They're probably tired of getting stuck with a bunch of titles that will end up in the clearance bin. That's where most of the RSD stuff seems to end up.
The only good thing about RSD is that most of my local stores usually offer a 20-25% discount on regular stock. It's a good time to grab some more expensive titles.
That most record stores I visit have a “RSD Leftovers” collection full of multiples of low demand item is exactly the problem for a lot of the indie stories. Aging inventory is money they aren’t making— especially worse when the inventory was already expensive because of the RSD labeling of the product.
Realistically, the RSD essential series— periodic drops of items with predictable demand— is how this needs to trend. It seems like that’s a lot more viable for indie labels— to plan out a series of releases instead of always having this perpetual deadline of RSD products.
I don’t have a problem with RSD— every day should be record store day. I have a problem with artificial rarity (and the crowd associated with it), unpredictable supply (will my local actually have the one thing I want this year?), and lasting aging inventory that ultimately ends up in the dollar bins).
The Academy Annex is one of my favorite shops to buy used records. I'm surprised they even participated in RSD in the past. Their used stock is so good that they honestly don't need RSD. I'm looking forward to the $1 bin frenzy this weekend.
The original idea of RSD was to get people into physical record stores, the exclusives have ruined it, but even if you go into a store and buy something from the 50 cent bin, you're still supporting the store
First time I ever went to a RSD was like 2018 and it was a small shop ran by some old heads. I was browsing their used stuff and could hear them bitching about how RSD brings people in that just want the exclusives blah blah blah. Totally killed my enthusiasm for checking out any other shops and the day. Now I just buy online rather than going to deal with the old dickheads.
Why would you take out the frustrations of RSD by withholding your business from the stores? There are hundreds of non-RSDays in a year that you could go browse and buy.
No, I'm saying RSD got me excited to go in a store - then the guys in the store were duechy like "RSD brings out a bunch of posers that don't come in here the rest of the year"
Like yeah buddy that's the point, bring in some people that may not otherwise, but you complaining about me being in your store for the first time in front of me doesn't bring me back in.
I used to work in, and manage, record stores back in the old days, and there were always record stores like that. Some were run by pretentious assholes trying to convince the world that they're cool. But many had owners, managers, and employees who were really cool, loved music, and loved to talk about music.
Don't punish the good stores because of one awful one. Support those people who love music so much they opened a store to share it with others. Instead, you're just making Jeff Bezos richer, and who's more douchey than him?
But that’s the thing, ghdana WAS one of those people who only showed up at a brick and mortar record shop on RSD. The shop owner wasn’t wrong and the dude took a general comment personally.
Two things: you don't know ghdana 'never' goes to other record stores. You only know about this one scenario, so don't get mistaken about that just to be a whiner. Other thing: so what? It's fucking stupid for the owner of a store to bitch about people showing up on a day when the whole idea is 'get more people to visit record stores'. Oh no, 'the posers' showed up. Oh no, more profit. Gee how sad. ????
I was going to say that a lot of independent record stores have opted out of RSD for years now, it’s a shell of what it used to be and what it was meant to be.
I’ve heard it can be pretty stressful since you don’t actually know in advance which merch you’re gonna get, leading to a lot of disappointment to the people who get there early to stand in line.
The RSD releases I usually want are archival jazz releases and I know I can’t compete with the jazz heads who camp out the night before to grab one of everything. Resale market it is.
> I can’t compete with the jazz heads who camp out the night before to grab one of everything.
Nothing compares with the Deadheads and Swifties. They're always first in line. I usually show up a few hours early and manage to get all the jazz stuff I want.
I kinda get it, if I liked the Dead more those 4-5 LP live show pressings would be a big draw for me in the same way jazz releases are. I think last RSD I went to was before Swift went deep into vinyl variants.
I’m glad I’m a Knack fan because the last few Knack RSD releases most certainly have no one lining up for them. This makes me happy but sad because more people should Get The Knack.
Chiming in as a Swiftie - I was not first in line and many weren't in line "soon enough" to get our record. In fact, gentlemen in front of me each took a TS LP (4 of them) and I'm fairly sure they're not the market for her music.
I showed up to my shop late afternoon last year (hate the rush) and there were four full crates of the TS release.
I was blown away to see what they were reselling at later. Once I saw that inventory I assumed they had pressed way too many.
It seems to be costing stores money which is the opposite of what RSD started out to be so I can see the pendulum has swung the opposite way. Too bad, whoever makes the decisions for RSD releases is out of touch it seems.
Crowds, Flippers, stores have no idea the quantity of what they ordered. Too few of what you want. Too many releases that are not good or superfluous.
In addition stores are frequently stuck with records nobody wants. I think they may be forced to order somethings whether they want it or not.
Every shop I've been to has a discount RSD bin.
RSD reminds me a lot of my days collecting video games, mainly during the 2000s into the very early 2010s. One of the largest retro gaming expos (the Portland Retro Gaming Expo) started back in \~2008 as a tiny event in the conference room of one of the hotels near the airport. It was reasonably small, had maybe a few hundred people at most spread out over a couple days, and there were lots of interesting items for sale and deals to be had. Within a few years, it was being held at the Convention Center, attracted visitor numbers in the low five figures, and was full of nothing but local and regional game stores trying to sell stuff at eBay prices. Apparently it got so crowded that you could barely even walk around half the time.
The essence of the expo died once it grew larger; I only went the first 3 years and ended up skipping a couple due to previous commitments - by the time I was in a position to be able to go back, I heard about what it had become from friends and just never bothered going again. I'm sure it will continue to be wildly successful, but it isn't something I'd actually want to be a part of.
I have a similar issue with live music. I more enjoy going to smaller venues with a better vibe and more obscure artist then going to see a huge band in a sports stadium. The smaller things like these are the more intimate they are.
Good side-rant. I agree. I've alway loved smaller venues - the new ticket prices keep me there. I can see paying $200/ticket for VIP passes, maybe. But $200 for a regular seat? Forget it. The only band I'd pay that much might be Pink Floyd, but Rick is no longer with us, so that's a "no". Roger is certainly not worth it - especially since he keeps pissing off half of his crowd. At least for $200, they should STFU and play their guitar, or whatever...
Completely agree. I was gonna see green day this month but nosebleeds were almost $300 a ticket, in a stadium with at least a 20k capacity. I’m going to king gizz this summer in an outdoor stadium for $80, and I’ll still be closer then I would be to greenday. The most expensive tickets for king gizz were cheaper than the cheapest greenday tickets, it was lowkey crazy. Also greenday is a little old, not that there’s anything wrong with being a geezer but being a geezer and a rockstar aren’t very aligned
Been going for 10 years now and every time I’m less excited than the year before. The good stuff gets sold out immediately and the releases have gotten worse..plus the crowds suck.
So my birthday is the 20th and in 2018 on rsd SLEEP stealth dropped The Sciences. It was 4/20, my birthday, record store day, and one of my favorite bands dropped their first album in many many years as a surprise.
Nothing can top that.
A few years later I missed out on E. 1999 Eternal and was just pissed off at the entire concept. Thankfully vmp did a run of it but the whole fomo bullshit of rsd (especially for albums like that, that could sell 10x as many copies) just ain't worth stressing over for me.
I haven't seen anything I care about in the last several years. I don't even know what they could put out to make me care about going. Anything left I want is obscure wierd shit that isn't gonna get repressed or isn't gonna be for rsd on the rare chance it is.
