Thanks for the advice. I know there must be a lot of naive newbies jumping into quick and avoiding escrow. I don't plan on trading without it.
I was denied at bitstamp after submitting a valid passport and credit card bill. Apparantly the min. balance due date wasn't enough for them. As of now i have a ticket submitted, although if i can find a reputable vendor i don't see any advantage to using an exchange.
I agree that buying incrementally is the best bet. I can also get bitcoins for a cheaper price if a correction occurs anytime soon. What exchanges do you recommend besides btc-e and bitstamp? I have tickets submitted at both of these sites.