where is the safe/best place to purchase fonts?
Stick to main foundries if you are worried eg. Linotype.
I’d start here http://www.fonts.com/
There are lots of free fonts available online if you are looking for decorative styles but most body text is set in the classics that are found at the site above.
There are also reliable free font sites like dafont.com, although not all are free if they are being used for commercial use. It has a massive catalogue of fonts ideal for nearly every situation.
your should visit the site 1001fonts. This site is really helpful for fonts.
You can try League of Movable Type or the Open Font Library. They have a very nice selection. Check out Font Squirrel too.
I also like fonts.com also if the fonts are for websites make sure you find websafe fonts and pick font families that will display correctly for the majority.