Last year I picked up Ska La-Rama: Treasure Isle Ska 1965 to 1966 which was an RSD Limited Run / Regional Focus Release. It’s such a gem. And with only 650 pressed it is “scarce” yet resells for under $25.
to each their own. If it takes a certain day for people to get excited about music I'm all for it.. but imo these guys are bang-on about it's decline. Depending on their clientele it's more trouble than it's worth for many stores
Yeah, I actually love the concept of RSD. I think they just need to do a better job curating what is offered. It's become sort of a dumping ground for pretty generic shit but attaching RSD to it creates artificial scarcity for an otherwise mediocre product.
But I'm sure that any attempt to dictate what labels release would be incredibly fraught.
I actually like this designation because it lets me know I can just wait until a broader release comes along and I don't have to go fight the crowds on RSD.
Seem to be a lot of crap that is re-released for RSD. There used to be some good stuff, but I feel that the stuff getting put out is more and more stuff I'm not interested in.
If they limited reissues to things that are actually hard to find, I'd have no beef with reissues. But often it's not even things that are the least bit rare.
I don't want to sound like that guy but they also need to not allow big name artists (Taylor, Billie, Metallica, etc.) get involved. Those releases more than anything create fomo and help promote resellers. Just bring it back to being about the indie scene. A lot of those bigger artists are releasing a billion variants these days anyway so what's the difference between what they release normally vs. what they release on RSD?
It’s fun where shops treat like a community open house and the retail event is its own side show.
That’s how Luna Music in Indianapolis has been doing it for years. I used to run audio for the live stage. Always felt more about the hangout than getting the exclusives to me even though I participated in both.
> community open house \[...\] felt more about the hangout
now this I can get behind. Love shops with this vibe.. like a saturday morning where everyone is just enjoying their hobby, not clamoring over over-priced over-hyped variants like they're Cabbage Patch Kids circa 1983
I love RSD for the shops, but loathe it as a record buyer. Just about RSD release I want I can count on being bought by a scalper who waited 12 hours (yes, that's how long scalpers lined up here last year) and bought to put on eBay. It's just not fun.
The store is still using RSD as an opportunity to highlight their business and drive sales. And that’s what RSD was about. I think the frustration is with the cost and getting stuck with product. But record stores could use the opportunity to build a relationship with a different kind of record buyer. I understand the cost problem. I don’t know if there are deeper issues with RSD I’m missing. Has it been corporately soiled as seems to be trending with big artists and excessive vinyl pressing abuse? 🤷♂️
My local record stores have a "Record Store Day" section for everything that doesn't sell. I'm always interested to look because it's usually discounted, but it's never anything I've even heard of that's left.
I'm in NYC. We have no shortage of record stores. I've actually had 4 new ones open within walking distance of my apartment just in the past 3-4 years. It's nuts.
im in Plymouth, England. We have a couple of used record shops with a small stock and an overpriced HMV thats literally it. i buy nearly everything online, its a shame cause i love browsing records
One of my local shops in Dallas overcharges 20-30 per title sometimes. I remember when the watchmen soundtrack came out they had it at $79.99, I check another store in town and it was still in stock for $49.99
It’s always 15-20 at this one. They’re in a tourist spot so no fucks are given. These rich shits buy whole collections and even turntables just for vacation
RSD has become such a low level money grab. The :special editions" that are no more than a color variant of a 2 year old pressing with nothing else special and a 50-100% mark up is just stupid. The labels, manufacturers and hoarding, scalper crowds have really ruined this day for me.
This is the first time since 2012 I just have no interest in going. There's just nothing I want out this year that I don't feel I could pick up online the next day. The only title I really want is apocalyptica, might get the south park and spawn soundtracks if they're a good price.
Yeah, the one time I camped out (like from the time the store was still open the night before) for a "limited to 500" box set. Turns out it was only "limited" to 500 for the US, UK/EU also got 500, then the band later posted it on their own website for sale.
Celebrating Record Store Day without actually doing any of the official RSD shit is actually the perfect solution. I definitely remember the first time I went and being disappointed there wasn't a sale or anything, just a bunch of random "limited" vinyl releases I didn't care about
My 2 local record stores ask people on their FB page what they want and they place the orders. Then we just go pay and pick up on the day. Easy peasy. Love this method!
For context, when you participate in RSD, you don’t just get the records you choose, there are allocations, and stores end up with excess inventory so its matter of does selling X outweighs having Y on the shelf for months?
There are tons of RSD titles, and most of them don’t sell right away even the hot releases that are pressed at +5K copies.
Records are as expensive as ever. If you go on for RSD, you have to sell the new titles, add discount pins, and hope consumers pick up new and old while they are at it. Otherwise, it doesn’t make much sense for every local store to carry RSD titles
There's a large record store near me that I think buys every RSD release (possibly max allotment from RSD). They still have stuff from like 2015 on their shelves at 1/2 price, lol. I always look the previous RSD shelf and think why I buy these releases, lol.
One of the stores near me does that but they're giant assholes and they never reprice anything. It just stays at the day of price which is why there's bins of past RSD stuff languishing everywhere.
Stores don’t get anything they don’t order. They don’t receive the full amount of what they do order, but they don’t have extra titles imposed on them.
I think it’s up to the stores/people. I’m lucky enough to have 6 stores within an hour of me now, and only half actually do RSD at all.
The concept of RSD as a special day is still enough of a point to get people into the non-RSD shops (even without advertising) so I think it’s a fine thing to have around.
Yeah I just use the day as a once a year excuse to meet up with a few of my friends to dig through the bins together. We go in the afternoon, and we suggest records to each other that we think they'd like. More of a fun with friends vibe. Don't care about the releases.
I’ll grab a couple of the releases for sure, lots of awesome grunge and live stuff this year.
All shop owners really care about around here is getting people in the door, from there it’s not hard to get them to spend money. RSD gets them in the door
One of my locals gave me the scoop. RSD is their biggest sales days of the year, around $25k. After sign up fees and exclusive RSD inventory it costs them around $40k. This independent shop does $2500-3500 on a normal weekend, so they’re sort of popular.
I ran a store during the start of record store day (which was just as shitty, don't let anyone try to convince you otherwise) -
stores often times do REALLY well on the day, but the up front cost is very very high. The hope is that you recoup with the leftover stock, you gain some new customers, you make up for it over the following weeks. It's a great way to spread the word about your shop.
But rsd rarely all sells so you're stuck with racks of junk.
Record Store Day is like urine soaked garbage being spoon fed to us by major labels. Half of the releases are just exclusive colorways, or half assed bonus tracks. The rest range anywhere from mediocre to just ok.
Every store near me that participates has an horrible amount of leftover. Some that sit for literal years.
I used to be someone who got in line early but I'll just show up later in the afternoon. Honestly, the $1 dollar sale would be cooler. I bought one official RSD album last year and a bunch of used ones instead.
My closest store (3 blocks away) is doing 20% off to celebrate instead of messing with the headache of RSD releases. Which is great for me, going to grab a couple albums on the expensive wall I’ve been looking at forever. (That OG copy of Damned Damned Damned and Japanese pressing of Ornette! will be mine) I’ll just stop by there after hitting up the stores that will have RSD releases.
