Many, perhaps most, online retailers either procure much of their rarely ordered stock as it's purchased, or drop ship from distributors. It's simply how modern logistics works. Quite efficient, really. What bugs me, though, is how so many continue to list discontinued items as if they can somehow eventually get them. I have a few UK/EU dealers I look to when I see things on backorder or "temporarily unavailable." And of course there's always ebay.