In-stock means the item is physically on the shelf in our Woodlawn, Virginia warehouse and can be picked today. Backordered means it is not, and the order waits on a delivery from the manufacturer. Because we hold our own inventory rather than dropshipping, our in-stock status reflects a real shelf.
Every order is picked and packed by us at 5055 Carrollton Pike, Suite C, Woodlawn, Virginia, and goes out by USPS. We do not dropship, so nothing you order is forwarded to a third party to fulfill.
So an in-stock figure is a count of physical items, not a supplier feed we are passing through.
The item is expected but not present. Timing depends on the manufacturer, and we would rather tell you that than promise a date we do not control.
If you need an item by a date, contact us and ask before ordering rather than after.
Closeout items are never backordered in any meaningful sense: when they are gone they are gone, because the line has ended. See do we restock closeouts.
That is the one part of the catalog where waiting is not an option.