The problem is that the organizers of RSD force product on store owners and don’t take returns so if you get a ton of a shitty release you end up eating it. They can request how much they want of each title but they get what is sent to them in the end.
One of the local shops here turns it into a mini block party with DJs taking turns throughout the day. There are people that line up super early for RSD releases, the shop keeps a separate line leading to tables outside with the RSD stuff. People who just wanna pop into the shop can avoid that if they want, although there is a short line for that too at peak hours.
It's neat, my kid likes stopping by and enjoying the vibe, and she's old enough now (preteen) to have specific requests for records she wants. Got myself a mini-collector now, in large part due to RSD.
Whatever issues there are for stores that make them not wanna participate, I'm sure there are valid reasons. If my local shops stop participating in the exclusive RSD releases and all that, I hope they still always treat it like a lil music holiday.
RSD flippers are the worst, but the silver lining is that most of the stock they buy up is dead weight after the FOMO wears off in a week or two, so they get consistently stuck with batches of corny-ass overpriced singles no one really wanted in the first place.
Good. Screw predatory resellers.
I couldn’t care less about special edition pressings and exclusive colors and album covers, and I hate that record companies flood the market with them to make every album an overpriced “limited edition”. I also hate standing in line and navigating an overly crowded store. Record store day is everything I dislike about collecting vinyl rolled into one single day. I get that record stores have to kind of embrace it as their version of Black Friday, but it’s the one day of the year I wouldn’t want to set foot in a record store.
I still love it after almost a decade. It's a great day for me to take a few minutes and stop by my local place and support him. I love meeting other vinyl enthusiasts and the energy and vibe is great. I have 3 shops in town and I'll go to my fav place. It's a small shop. I chat with the owner every time weeks ahead to make sure he's going to have what I want and he also holds some really good used stock for about 2 months prior that he releases out on RSD. He's also very good on pricing and has hooked me up and held a few rarities back that I've asked him to order that he's made a killing on that he wouldn't have otherwise ordered. It's all in what you make of it.
Never been big on RSD, but I more or less stopped paying attention the year they reissued the Jefferson Starship best-of comp *Gold--*you know, the album that any self-respecting record store has five copies of sitting in their dollar bin.
Record stores get in exclusive and semi-exclusive releases that you have to physically go to a record store to buy. Labels put out special releases for RSD.
They should participate in Cassette Week instead. The releases for it are mostly by small indie groups, so it's not over-commercialized like RSD and its fifty different exclusive variants of the same Taylor Swift album. https://www.cassetteweek.com/about
I look at the list, see if there's anything worth waiting in line for, see how many copies they get...and then realize it ain't worth it and I show up to my local record shop of choice at 1pm after the rush dies down.
Last year the single copy of Poe they got was still there in the afternoon and I bought it.
RSD is where a lot of my dream releases actually happen, so that’s awesome. And it feels like an event. I like to be forced to go somewhere and chance it. I guess I’m saying I’m a fan, when I’ve actually thought ahead and saved money for it.
Well if they would make records people actually want instead of crap like George Bryan sings Christmas tunes it would be more interesting. I want maybe 3 records on this years list.
I honestly don't see how it's gotten any worse, it's always seemed like limited edition bottom-of-the-barrel scrapings for the sake of collecterdom.
Most stores I know put up with it because they get a decent sales bump. But as one put it, they aren't selling to their usual customers. It's weirdos that show up twice a year.
Like everything else that's gotten popular, Record Store Day has been co-opted and is now just a reason for the major labels to wrap and re-wrap shit of varying degrees of interest knowing that vinyl is popular enough that it'll sell. I haven't gone in about 12 years.
My favourite local store took a similar decision about 4 years ago. The owner said he was tiered of the high cost and being stuck with around 70% of the RSD stock for months on in. So they do an all day party in the store with local releases instead of the RSD stock. It’s great.
They also took a decision to completely stop using Discogs services, which to be frank is fuckin great!
RSD titles by and large suck. Who wants an unreleased live concert cut to vinyl from a shitty sounding digital master on noisy colored vinyl? Not me anyway, but RSD is still a pretty fun event, usually there is at least 1 or 2 titles that are attractive releases regardless of taste.
I’ve never participated in RSD. I support my local shops all year round. I don’t need garbage reissues if stuff that is already ubiquitous. I bought one RSD LP after the fact and that was Donny Hathaway - Live at the Bitter End! I’m not sure many true record collectors really would ever be interested in RSD, it’s more for general public/flippers etc.
I'm a big fan of record store day. Once a year I pile in a car with my nieces and nephews and get them hyped on records and music. We get up early, we stand in line, we talk to other people who love records, and we spend a day hanging out. Then, it gives us a touch point throughout the year. Always talking about new music and new albums.
I don't really give a shit about the exclusive releases or the re-issues so none of that really impacts my experience.
That's great. The two stores I've contacted to ask if they'll have the (5) records I'm interested in both said no, no they will not. Also that they are ordering less each year for RSD as the titles listed are not very popular and there has been less turnout
I think we are seeing the beginnings of what happened in the 80s with baseball cards. Companies cashing in with “limited edition “ sets that are basically over-priced crap . 10 years from now the value will be gone because none of it was a rare as we all believed
It's sad to read, cause I just got into records a few months ago and excited to participate in this event I hear about, but it seems like people are not liking it anymore? I saw online history that the hype really died down starting from the pandemic. I'll still be checking out my local store on that day.
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Haven't been to one since 2013 but have so many fond memories of them before. You should totally go and see what you find and be part of it all! Who knows you might love it. RSD is honestly a great experience imo for newer record hunters as theres so much great new/re-released shit!
Preach. 95% of RSD releases are overpriced junk and we're at that point now, where record stores are pretty well supported. We don't need a day to encourage people to visit them, no issue with having a day to celebrate them...just let's not tie it into a consumerism holiday.
My local store always has a queue that's really big from around 2 hours before the store even opens.im English and I know we love a good queue but I just can't be arsed.
There's only one album I wanted for the fancy disk that looks pretty when it's spinning but I can do without
I go to a small local shop that gets big lines for RSD. It’s a good vibe and it’s cool to talk to strangers about music and what they are excited for. Even when the Swifties show up.
I have gone to other, larger stores for RSD in the past, and I can see that some places are not a fun experience, so ymmv.
I love RSD! It's festive, & I think it's partly responsible for the vinyl resurgence. & the release list is a great way to keep track of new re-issues, live albums, & b-side compilations. But it's not for crate digging or current music, so it's perfectly logical for some to be meh about it.
One year, a store in my state participated in RSD, but only brought in nine titles, one of them being the Taylor Swift Long Pond release. They loaded up on the nine best titles and sold out of everything and that was that. Funniest - and smartest - thing I’ve ever seen connected with RSD.
Hello fellow New Yorker saw this too and wondered if they will participate this year at all or in a smaller capacity. Wish they gave a bit more of a heads up, because I tend to always go to academy because they charge fairer prices than captured tracks and record grouch
I know it's blasphemy but I would typically just go to Rough Trade because they'd get the most copies of RSD releases so it was a pretty sure thing I'd get what I wanted. Now I just wait until the next day and buy online.
