New to tube rolling, where to purchase tubes?

Really helpful advice from everyone - I am going to send some emails per your recommendations and see what happens.

One thing I am realizing about this hobby, I can't leave well enough alone. It is not just about trying to reach nirvana, rather it is fun to experience different things.

And . . I can't say enough about how much I enjoy Audiogon - no other forum I have tried has had such helpful and gracious participants! Thanks to all.

In addition to to the recommendations above, another source to consider is http://www.tubemonger.com

I've personally only dealt with them once for a very nice pair of NOS Telefunken ECC801s tubes that were priced well below some of the more well known dealers.

As you may or may not already know, many tube manufacturers, in addition to manufacturing their own tubes, sourced them from from other manufacturers and re-labeled them. Tubemonger really knows the tubes they sell and will disclose their provenance. For example, if an orange globe Amperex 12AU7 was made by Mullard in their Blackburn factory, it will be noted in the listing.

Tube rolling is an endeavor of trial and error, only limited by your funds. Recommendations can be useful but what matters is what sounds best in your equipment to your ears. In my experience sometimes a Goliath of the tube world is slain by a David. Good luck and have fun with it.

You can get 6922 matsushita's for $30 a piece at the Tubemonger. They're a very good tube for the money, right under the amperex, telefunken, mullards.
www.tubemonger.com

I wholeheartedly second all of the above suggestions. Not meaning to trash other tube sellers on the 'Gon or on e-bay, there are tubesellers on the net that are quite disreputable, selling fakes, relabeled tubes, used to death tubes, and the like, posing them as NOS or "matched". I recommend that you have access to or own for yourself a good tube tester before buying tubes in this fashion. Tubes with shorts can damage your equipment (don't use your amp as a tube tester!). Some individuals on the net will buy good tubes from one of the reputable venders, use them for 6-12 months or so, then put them back in their orignal boxes and advertise them with the test numbers from when they bought them. In short, beware.

Tubemonger has served me well. I've used them multiple times and have no complaints.