ttwomotor, I'm sure you'll receive your Panasonic EZ18 from Vann's. It is a newer model so there should be plenty in the pipeline, even if it was discontinued in the last month or so. Panasonic is still selling simple DVD-only or DVD/VHS combo decks, and will continue. The models pulled from North America were the more advanced (and expensive) units with built-in HDD.
dirk1965, the "high quality" Toshibas were the XS series, which are covered in several ongoing threads here. They have unbeatable picture quality and unmatched authoring abilities, which is why they are still very popular three years after being discontinued. But that quality comes at a price: their burners were for ****, failed quickly, and are neither cheap or easy to replace with full functionality restored. Hard drive replacement is also a bit tricky but can be accomplished at home by following tips listed on AVS. On the whole, "classic" Toshibas are for truly dedicated hobbyists who live and die by their recorders: realistically you will be sending it in to Toshiba for a burner replacement every 18 months. Worth it for "power users", but a big pain for the less dedicated or those short of repair cash. Toshiba made a handful of non-HDD companion models which were equally good, like the DR-4, but burner replacement on non-HDD units is not cost-effective. Toshiba DVD-only or DVD/VHS combo recorders made after 2005 are not as good, and any current Toshiba with ATSC tuner is all but unusable due to unstable false "copy-inhibit" restrictions (a trait they share with current Sonys).
Panasonic, Pioneer, and Phillips/Magnavox are the only decent choices left in North America.