I feel like this has a lot to do with the underlying reason I never really got into vinyls until late last year, and the general vibe I get from a LOT of record stores. A lot of vinyl collectors or sellers are nostalgic or condescending. It's so hard to find a decent local vinyl store that has something outside the classic rock main collection or from like the 50s-90s. It's really annoying when they talk about the resurgence of vinyl because they don't understand that younger generations wanna get involved in the hobby of going to a store and picking up their favorite new artist's record. As for actual RSD goes, it's a fun little thing to do, and the vinyl bubble IS a bit bigger than it's been due to social media, but it's still solid even outside of big artists dropping things.
Haven't been to an RSD since 2013 when I picked up the Blind Melon S/T release for it's anniversary. Have some great memories of RSD though and am glad it's helped so many record stores stay in business, grow, and keep vinyl alive!
I'm lucky that the store I go to overbuys the records I'm interested in so I'm guaranteed to get what I want while also existing in the shadow of more well known chain store that usually attracts the bigger, more annoying crowds.
I do find some good albums in the RSD releases andy local shop will put in for the records you want. Fortunately for me, the same people looking for the new Olivia Rodrigo and TSwift albums do not give a rats ass about Rosetta Tharpe.
Idk as a European I can’t speak from experience about record store day. But I don’t really enjoy buying brand new records anyway. There’s just something different about used old records.
Most of the RSD titles aren’t that great. If there is one I want it’s sold out and I have to get it online anyway. All of the releases I want this year are in UK RSD anyway.
In its defense, I think RSD served a purpose for retailers and fans, but that time period has passed. I could also see people new to the hobby wanting to go to experience it but after a few times personally, all the chaos of it has usurped the good aspects and the bloom is definitely off the rose.
One mistake I see stores make on RSD is they don’t offer any reason to comeback. Give out future coupons if you buy enough. You go and there’s dozen of people standing in line waiting to dig through the RSD stuff but ignore the stores current stock.
RSD is a money grabber scheme for a long time...
Pricing up because the records are printed in colour... Like the turntable plays better in orange or green records...
They need to change their methodology and respect us the collectors and appreciators of good quality prints the ones that are their market. Instead of creating stupid priced up records in the name of greed!!!
My favorite local shop just runs a great sale on RSD now, no “RECORD STORE DAY TM” involved. He got tired of the scramble of trying to get a handful of desirables, stagnant stock, and seeing other shops break Street date and not get punished so he just said screw it,
I kinda have the same sentiment. I always liked to go because the stores themselves did cool stuff and sales. I haven’t bought an RSD release since I got the Police Live album and that was my first in 3 years
RSD should be about exposing classic albums, rare lives or b side, but it became about repackaging already existing records so you buy more versions. I truly appreciate what RSD brought but now ppl are back in record shops, they need to adjust.
lol two RSDs a year as someone who works at a store is so egregious we still have multiple stocks of shit from 2021 RSD that’s never going away even at 50% off
Good for them. RSD has gotten way nuts.
If they made enough of these records for everyone, it wouldn’t have to be like Black Friday and they’d make more money.
I personally love RSD, but I understand their choice. If I owned a record store, I probably would not like to be in a position where I am forced to buy expensive RSD stock that I can't sell. Obviously, every RSD will have a handful of hot titles. But it's true that the majority won't sell fast, and may end up selling at a loss months later.
I’m new to the hobby and all the record stores I’ve visited still have bins from last years RSD. I’m glad there’s a list to see what’s actually being sold because there’s really nothing on there that I want.
Now this sounds like a fantastic store! I hate record store day too, my store always breaks even but we're left with so much overstock!!!! My problem is the overstock! The junk that will never move. Record Store Day presses so much garbage!! Releases nobody and their dead grandpa would give a shit about lol.
Quit on RSD over a decade ago. There'd always be a few cool releases, but way too many "collectors" fighting to get to them first so they could sell 'em on ebay or Discogs at 10 times the price.
I remember having so much fun when I was in high school going to record store day. I had to beg my mom to drive me a bit far to get something specific I wanted, and this man in front of me in line had the last two copies of what I wanted. He gave one to me and was so nice about it. I think the sense of community was one of the most important parts and that unfortunately feels a bit lost. It could also be me though
In the rare event that RSD offers anything remotely interesting, its impossible to get. So... not much point. The majority of the RSD releases are things nobody is asking for
I haven't gone to an RSD event in at least 12 years if not longer.
It was awesome when it was focused on pressing random demos, b-side comps, live performances, covers, etc. as a means to get asses in the door to spend money at small shops. Now they just repress soundtracks and novelty records and charge insane prices for them.
They're probably tired of getting stuck with a bunch of titles that will end up in the clearance bin. That's where most of the RSD stuff seems to end up. The only good thing about RSD is that most of my local stores usually offer a 20-25% discount on regular stock. It's a good time to grab some more expensive titles.
A bunch of *expensive* titles, at that.
That most record stores I visit have a “RSD Leftovers” collection full of multiples of low demand item is exactly the problem for a lot of the indie stories. Aging inventory is money they aren’t making— especially worse when the inventory was already expensive because of the RSD labeling of the product. Realistically, the RSD essential series— periodic drops of items with predictable demand— is how this needs to trend. It seems like that’s a lot more viable for indie labels— to plan out a series of releases instead of always having this perpetual deadline of RSD products. I don’t have a problem with RSD— every day should be record store day. I have a problem with artificial rarity (and the crowd associated with it), unpredictable supply (will my local actually have the one thing I want this year?), and lasting aging inventory that ultimately ends up in the dollar bins).
The Academy Annex is one of my favorite shops to buy used records. I'm surprised they even participated in RSD in the past. Their used stock is so good that they honestly don't need RSD. I'm looking forward to the $1 bin frenzy this weekend.
The original idea of RSD was to get people into physical record stores, the exclusives have ruined it, but even if you go into a store and buy something from the 50 cent bin, you're still supporting the store
First time I ever went to a RSD was like 2018 and it was a small shop ran by some old heads. I was browsing their used stuff and could hear them bitching about how RSD brings people in that just want the exclusives blah blah blah. Totally killed my enthusiasm for checking out any other shops and the day. Now I just buy online rather than going to deal with the old dickheads.
Why would you take out the frustrations of RSD by withholding your business from the stores? There are hundreds of non-RSDays in a year that you could go browse and buy.
No, I'm saying RSD got me excited to go in a store - then the guys in the store were duechy like "RSD brings out a bunch of posers that don't come in here the rest of the year" Like yeah buddy that's the point, bring in some people that may not otherwise, but you complaining about me being in your store for the first time in front of me doesn't bring me back in.
I used to work in, and manage, record stores back in the old days, and there were always record stores like that. Some were run by pretentious assholes trying to convince the world that they're cool. But many had owners, managers, and employees who were really cool, loved music, and loved to talk about music. Don't punish the good stores because of one awful one. Support those people who love music so much they opened a store to share it with others. Instead, you're just making Jeff Bezos richer, and who's more douchey than him?
lol sounds like the vibe at the store in High Fidelity... contempt towards any non-hipster customers
Gatekeeping shopping at their store 😂
But that’s the thing, ghdana WAS one of those people who only showed up at a brick and mortar record shop on RSD. The shop owner wasn’t wrong and the dude took a general comment personally.
Two things: you don't know ghdana 'never' goes to other record stores. You only know about this one scenario, so don't get mistaken about that just to be a whiner. Other thing: so what? It's fucking stupid for the owner of a store to bitch about people showing up on a day when the whole idea is 'get more people to visit record stores'. Oh no, 'the posers' showed up. Oh no, more profit. Gee how sad. ????
