only half joking - that the Grateful Dead should be available on prescription! It's just that until now nobody has done anything about it. Enter the Dancing Bear CD-subscription. 

Once you have started collecting Grateful Dead concert recordings, be it via private tape trading or the official releases, there is no turning back. In the case of the GDM releases the release date is often announced ahead of time and many deadheads will be sitting by their computer, ready to place their order on the first day. We will do the same, the only difference being that we'll place an large order of pre-paid units and forward them to our customers as soon as they arrive. Compared to individual ordering, our subscribers get new releases cheaper, easier and sometimes faster. Wonder why ? Read more about CD-subscription.  

Are Grateful Dead CDs available in regular record stores?

1: The early, 'official' albums (the back catalog): Some of them may pop up in better record stores, but no other place (at least in Denmark) can you pick and choose from the entire catalogue, including band members' solo projects.

2: New multitrack releases (i.e. 'The Vault series'): These albums are released - at rather irregular intervals - by Rhino, which means that you can probably find (or order) them at large record stores.

3: Dick's Picks, Road Trips, Dave's Picks, and certain other releases, are released by Grateful Dead Productions and are only available by mail order.

Where else can I buy Grateful Dead merchandise?

Posters, stickers, bags and all the other items with Grateful Dead-motifs and symbols are only available through Deadnetstore and a few other mailorder webshops like Dancing Bear. Direct price comparison with other outlets is therefore irrelevant, but compared to other rock bands' merchandise catalogues, Grateful Dead merchandise is very reasonably priced.

So who is making the profits?

Everybody profits, really:

The customer: Saves part of the postage and handling charges, besides the other advantages outlined above.

Dancing Bear: Sure. This is a business after all, but also a labor of love.

Grateful Dead Productions: Get more sales and free advertising. The well-being of GDP is vital to every deadhead in order to ensure that the steady stream of historical concert releases will continue.