Record Store Day is dead

I don't think so.
I've never been into RSD, and hope it dies off. Too many vendors blatently ripping off consumers across the board.
Maybe consumers are also realizing that the past and true spirit of RSD has long gone?

But I don't think that the revival of vinyl has topped at all, and think that sales of vinyl will continue to increase.

 

Because we spent $600 on Dylan and$200 on Bowie.

 

Sure, all the time. Why? Am I the only one not being positive in this thread? The title of the thread is negative.

 

Every day is Record store day for me.

 

Prices have reached a peak level of acceptance, and probably surpassed it sometime in 2013.

 

The prices charged for RSD releases is a factor. Even collectors who may be enthused about the things available on any given Record Store Day can't always come up with the money to get everything they'd like to have. $10 to $15 for a 45 (or an EP) and often somewhere around $30 for a single LP is exorbitant. It simply cuts down on the number of records most buyers can take home and this raises another issue. Storeowners, to my knowledge, cannot return RSD items so if they don't sell them, they're stuck with them. For the smaller shops, RSD is a crapshoot because certain records that aren't always expected to be very popular can be and others that seem like a sure thing can sit on the shelves. Nothing is guaranteed so the owner of a store can end up with a lot of dead stock if he orders a lot of the releases in any kind of quantity and actually gets them. Even if the items get marked down at some time after RSD, the casual record shopper is more likely to browse used vinyl and CD's at reasonable prices than to plunk down $20 or $25 on a niche RSD release with limited appeal. Maybe as the novelty of RSD wears off for more record buyers, it could be the beginning of the end. I hope not because I enjoy browsing the releases each time, figuring which ones are at the top of my list and heading to the store hoping for the best. It's a fun day but if these prices continue the way they are now, my lists will continue to be relatively short. Let's face it. None of these items are needs. They're "wants".

 

I went in a smaller store today at 9 a.m. And I was one of only three people looking at the stuff and the other two arrived together and after I had already looked at most things available. The store was near empty. Granted that is early but it's the least turnout I've seen though last year's wasn't much better. Time will tell if this is the tipping point and a market correction is coming.

 

There were 10 people in line at Vintage Vinyl this morning, and no one was in line at Vinyl Renaissance in Columbia or Slackers in Alton IL. You could literally have anything you wanted - I grabbed the Hendrix, SRV, & John Lee Hooker, and it was the least I've ever spent on a RSD, even with my girlfriend's Beatles 1+ Deluxe.

 

I love all the people congratulating themselves for being too cool for RSD. Personally, I found some great stuff today. That made me happy.

 

I stopped by my local Rasputin's around 2:00 and picked up the Parker/Gillespie/Mingus/Powell/Roach Jazz at Massey Hall box. That is the only one I really wanted this RSD, and the price was $55, much less than on eBay now. I saw the B.B. King Thrill is gone on eBay...that looks tempting. Missed the usual unreleased live Grateful Dead show on vinyl. I'm glad I went later than earlier..past times I've gotten charged up in the early rush and purchased records I don't really want or need.

 

Record Store Day and Black Friday Record Store Day are designed to get people into indie shops.

The idea that the titles weren't great is a matter of opinion. Last Black Friday, people at Amoeba Hollywood wept because they didn't get there early enough to get a copy of the Death Grips record. I could give two ****s about the Death Grips..

Some Black Friday titles were great and high quality. The Jesus and Mary Chain blood red vinyl mastered from the original tapes is a great example. An example of bad is the Clash debut on blue and white vinyl. There was an official warning sticker that said it may skip!

But here's the sense I'm getting from many people on here: you want some titles but have a hard time parting with money. Almost sound like those scrubs on Valentine's Day who tell everyone and anyone who'll listen that their girlfriend is getting the shaft because you feel like it's a manufactured Hallmark holiday. Lucky girl.