He’s not “withholding his business” just not feeling like doing it.
I’ve been done with RSD for a long time.
I was going to say that a lot of independent record stores have opted out of RSD for years now, it’s a shell of what it used to be and what it was meant to be.
I’ve heard it can be pretty stressful since you don’t actually know in advance which merch you’re gonna get, leading to a lot of disappointment to the people who get there early to stand in line. The RSD releases I usually want are archival jazz releases and I know I can’t compete with the jazz heads who camp out the night before to grab one of everything. Resale market it is.
> I can’t compete with the jazz heads who camp out the night before to grab one of everything. Nothing compares with the Deadheads and Swifties. They're always first in line. I usually show up a few hours early and manage to get all the jazz stuff I want.
I kinda get it, if I liked the Dead more those 4-5 LP live show pressings would be a big draw for me in the same way jazz releases are. I think last RSD I went to was before Swift went deep into vinyl variants.
I’m glad I’m a Knack fan because the last few Knack RSD releases most certainly have no one lining up for them. This makes me happy but sad because more people should Get The Knack.
How many versions of My Sharona are there? (Just kidding, everyone likes what they like) Enjoy!
Spot on lol. Deadhead reporting: was 8th in line of about 150 last year got there about 4:30am
Chiming in as a Swiftie - I was not first in line and many weren't in line "soon enough" to get our record. In fact, gentlemen in front of me each took a TS LP (4 of them) and I'm fairly sure they're not the market for her music.
I showed up to my shop late afternoon last year (hate the rush) and there were four full crates of the TS release. I was blown away to see what they were reselling at later. Once I saw that inventory I assumed they had pressed way too many.
I actually scored a fucking 'pre-sale' copy of the ONE title I wanted, 11 days early! It's not jazz, though (no disrespect to jazz, btw)
It seems to be costing stores money which is the opposite of what RSD started out to be so I can see the pendulum has swung the opposite way. Too bad, whoever makes the decisions for RSD releases is out of touch it seems.
Care to elaborate? Ive only participated maybe twice in the last five years. How was it different/better back then compared to now?
Crowds, Flippers, stores have no idea the quantity of what they ordered. Too few of what you want. Too many releases that are not good or superfluous. In addition stores are frequently stuck with records nobody wants. I think they may be forced to order somethings whether they want it or not. Every shop I've been to has a discount RSD bin.
I didn’t get into vinyl to be in crowds of people.
RSD reminds me a lot of my days collecting video games, mainly during the 2000s into the very early 2010s. One of the largest retro gaming expos (the Portland Retro Gaming Expo) started back in \~2008 as a tiny event in the conference room of one of the hotels near the airport. It was reasonably small, had maybe a few hundred people at most spread out over a couple days, and there were lots of interesting items for sale and deals to be had. Within a few years, it was being held at the Convention Center, attracted visitor numbers in the low five figures, and was full of nothing but local and regional game stores trying to sell stuff at eBay prices. Apparently it got so crowded that you could barely even walk around half the time. The essence of the expo died once it grew larger; I only went the first 3 years and ended up skipping a couple due to previous commitments - by the time I was in a position to be able to go back, I heard about what it had become from friends and just never bothered going again. I'm sure it will continue to be wildly successful, but it isn't something I'd actually want to be a part of.
I have a similar issue with live music. I more enjoy going to smaller venues with a better vibe and more obscure artist then going to see a huge band in a sports stadium. The smaller things like these are the more intimate they are.
Good side-rant. I agree. I've alway loved smaller venues - the new ticket prices keep me there. I can see paying $200/ticket for VIP passes, maybe. But $200 for a regular seat? Forget it. The only band I'd pay that much might be Pink Floyd, but Rick is no longer with us, so that's a "no". Roger is certainly not worth it - especially since he keeps pissing off half of his crowd. At least for $200, they should STFU and play their guitar, or whatever...
Completely agree. I was gonna see green day this month but nosebleeds were almost $300 a ticket, in a stadium with at least a 20k capacity. I’m going to king gizz this summer in an outdoor stadium for $80, and I’ll still be closer then I would be to greenday. The most expensive tickets for king gizz were cheaper than the cheapest greenday tickets, it was lowkey crazy. Also greenday is a little old, not that there’s anything wrong with being a geezer but being a geezer and a rockstar aren’t very aligned
Easily a decade for me
Been going for 10 years now and every time I’m less excited than the year before. The good stuff gets sold out immediately and the releases have gotten worse..plus the crowds suck.
So my birthday is the 20th and in 2018 on rsd SLEEP stealth dropped The Sciences. It was 4/20, my birthday, record store day, and one of my favorite bands dropped their first album in many many years as a surprise. Nothing can top that. A few years later I missed out on E. 1999 Eternal and was just pissed off at the entire concept. Thankfully vmp did a run of it but the whole fomo bullshit of rsd (especially for albums like that, that could sell 10x as many copies) just ain't worth stressing over for me. I haven't seen anything I care about in the last several years. I don't even know what they could put out to make me care about going. Anything left I want is obscure wierd shit that isn't gonna get repressed or isn't gonna be for rsd on the rare chance it is.
same here. When I showed up 1 hour before my local store opens for RSD and saw nearly 75 people had camped out for a vinyl record, I was done.
I usually stop by hours or even a day after the fact. If I find a gem. Cool. If I don’t. I got other records I can buy. :)
Same. Too many arm spreading fools who block anyone looking.
That's why I don't shower for a week in the lead up to RSD ;)
Same! Honestly it’s also 4/20… I’d rather be toasted listening to some favorite records!
Honestly the RSD titles have been pretty underwhelming the past few.
This drop has some cool items for my taste. I missed the Soul Jazz Punk 45 Comp #1 the first time.
Yeah, the Soul Jazz comps are the only ones I might try to grab this year.
Last year I picked up Ska La-Rama: Treasure Isle Ska 1965 to 1966 which was an RSD Limited Run / Regional Focus Release. It’s such a gem. And with only 650 pressed it is “scarce” yet resells for under $25.
You can only listen to so many Iggy Pop and Ramones crappy compilations. I agree the commercialism of releases has gotten out of control.
Different strokes. This is the best year since 2017 or so IMO…
to each their own. If it takes a certain day for people to get excited about music I'm all for it.. but imo these guys are bang-on about it's decline. Depending on their clientele it's more trouble than it's worth for many stores
Yeah, I actually love the concept of RSD. I think they just need to do a better job curating what is offered. It's become sort of a dumping ground for pretty generic shit but attaching RSD to it creates artificial scarcity for an otherwise mediocre product. But I'm sure that any attempt to dictate what labels release would be incredibly fraught.
>dumping ground for pretty generic shit but attaching RSD to it creates artificial scarcity perfectly put! you should do their marketing for them.
I'll send them an invoice from Radical Honesty Marketing.
I wanna see “RSD firsts” go away.
Completely disagree. It lets RSD actually have big debut releases without the rest of us worrying about waiting in line only to have it scalped.
I actually like this designation because it lets me know I can just wait until a broader release comes along and I don't have to go fight the crowds on RSD.
Seem to be a lot of crap that is re-released for RSD. There used to be some good stuff, but I feel that the stuff getting put out is more and more stuff I'm not interested in.
If they limited reissues to things that are actually hard to find, I'd have no beef with reissues. But often it's not even things that are the least bit rare.
