I came across this story by ABC News about the tires you're thinking about getting....be informed.
http://abcnews.go.com/video/playerIndex?id=4826897
Short version: you can see when your tires were manufactured from a code on the sidewall, and tires degrade over time and become dangerous after 6 years or so.
[moving to Technical section and leaving redirect. Suggest that mods might make a reference in each of their sections so that the most members can be notified]
Discussion welcome.