Record Store Day is dead

The majority of new releases(and new music, for that matter) are generally pretty crappy. Not to say there isn't good new music or new vinyl available, but it's too much of both. The pressing plants are backed up, and therefore a lot of the stuff that hits market is problematic. Vinyl done right is a great thing, but the rush to meet a demand sweetened by people that aren't necessarily in it for the long term has resulted in a hit or miss scenario much of the time. Less demand would be a good thing in my opinion.

 

Black Friday RSD doesn't do as neatly as well. People are on vacation.

 

And RSD is as silly as it gets. Maybe made sense when it was a gimmick to get people back interested in record stores, but that time has been over for some time. Time to move on.

 

I just bought my first TT in some 35- 40 years, so I don't think it has topped.

 

It's not a holiday here in Canada so most people are working, but both stores that I was in we're pretty quiet, the first one I was in which is downtown probably had about 15 in it when I went in just after opening, the other which is on one of the main arteries to the suburbs only had a couple of people in it when I popped in about 30 minutes later, and I was the only person looking at the RSD releases, it may have picked up later in the day when people finished work however.

 

Damn it, you beat me.

 

Jeez didn't have to get up early myself. Arrive mid morning at Bullmoose pick up Big Star along with everything else I wanted. No problems here.

 

Last week our distributor mentioned that we could save time/avoid some of the backlog by not bothering with test pressings, sometimes I wonder how people get their jobs, but I guess a some labels are taking that option, an example of pressure in the manufacturing chain causing corners to be cut and potentially impacting upon quality.

 

RSD this past April was the biggest crowd I've seen for any RSD, and I've been to all of them. So no, I don't think "Record Store Day is dead."

But it seems like the RSD organization itself decided to (mostly) sit out Black Friday 2015. The release list was tiny, and consisted mostly of re-packagings of readily available material. Not much in the way of unreleased or long-out-of-print titles. So there really wasn't much for music collectors, as opposed to record collectors.

 

Here's a good example of why it's dead... over $300 and counting for a double 7" that may not even be legitimate. Quite a scam.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/401032945644?

 

I'm gonna miss these threads.

 

Every day is record store day!

Seriously, though, I like the idea of not doing any shopping on "Black Friday," even for records. Like most of the people reading this board, I remember when Black Friday was just "the day after Thanksgiving." (Or a song by Steely Dan referencing an economic crash.) Stores should just be closed both Thursday and Friday to let everyone chill out, be with their families, go hiking, what have you.

 

You just never know; Skeeter Davis, Michael Stipe and Graham Parker have all been proven wrong.

 

Who cares?

 

I got to my local record store at 5:10 AM and was first in line. There were about 25 people in line when the doors opened at 9:00. I was not able to get the two Kinks 7 inchers and I still spent a little over $200. To me,it was another good RSD.

 

I don't have a record store near me, so I guess it doesn't matter. But I didn't see anything coming out this week I wanted. This coming Friday though, I have The River and Tusk boxsets preorded. Can't wait for that. Plus a new MST3K set on Tuesday, Christmas is coming early...

 

Was a joke. Some of my closest gentrifiers are hipsters.

 

If there were some old school Korean imports I would brave RSD for sure.

 

Yes. Hipsterism is on its way out.

 

I am with you. I don't want those very expensive 7 inch releases. I too, wasn't very excited by the titles being offered this year. The good thing is that there are plenty of new vinyl releases all year. If you like colored vinyl, Newbury comics has provided those all year round.

 

Chacun à son goût.

 

I think the vinyl revival is just getting started! At Barnes and Noble earlier this week I saw a bunch of 40 somethings buying turntables and I've had a few friends / acquaintances around that age ask me if I had an extra turntable....

There are more and more releases every day... more special releases.. more colored vinyl.. and the prieces seems really high but yet somebody must be buying it.. Jack White is setting up a new record pressing plant in Detroit..

All signs are vinyl revival is here to stay and going to get bigger and bigger

I'm weird though.. the record store I went to had 50% off everything $5 and under which is what I focused but for some reason the color vinyl.. the exclusive issue seems to have the appeal.. one guy got the Ween The Pod on clear vinyl and he was overjoyed..he had already gone to one other store and missed out.. and was first in line at this store at 745 am or earlier .. I got there about then.... I'm like "but isn't there going to be a regular release on black vinyl?" (there is).. I mean clear vinyl????? I didn't say anything but I like my box of vinyl over getting 1 lp and 1 45 any day......different strokes for different folks..

I think RSD Black Friday was weak this year and I generally don't like the competitive shopping thing...

 

Same here.
I updated my long time department store TT to a VPI prime.
I had to wait over 7 months for the pre-order to ship.
These high end tables are selling like hot cakes.
No top yet.

I called a well known record shop here in Manhattan asking about RSD LP's.
(I was kinda kurious about the kinks stuff)
He told me they didn't bother getting any of it.
So I guess even the record stores didn't want this crop of releases.
FWIW- this particular record store is always very busy.
No top yet.

 

I think stores aren';t digging RSD as much as some think.... they are getting charged a lot by the distributors (that is what one store workers were saying) ..another store didn't participate at all this time around.. said they were going to use the money for the big move....

but that is not to say vinyl interest has peaked...

 

I almost purchased the Jazz At Massey Hall box for $68, but the release turned out to be basically one album spread over three 10 inch records.

The store did have a 20 per cent off sale on its regular stock, so I didn't walk away empty handed.