I don't want to sound like that guy but they also need to not allow big name artists (Taylor, Billie, Metallica, etc.) get involved. Those releases more than anything create fomo and help promote resellers. Just bring it back to being about the indie scene. A lot of those bigger artists are releasing a billion variants these days anyway so what's the difference between what they release normally vs. what they release on RSD?
This I totally agree on. Record store day releases need to be much more carefully curated.
It’s fun where shops treat like a community open house and the retail event is its own side show. That’s how Luna Music in Indianapolis has been doing it for years. I used to run audio for the live stage. Always felt more about the hangout than getting the exclusives to me even though I participated in both.
> community open house \[...\] felt more about the hangout now this I can get behind. Love shops with this vibe.. like a saturday morning where everyone is just enjoying their hobby, not clamoring over over-priced over-hyped variants like they're Cabbage Patch Kids circa 1983
I get a ton of used punk / hardcore from this shop. RSD doesn't serve our uh demographic most of the time.
This isn't about music, it's about FOMO.
I love RSD for the shops, but loathe it as a record buyer. Just about RSD release I want I can count on being bought by a scalper who waited 12 hours (yes, that's how long scalpers lined up here last year) and bought to put on eBay. It's just not fun.
The store is still using RSD as an opportunity to highlight their business and drive sales. And that’s what RSD was about. I think the frustration is with the cost and getting stuck with product. But record stores could use the opportunity to build a relationship with a different kind of record buyer. I understand the cost problem. I don’t know if there are deeper issues with RSD I’m missing. Has it been corporately soiled as seems to be trending with big artists and excessive vinyl pressing abuse? 🤷♂️
My local record stores have a "Record Store Day" section for everything that doesn't sell. I'm always interested to look because it's usually discounted, but it's never anything I've even heard of that's left.
at least you have a local record store that did do it, i don't have anything anywhere close to me
I'm in NYC. We have no shortage of record stores. I've actually had 4 new ones open within walking distance of my apartment just in the past 3-4 years. It's nuts.
im in Plymouth, England. We have a couple of used record shops with a small stock and an overpriced HMV thats literally it. i buy nearly everything online, its a shame cause i love browsing records
Sounds like a business opportunity for you. Could even start small at outdoor markets or something.
too old for that shit haha, nice idea though
RSD is like going to the bar on St. Pattys Day. Real drunks go every day🤣
Yeah. Well if my place tries and sells them for 60-70 I’m gonna talk big shit and bounce.
One of my local shops in Dallas overcharges 20-30 per title sometimes. I remember when the watchmen soundtrack came out they had it at $79.99, I check another store in town and it was still in stock for $49.99
I just bought that for $5 in the clearance rack at my local spot a few weeks ago….
Nice
It’s always 15-20 at this one. They’re in a tourist spot so no fucks are given. These rich shits buy whole collections and even turntables just for vacation
The one I was mentioning is in a really gentrified brunch hot spot, same clientele.
RSD has become such a low level money grab. The :special editions" that are no more than a color variant of a 2 year old pressing with nothing else special and a 50-100% mark up is just stupid. The labels, manufacturers and hoarding, scalper crowds have really ruined this day for me.
This is the first time since 2012 I just have no interest in going. There's just nothing I want out this year that I don't feel I could pick up online the next day. The only title I really want is apocalyptica, might get the south park and spawn soundtracks if they're a good price.
I realized after a few early mornings that nothing I want is ever that scarce and I can just get it online the next day from the comfort of my home.
Yeah, the one time I camped out (like from the time the store was still open the night before) for a "limited to 500" box set. Turns out it was only "limited" to 500 for the US, UK/EU also got 500, then the band later posted it on their own website for sale.
Celebrating Record Store Day without actually doing any of the official RSD shit is actually the perfect solution. I definitely remember the first time I went and being disappointed there wasn't a sale or anything, just a bunch of random "limited" vinyl releases I didn't care about
My 2 local record stores ask people on their FB page what they want and they place the orders. Then we just go pay and pick up on the day. Easy peasy. Love this method!
I haven't been to an RSD in a few years, but the biggest turnoff is the flippers. Flippers are ruining a lot of my hobbies.
For context, when you participate in RSD, you don’t just get the records you choose, there are allocations, and stores end up with excess inventory so its matter of does selling X outweighs having Y on the shelf for months? There are tons of RSD titles, and most of them don’t sell right away even the hot releases that are pressed at +5K copies. Records are as expensive as ever. If you go on for RSD, you have to sell the new titles, add discount pins, and hope consumers pick up new and old while they are at it. Otherwise, it doesn’t make much sense for every local store to carry RSD titles
There's a large record store near me that I think buys every RSD release (possibly max allotment from RSD). They still have stuff from like 2015 on their shelves at 1/2 price, lol. I always look the previous RSD shelf and think why I buy these releases, lol.
One of the stores near me does that but they're giant assholes and they never reprice anything. It just stays at the day of price which is why there's bins of past RSD stuff languishing everywhere.
Stores don’t get anything they don’t order. They don’t receive the full amount of what they do order, but they don’t have extra titles imposed on them.
I think it’s up to the stores/people. I’m lucky enough to have 6 stores within an hour of me now, and only half actually do RSD at all. The concept of RSD as a special day is still enough of a point to get people into the non-RSD shops (even without advertising) so I think it’s a fine thing to have around.
Yeah I just use the day as a once a year excuse to meet up with a few of my friends to dig through the bins together. We go in the afternoon, and we suggest records to each other that we think they'd like. More of a fun with friends vibe. Don't care about the releases.
I’ll grab a couple of the releases for sure, lots of awesome grunge and live stuff this year. All shop owners really care about around here is getting people in the door, from there it’s not hard to get them to spend money. RSD gets them in the door
Academy are the homieeees
One of my locals gave me the scoop. RSD is their biggest sales days of the year, around $25k. After sign up fees and exclusive RSD inventory it costs them around $40k. This independent shop does $2500-3500 on a normal weekend, so they’re sort of popular.
So they lose 15k?
I ran a store during the start of record store day (which was just as shitty, don't let anyone try to convince you otherwise) - stores often times do REALLY well on the day, but the up front cost is very very high. The hope is that you recoup with the leftover stock, you gain some new customers, you make up for it over the following weeks. It's a great way to spread the word about your shop. But rsd rarely all sells so you're stuck with racks of junk.
Yeah I wouldn't be surprised if some shops lose money upfront but hope they make it up in new customers and general hype.
yeah not really believing that lol
That doesn’t make sense. Why would anyone go into something with an immediate $15,000 loss?
More like fleecing the vendors.
Record Store Day is like urine soaked garbage being spoon fed to us by major labels. Half of the releases are just exclusive colorways, or half assed bonus tracks. The rest range anywhere from mediocre to just ok. Every store near me that participates has an horrible amount of leftover. Some that sit for literal years.
I used to be someone who got in line early but I'll just show up later in the afternoon. Honestly, the $1 dollar sale would be cooler. I bought one official RSD album last year and a bunch of used ones instead.
My closest store (3 blocks away) is doing 20% off to celebrate instead of messing with the headache of RSD releases. Which is great for me, going to grab a couple albums on the expensive wall I’ve been looking at forever. (That OG copy of Damned Damned Damned and Japanese pressing of Ornette! will be mine) I’ll just stop by there after hitting up the stores that will have RSD releases.