 

I love records and spend way too much on them. Record store day is far more than twice a year for me. But, you know what? I love RSD. Even when the lists only have a couple of cool things or when the lines are long. It's fun. There's always at least one really interesting release and meeting fellow record nerds is a lot of fun. Making pacts with those you're in line with to help each other out so everyone gets what they want, talking about bands you're into, having a self-deprecating laugh because you're buying something you've already bought 3 times. Not to mention most stores will usually have regular stock on sale as well. I hope to never be too cynical for it.

 

What he said !
Went to my local and bought a huge pile of USED Gil Scott-Heron, Funkadelic , Bowie, Kate Bush...
All great sounding original pressings,
not crappy, warped, non-fill full NEW overpriced reissues !

 

Wanted to get the Queen 12" but discovered shops were charging in the region of... wait for it... £13!!!

LOL!

Oh, and the vinyl revival hasn't nearly topped yet. For the first time I saw an HMV vinyl only tv ad last night. Was amazing to see, and kind of made me happy! Although they advertised the records with Crossley players, ew.

 

I saw that on Granada last night! It's a mainstream as vinyls bin for ages!!!

 

It is legitimate - copyright extension material

Thread on it here: http://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threads/pink-floyd-1965-double-7.481968/page-2#post-13389584 at the most interesting post

 

The whole point of RSD is to get warm bodies in the mom-and-pop shops for the special pressings and hopefully they will buy some other stuff, and return on non-RSD days to continue buying stuff and support small businesses. But I think RSD prices have gone way up in an effort to make it difficult for flippers to make any profit.

The exorbitant prices hurt the collector who must make a financial decision of what to omit buying in order to stay on budget. This leaves a sour taste in the collector's mouth, making them less likely to return to the shop. Thereby RSD is kind of shooting itself in the foot.

A lot of the excitement of RSD has died down. the stores I went to were very empty, only one other person was browsing the RSD stock.

 

I spent a stupid amount of money on RSD in April (Red House Painters, Small Faces, Half Japanese, Pere Ubu, Miles Davis etc. etc.).

The list for Black Friday was anemic, the Big Star and Sonics titles are something I'm mildly interested in but not worth the early morning line ups. As I keep on saying, lots of RSD stuff pops up weeks after the fact, so there's more than one chance to get what you want.

Having just spent a significant amount on the Dylan box set, it was actually good news to my wallet that the RSD list was so unexciting. Perhaps it should just happen once a year, focus on eye-watering good stuff and drop the rest of the crap.

Besides, there's always something else to get. Did you know Genesis Publications is doing a Jeff Beck book?

 

Went to my first RSD event yesterday....in one store just the wife and I there for about an hour, few after that. In another store, may have been three others there at the busier times.
And I was dreading going because of the long lines!!

 

This BF-RSD seem to have a lukewarm lineup of titles. Some of the prices don't help.

 

Black Friday RSD always seemed pointless to me. One RSD should be enough. I think the RSD folks should stop supporting it and if the labels want to have their own day on Black Friday let them. Stick to the original RSD and concentrate on that one.

 

No.
BF RSD is never as busy as the one in April

 

Yes. I'm CD only at this point. If Record Store Day keeps ignoring CDs, it's dead to me.

I visit my favorite indy (Vintage Vinyl - Edison, NJ) store once a week without it.

 

Isn't the point of RSD to attract people to record stores? This is not a bad thing.

All is complaining and hoping that it dies is lame. Music stores have nearly vanished and I for one don't want to see them become completely replaced by the Internet.

"They didn't have what I want" "I don't like people flipping records" "I don't want to stand in line"

Who cares? There are two days a year that our locals get an extra boost and it may create some new customers for the rest of the year.

I thought the list was lame. I didn't make it to the store until 3:30 and I still found five records I wanted. That is not a bad day.

 

You can't base the health of RSD on the black Friday version of it. Go back in April, and then tell us it's dead. Each year there are more titles and longer lines. "People can't afford the records." "Record stores can't afford the records." But somehow every 3rd Saturday in April there are independent stores across the country opening packed with as many titles as they can get their hands on and people wrapped around the building waiting to get in to buy them.

I think people wish it would die and it really bothers them that it keeps growing is why these threads show up every RSD. It could very well die if the organizers take the advice of some of the participants in these threads.