Record Store Day is dead

I wasn't all that excited about the titles being released this RSD. Last year I got up early to be one of the first in line at the Berkeley Amoeba. Glad I did. It was absolutely packed.

This year I slept in. Wasn't planning to even bother going, but changed my mind. Got to the Berkeley Amoeba well after noon. It was almost totally deserted.

I asked one of the guy's working there if I missed the crowds. He kinda chuckled and said that it had been like that all morning.

I got all the releases I wanted and they had PLENTY of everything.

So is this an aberration caused by just too few interesting titles getting released or is this the end of a meaningful RSD?

 

It was today? I had to work...guess I didn't miss much.

 

May I suggest you change the thread title to "Is Record Store Day Dead?"

 

Even better, "Is RSD Black Friday Dead?"

 

I slept in because I was sick, didn't get home from work until past 12:30 AM this morning, and payday isn't until the 30th. Figured I could get most anything I want from Bull Moose mail order ... just like last year.

 

This.

 

Most uninteresting ,Black Friday RSD (or RSD period) yet for me.There was nothing I wanted to purchase for this one.

 

I'm curious why you went across the bay, Brian.

 

I would put the biggest reason people showed up in fewer numbers this year is because of lack of quality titles. Another reason not to get into it is the inflated prices for singles. Me personally I prefer albums.
The weather in the Midwest sucked. Rain and more rain.
Maybe most of us already blew our allowance for albums this year?
Maybe most of us social people are sick of crowds.
I almost didn't go because of the Faith No More album not coming out today. I went out to get The Zombies BBC and got Beck single because I had $15 credit.
Number one reason I think is that there are more titles on vinyl than there ever was since dawn of the CD along with the lack of titles out today.

 

Am I the only one who feels the vinyl revival might have topped.

 

It could have. I don't think so yet. I think it isn't increasing like in years past though. A slower increase but still growing.

 

Hopefully the end of RSD.
Vinyl is now a well established niche and the circus around RSD has become silly.
We need nice vinyl all year round. We don't need cynical marketing exercises. I can't see the benefit of a release which will end up being sold on eBay on the same day that it was bought for more money just because it has a funny colour vinyl or some other stupid variation.

 

Sure, I wanted the Big Star stuff, but I'm not getting up early on Black Friday to be "part of the problem." Also, I'm done with RSD in general.

 

The only thing I wanted (Felt) was something I wanted for YEARS. I waited an hour in the cold for it. I could've walked in hours later and bought it. Turns out, it's selling on eBay for 7 bucks cheaper than I bought mine for.


Yeah. BF RSD is dead.

 

Hopefully you're right.

 

There's a lot going on today.

 

Overwrought thread title... Death metaphor... RSD concern trolling... Black Friday collapse prophecy... Vinyl revival doom speculation... Happy Thanksgiving!!!!



(BTW, the orange Zappa and the Love & Mercy soundtrack are wonderful.)

 

Isn't RSD in April every year?


I really hope RSD is dead.

Music lovers do not need people buying up as much releases as they can lay their hands on, then trying to flip them on eBay and alike at inflated prices. This has never been the intent of RSD.

Vinyl does not need help from RSD as there is plenty of new release and reissue vinyl being produced currently.

 

Other than that, how do you like the thread?

 

I much prefer browsing at a deserted record store. Chatting with the employees and thumbing through the shelves at a leisurely pace is much more enjoyable for me. I avoid RSD like the plague.

 

No one goes to record stores anymore, they're too crowded.

 

Aside from a few titles, are RSD releases even that flippable anymore? For the past couple of years, I haven't had much trouble catching the stuff I couldn't find locally online for regular prices after the fact.

Having said that, I am officially done with buying $15-$25 10 and 7 inch releases that I never listen to more than once. Fool me once, shame on you, RSD. Fool me eight times, I'm an idiot.

 

There weren't a lot of exclusive titles that caught my interest this year and I was also on the market for a new home, so I passed on RSD this year. I don't think that I would consider it "dead", I'd certainly like to go next year.

 

We don't really have the Black Friday RSD over here, but I can't say I'm surprised, we were planning two releases for next year's RSD and then a couple of weeks ago I was having a conversation with my partner in the labels and we realised that neither of us were happy with the way the event has evolved, particularly the majors muscling in and the chaos caused at pressing plants, so we decided to pull out after taking part for the last four or five years, we've shelved one release and the other will get a proper non limited release later in the year, definitely better for our customers and hopefully better for us. I'll be interested in seeing what happens in April, not only does RSD put a strain on pressing plants which mostly impacts on small labels, it also concentrates a huge amount of spending into a very short period for retailers and every unsold record is a very costly mistake, then there is the whole ebay secondary market thing with disappointed fans, the pricing and the general lack of imagination in what's released, let's spread the vinyl message throughout the year instead. Not only don't I see any sign of the vinyl revival stopping but tonight on prime time British TV HMV were advertising vinyl LPs: Nirvana, Pink Floyd, Amy Winehouse, NWA and the Artic Monkeys, unfortunately they were also advertising Crosleys to play the LPs on.

 

Yeah I saw some kid with an arm full of these. I couldn't help think "oh, yeah, enjoying spinning those one-by-one ... once or twice." I like the coolness of singles, but 14 bucks for one isn't ever happening. I also didn't like the expansion of "COLLECTIBLE COLORED VINYL" on some albums I wanted. If they have to hammer home "COLLECTIBLE" it feels to me like being "SUCKERED" ala The Franklin Mint.