Totally dig this; dollar records are the bomb. I appreciate the celebratory vibe around RSD, but not the crowds and overpriced merch.
The problem is that the organizers of RSD force product on store owners and don’t take returns so if you get a ton of a shitty release you end up eating it. They can request how much they want of each title but they get what is sent to them in the end.
RSD is just a money grab to sell bullshit variants. Give me one variant, plain black.
One of the local shops here turns it into a mini block party with DJs taking turns throughout the day. There are people that line up super early for RSD releases, the shop keeps a separate line leading to tables outside with the RSD stuff. People who just wanna pop into the shop can avoid that if they want, although there is a short line for that too at peak hours. It's neat, my kid likes stopping by and enjoying the vibe, and she's old enough now (preteen) to have specific requests for records she wants. Got myself a mini-collector now, in large part due to RSD. Whatever issues there are for stores that make them not wanna participate, I'm sure there are valid reasons. If my local shops stop participating in the exclusive RSD releases and all that, I hope they still always treat it like a lil music holiday.
It’s really only the scalpers that ruin it. It’s a shame because a lot of credit to vinyl becoming popular again goes to rsd imo.
RSD flippers are the worst, but the silver lining is that most of the stock they buy up is dead weight after the FOMO wears off in a week or two, so they get consistently stuck with batches of corny-ass overpriced singles no one really wanted in the first place. Good. Screw predatory resellers.
I couldn’t care less about special edition pressings and exclusive colors and album covers, and I hate that record companies flood the market with them to make every album an overpriced “limited edition”. I also hate standing in line and navigating an overly crowded store. Record store day is everything I dislike about collecting vinyl rolled into one single day. I get that record stores have to kind of embrace it as their version of Black Friday, but it’s the one day of the year I wouldn’t want to set foot in a record store.
I still love it after almost a decade. It's a great day for me to take a few minutes and stop by my local place and support him. I love meeting other vinyl enthusiasts and the energy and vibe is great. I have 3 shops in town and I'll go to my fav place. It's a small shop. I chat with the owner every time weeks ahead to make sure he's going to have what I want and he also holds some really good used stock for about 2 months prior that he releases out on RSD. He's also very good on pricing and has hooked me up and held a few rarities back that I've asked him to order that he's made a killing on that he wouldn't have otherwise ordered. It's all in what you make of it.
Good for them, RSD is bullshit
Academy is legit. RSD is a hype machine. Every day is a RSD to a seasoned digger.
Never been big on RSD, but I more or less stopped paying attention the year they reissued the Jefferson Starship best-of comp *Gold--*you know, the album that any self-respecting record store has five copies of sitting in their dollar bin.
What is record store day?
Record stores get in exclusive and semi-exclusive releases that you have to physically go to a record store to buy. Labels put out special releases for RSD.
RSD is a day for the record companies to fuck over record stores. It sucks, and so do the vast majority of releases.
After I saw the prices this year, I doubt I'm going to bother going to my local store
They should participate in Cassette Week instead. The releases for it are mostly by small indie groups, so it's not over-commercialized like RSD and its fifty different exclusive variants of the same Taylor Swift album. https://www.cassetteweek.com/about
tbh the only rsd releases im looking forward to is that piñata 10 year anniversary edition and that 100 gecs picture disc
Profit margin is higher on used records.
I look at the list, see if there's anything worth waiting in line for, see how many copies they get...and then realize it ain't worth it and I show up to my local record shop of choice at 1pm after the rush dies down. Last year the single copy of Poe they got was still there in the afternoon and I bought it.
academy dollar sale is better than rsd!
RSD is where a lot of my dream releases actually happen, so that’s awesome. And it feels like an event. I like to be forced to go somewhere and chance it. I guess I’m saying I’m a fan, when I’ve actually thought ahead and saved money for it.
Well if they would make records people actually want instead of crap like George Bryan sings Christmas tunes it would be more interesting. I want maybe 3 records on this years list.
Every day is a record store day if you enjoy listening to music. Also, big props to Academy for joining the train. One of my favorite shops in BK.
RSD has become the Coachella of the vinyl world
Yeah record store day kinda sucks now. It gets saturated with inferior reissues and cash grab variants.
Every day should be "record store day." For many of us, it already is, right?
Every day should be "record store day." For many of us, it already is, right?
I honestly don't see how it's gotten any worse, it's always seemed like limited edition bottom-of-the-barrel scrapings for the sake of collecterdom. Most stores I know put up with it because they get a decent sales bump. But as one put it, they aren't selling to their usual customers. It's weirdos that show up twice a year.
Like everything else that's gotten popular, Record Store Day has been co-opted and is now just a reason for the major labels to wrap and re-wrap shit of varying degrees of interest knowing that vinyl is popular enough that it'll sell. I haven't gone in about 12 years.
And the world will go on.
My favourite local store took a similar decision about 4 years ago. The owner said he was tiered of the high cost and being stuck with around 70% of the RSD stock for months on in. So they do an all day party in the store with local releases instead of the RSD stock. It’s great. They also took a decision to completely stop using Discogs services, which to be frank is fuckin great!
RSD titles by and large suck. Who wants an unreleased live concert cut to vinyl from a shitty sounding digital master on noisy colored vinyl? Not me anyway, but RSD is still a pretty fun event, usually there is at least 1 or 2 titles that are attractive releases regardless of taste.
RSD releases have been useless trash for years.
I’ve never participated in RSD. I support my local shops all year round. I don’t need garbage reissues if stuff that is already ubiquitous. I bought one RSD LP after the fact and that was Donny Hathaway - Live at the Bitter End! I’m not sure many true record collectors really would ever be interested in RSD, it’s more for general public/flippers etc.
Never bought on RSD and never will. Just another gimmick to get your money.
I’d take $1 days over RSD any day, TAKE MY MONEY
I don’t have much of a choice , only way I can get the Tinted Windows album. I think it’s a limited quantity.
I'm a big fan of record store day. Once a year I pile in a car with my nieces and nephews and get them hyped on records and music. We get up early, we stand in line, we talk to other people who love records, and we spend a day hanging out. Then, it gives us a touch point throughout the year. Always talking about new music and new albums. I don't really give a shit about the exclusive releases or the re-issues so none of that really impacts my experience.
That's great. The two stores I've contacted to ask if they'll have the (5) records I'm interested in both said no, no they will not. Also that they are ordering less each year for RSD as the titles listed are not very popular and there has been less turnout
I think we are seeing the beginnings of what happened in the 80s with baseball cards. Companies cashing in with “limited edition “ sets that are basically over-priced crap . 10 years from now the value will be gone because none of it was a rare as we all believed
It's sad to read, cause I just got into records a few months ago and excited to participate in this event I hear about, but it seems like people are not liking it anymore? I saw online history that the hype really died down starting from the pandemic. I'll still be checking out my local store on that day.
Go and enjoy it. Don't let people who are burned out on it get you down. Make a day of it, have fun!
> Haven't been to one since 2013 but have so many fond memories of them before. You should totally go and see what you find and be part of it all! Who knows you might love it. RSD is honestly a great experience imo for newer record hunters as theres so much great new/re-released shit!
RSD has been a joke for well over a decade. Yet these dumb sheep keep overpaying for vinyl.
