Record Store Day is dead

I went once I will never go again.

 

I'm a record collector and have never been to an RSD, Black Friday or otherwise. I don't really object to it, other than it gumming up the record presses but the releases never excite me either.

 

I picked up the new Hendrix and almost grabbed the Live Joplin but not a super huge fan, plus I needed sleeves and been buying wayyyyy to much vinyl this fall.

 

Bought the new Sunn O))) That's it. Was tempted by the Hendrix, but not for 40 bucks.

 

Now people aren't even chilling out on Thanksgiving night, when Black "Friday" is starting in more and more stores every year. I don't do Black Friday or RSD anyway, so it's always been just the day after Thanksgiving for me and my wife.

 

Ive never been even remotely into RSD, and I love vinyl. At 41 years old I can recognize a scam when I see one. For one, things that are promoted as "Collector's Items" usually have a shelf life before they devalue. Forget that!

 

It's not died. But they need to bring in some interesting titles and lower those prices.

 

I was thinking of getting the Shoes album but for $27.00,

 

If there has been even a few interesting CD releases, I might've been tempted. However for this year, nothing.

 

Just because the titles available isn't of everyone's tastes, doesn't mean it's dying.
Record Store Day is still the main event and Black Friday has always been a kind of an afterthought anyway.
I'm suspecting a lot of jealousy going on from forum members who can't get the vinyl they want in their areas and therefore are more than willing to put the events to the grave...except when they get their vinyls, of course...

 

I stopped in a gaming/vinyl place expecting to have to wait in line but i was an hour late as it turned out and nobody was even looking at RSD bin by the time i arrived so I took my time and looked but nothing was left that i wanted except the 10 inch BB King EP but i passed at $13. QC problems I've been having this year with new vinyl....eh, but even the used stuff sucked this year so I didn't but a thing anywhere today...B&N,GW,SA,etc. hit a lot of places but came up empty. Weather was warm though for this time of year and nice to get outside. RSD probably be better in April.

 

I also wasn't too excited about the titles offered, but I went to two shops when they opened, one at 6 am and one at 10 am. The 6 am store couldn't sell any RSD stuff until 7 and I didn't want to hang out for an hour so I didn't get any RSD stuff there - and they didn't have any titles I wanted. However, I did pick up the Decemberists EP Long Live the King, More Than Meets The Ear by Jean-Luc Ponty (promo copy on Liberty/Pacific Jazz) and Passion, Grace and Fire by John McLaughlin, Al Di Meola and Paco De Lucia. At the second store, I got the Big Star (which I was planning to buy), The Zombies double LP and the Spoon 10" single (neither of which I was planning on buying). These two stores ordered NO 7". They both said that they just don't sell.

I went to a third store and picked up the Bohemian Rhapsody 12" single, the Alan Parsons Project single edits off of The Turn of a Friendly Card, the two Kinks EPs (these I wanted to buy) and a double picture disc by The Sword called "High Country", which I wasn't planning on buying. I bought it for my friend who collects and decorates his music room with pic discs, but this one is so pretty, I may keep it for myself.

The only other thing I wanted but couldn't find was the Bee Gees tribute album.

So, while I wasn't really too hot on this year's BF offerings, I think I did okay. I am not a flipper, I only buy stuff for my own use and stuff I give as gifts.

 

RSD was the 15% sale at acoustic sounds for me.

 

I bought a Rush album at B & N for 40 percent off and ordered a few things from Amazon and Deep Discount. I support the local shops the rest of the year so I don't care if I only buy one thing or nothing on RSD

 

Stayed home, clicked "buy" for the Simon and Garfunkel LP Box set for 75-bucks from Popmarket instead...

...the list of what was available this year for RSD was simply yawn-inducing.

 

Huh. I was actually in line at 11 when they opened, probably 20 back, and there was at least another 30 people behind me. Went to Rasputin, Stranded, 1234Go!, and Mod Lang after that. I wouldn't say any of those shops were packed, but they all seemed to be doing good business and all of them (including Amoeba) had either sold out of at least some of the RSD releases or didn't get everything.

It wasn't a great selection of releases this time around, plus it was pretty chilly here in the East Bay after being unseasonably warm for a good long while. I saw one guy get out of line and go home, claiming it was too cold.

 

Mod Lang was actually open. Now that's news.

 

Do you have anything positive to say, ever?

 

Didn't know, still don't care. I started buying albums in 1968, so such crapola promotions mean nothing to me.
.

 

Uh ... then why is it one of the biggest shopping days of the year for most other kinds of US retailers?

I'd say it doesn't do as well because many people are at those other kinds of stores.

 

Record Store Day Black Friday makes no sense, to be honest.

Black Friday is the "start" of the Holiday shopping season. It's not the start of music purchasing self-gratification. Few will hit the record stores to buy stuff for others on RSD.

 

There hasn't been a record store day around here in twenty five years.

 

You make a good point.

A pet peeve of mine is when people use the words uh or um when quoting someone else's post, as they're basically used to make the OP look foolish. Well done!

 

I bought the Ween for my son for Christmas, first purchase and the most $. Not that you're necessarily wrong.

 

I showed up in the final hour at CD Trader in Tarzana, Calif. The owner rang me up and he was in a good mood. Said they'd been swamped since minute 1, did tons of business.

I got the RSD Ween and one of the Kinks EPs. Everything else I carted home was used vinyl at a tasty sale price.