diff --git a/beets/importer.py b/beets/importer.py
index 060a188c9..76c90dbea 100644
--- a/beets/importer.py
+++ b/beets/importer.py
@@ -250,7 +250,7 @@ class ImportSession(object):
     def choose_match(self, task):
         raise NotImplementedError
 
-    def resolve_duplicate(self, task):
+    def resolve_duplicate(self, task, found_duplicates):
         raise NotImplementedError
 
     def choose_item(self, task):
@@ -1056,8 +1056,9 @@ def resolve_duplicates(session, task):
     """
     if task.choice_flag in (action.ASIS, action.APPLY):
         ident = task.chosen_ident()
-        if ident in session.seen_idents or task.find_duplicates(session.lib):
-            session.resolve_duplicate(task)
+        found_duplicates = task.find_duplicates(session.lib)
+        if ident in session.seen_idents or found_duplicates:
+            session.resolve_duplicate(task, found_duplicates)
             session.log_choice(task, True)
         session.seen_idents.add(ident)
 
diff --git a/beets/ui/__init__.py b/beets/ui/__init__.py
index 1e64cd89c..993964291 100644
--- a/beets/ui/__init__.py
+++ b/beets/ui/__init__.py
@@ -989,3 +989,29 @@ def main(args=None):
     except KeyboardInterrupt:
         # Silently ignore ^C except in verbose mode.
         log.debug(traceback.format_exc())
+
+
+
+def summarize_items(items):
+    """Produces a brief summary line for manually resolving duplicates during import.
+    Accepts a list of tuples, one per item containing:
+    (path, format, bitrate, duration)
+    """
+
+    summary_text = ""
+    summary_text += "%d items. " % len(items)
+    format_counts = {}
+    for item in items:
+        format_counts[item[1]] = format_counts.get(item[1],0) + 1;
+
+    for format, count in format_counts.iteritems():
+        summary_text += '{count} {format}. '.format(format=format, count=count)
+
+    average_bitrate = sum([item[2] for item in items]) / len(items)
+    total_duration = sum([item[3] for item in items])
+    summary_text += '{bitrate}kbps average bitrate. '.format(bitrate=int(average_bitrate/1000))
+    summary_text += '{length} total length. '.format(length=human_seconds_short(total_duration))
+
+    return summary_text
+
+
diff --git a/beets/ui/commands.py b/beets/ui/commands.py
index 14f2bf0a4..0cc3bcf9d 100644
--- a/beets/ui/commands.py
+++ b/beets/ui/commands.py
@@ -741,7 +741,7 @@ class TerminalImportSession(importer.ImportSession):
                 assert isinstance(choice, autotag.TrackMatch)
                 return choice
 
-    def resolve_duplicate(self, task):
+    def resolve_duplicate(self, task, found_duplicates):
         """Decide what to do when a new album or item seems similar to one
         that's already in the library.
         """
@@ -753,6 +753,13 @@ class TerminalImportSession(importer.ImportSession):
             log.info('Skipping.')
             sel = 's'
         else:
+            # print some detail about the existing and new items so it can be an informed decision
+            for duplicate in found_duplicates:
+                old_items = [(item.path, item.format, item.bitrate, item.length) for item in duplicate.items()]
+                print("OLD: " + ui.summarize_items(old_items))
+            new_items = [(item.path, item.format, item.bitrate, item.length) for item in task.items]
+            print("NEW: " + ui.summarize_items(new_items))
+
             sel = ui.input_options(
                 ('Skip new', 'Keep both', 'Remove old')
             )
diff --git a/beets/util/__init__.py b/beets/util/__init__.py
index 428de312a..ec3a3c1bc 100644
--- a/beets/util/__init__.py
+++ b/beets/util/__init__.py
@@ -25,7 +25,6 @@ import traceback
 import subprocess
 import platform
 
-
 MAX_FILENAME_LENGTH = 200
 WINDOWS_MAGIC_PREFIX = u'\\\\?\\'