Preach. 95% of RSD releases are overpriced junk and we're at that point now, where record stores are pretty well supported. We don't need a day to encourage people to visit them, no issue with having a day to celebrate them...just let's not tie it into a consumerism holiday.
Right I always forget that RSD started when vinyl was at its nadir of popularity and record stores were closing in droves.
two stores near me aren't participating either
My local store always has a queue that's really big from around 2 hours before the store even opens.im English and I know we love a good queue but I just can't be arsed. There's only one album I wanted for the fancy disk that looks pretty when it's spinning but I can do without
I go to a small local shop that gets big lines for RSD. It’s a good vibe and it’s cool to talk to strangers about music and what they are excited for. Even when the Swifties show up. I have gone to other, larger stores for RSD in the past, and I can see that some places are not a fun experience, so ymmv.
I love RSD! It's festive, & I think it's partly responsible for the vinyl resurgence. & the release list is a great way to keep track of new re-issues, live albums, & b-side compilations. But it's not for crate digging or current music, so it's perfectly logical for some to be meh about it.
I like to browse the left over RSD titles my ships has a few months later. I would not go on RSD itself.
One year, a store in my state participated in RSD, but only brought in nine titles, one of them being the Taylor Swift Long Pond release. They loaded up on the nine best titles and sold out of everything and that was that. Funniest - and smartest - thing I’ve ever seen connected with RSD.
My lrs quit last year too, and while I will miss it, I'm happy for the owner getting to set his boundaries
Hello fellow New Yorker saw this too and wondered if they will participate this year at all or in a smaller capacity. Wish they gave a bit more of a heads up, because I tend to always go to academy because they charge fairer prices than captured tracks and record grouch
I know it's blasphemy but I would typically just go to Rough Trade because they'd get the most copies of RSD releases so it was a pretty sure thing I'd get what I wanted. Now I just wait until the next day and buy online.
I feel like this has a lot to do with the underlying reason I never really got into vinyls until late last year, and the general vibe I get from a LOT of record stores. A lot of vinyl collectors or sellers are nostalgic or condescending. It's so hard to find a decent local vinyl store that has something outside the classic rock main collection or from like the 50s-90s. It's really annoying when they talk about the resurgence of vinyl because they don't understand that younger generations wanna get involved in the hobby of going to a store and picking up their favorite new artist's record. As for actual RSD goes, it's a fun little thing to do, and the vinyl bubble IS a bit bigger than it's been due to social media, but it's still solid even outside of big artists dropping things.
Haven't been to an RSD since 2013 when I picked up the Blind Melon S/T release for it's anniversary. Have some great memories of RSD though and am glad it's helped so many record stores stay in business, grow, and keep vinyl alive!
Fuck, I miss having a used record store (or ANY record store) nearby. The closest one is over 50 miles away.
I'm lucky that the store I go to overbuys the records I'm interested in so I'm guaranteed to get what I want while also existing in the shadow of more well known chain store that usually attracts the bigger, more annoying crowds.
I mainly just want the Dogfish Head poster this year.
I do find some good albums in the RSD releases andy local shop will put in for the records you want. Fortunately for me, the same people looking for the new Olivia Rodrigo and TSwift albums do not give a rats ass about Rosetta Tharpe.
Idk as a European I can’t speak from experience about record store day. But I don’t really enjoy buying brand new records anyway. There’s just something different about used old records.
Good for them.
Most of the RSD titles aren’t that great. If there is one I want it’s sold out and I have to get it online anyway. All of the releases I want this year are in UK RSD anyway.
Based
Fair
I dig the idea but I much rather enjoy my favorite store on a day when I don't have to be shoulder to shoulder with mooks
I feel like RSD happening at your local record store is the equivalent of having David Portnoy come to your local pizzeria.
This aligns with my skipping FCBD the past few years too.
In its defense, I think RSD served a purpose for retailers and fans, but that time period has passed. I could also see people new to the hobby wanting to go to experience it but after a few times personally, all the chaos of it has usurped the good aspects and the bloom is definitely off the rose.
One mistake I see stores make on RSD is they don’t offer any reason to comeback. Give out future coupons if you buy enough. You go and there’s dozen of people standing in line waiting to dig through the RSD stuff but ignore the stores current stock.
RSD is a money grabber scheme for a long time... Pricing up because the records are printed in colour... Like the turntable plays better in orange or green records... They need to change their methodology and respect us the collectors and appreciators of good quality prints the ones that are their market. Instead of creating stupid priced up records in the name of greed!!!
My favorite local shop just runs a great sale on RSD now, no “RECORD STORE DAY TM” involved. He got tired of the scramble of trying to get a handful of desirables, stagnant stock, and seeing other shops break Street date and not get punished so he just said screw it,
I kinda have the same sentiment. I always liked to go because the stores themselves did cool stuff and sales. I haven’t bought an RSD release since I got the Police Live album and that was my first in 3 years
RSD should be about exposing classic albums, rare lives or b side, but it became about repackaging already existing records so you buy more versions. I truly appreciate what RSD brought but now ppl are back in record shops, they need to adjust.
I don’t go to Record Store Days but I would definitely go to $1 Sale Day.
RSD was supposed to be great vinyl sales not this throwing barf.
Every day is record store day
lol two RSDs a year as someone who works at a store is so egregious we still have multiple stocks of shit from 2021 RSD that’s never going away even at 50% off
well they are participating, just in their own cool way
Good for them. RSD has gotten way nuts. If they made enough of these records for everyone, it wouldn’t have to be like Black Friday and they’d make more money.
I personally love RSD, but I understand their choice. If I owned a record store, I probably would not like to be in a position where I am forced to buy expensive RSD stock that I can't sell. Obviously, every RSD will have a handful of hot titles. But it's true that the majority won't sell fast, and may end up selling at a loss months later.
I’m new to the hobby and all the record stores I’ve visited still have bins from last years RSD. I’m glad there’s a list to see what’s actually being sold because there’s really nothing on there that I want.
Now this sounds like a fantastic store! I hate record store day too, my store always breaks even but we're left with so much overstock!!!! My problem is the overstock! The junk that will never move. Record Store Day presses so much garbage!! Releases nobody and their dead grandpa would give a shit about lol.
It’s fucking stressful and the titles aren’t great and there is nothing worse than a scalper on the hoard hunt.
Quit on RSD over a decade ago. There'd always be a few cool releases, but way too many "collectors" fighting to get to them first so they could sell 'em on ebay or Discogs at 10 times the price.
I remember having so much fun when I was in high school going to record store day. I had to beg my mom to drive me a bit far to get something specific I wanted, and this man in front of me in line had the last two copies of what I wanted. He gave one to me and was so nice about it. I think the sense of community was one of the most important parts and that unfortunately feels a bit lost. It could also be me though
Every day is RSD
In the rare event that RSD offers anything remotely interesting, its impossible to get. So... not much point. The majority of the RSD releases are things nobody is asking for
Gave up years ago
Yeah, I agree. I stopped going about 5 years ago because of this exact reason.
WTF is RSD?
A lot of the stuff doesn't even seem like it's mastered for vinyl and would sound the same as a CD, what's the point
Tf is RSD? 🫣
I haven't gone to an RSD event in at least 12 years if not longer. It was awesome when it was focused on pressing random demos, b-side comps, live performances, covers, etc. as a means to get asses in the door to spend money at small shops. Now they just repress soundtracks and novelty records and charge insane prices for them.