Local Record Store Trying to Control the RSD Line to Stop Would-Be Flippers

Discussion in 'Marketplace Discussions' started by DJ Johnny123, Jun 9, 2021.

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  1. DJ Johnny123

    DJ Johnny123 Active Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Charleston, SC
    Our local record store is trying to come up with ways to stop people they think may be "flipping" or "reselling" the items they buy on Record Store Day by using tactics to stop certain people from getting in line first. I wanted that very limited Rolling Stones from last year so I got in line at 11 PM the night before and of course I was first in line. I bought other records as well, not just RSD titles.

    If I am willing to get in line first by staying up all night I should be able to have that opportunity. The manager of the store is desperately trying to come up with a way to stop people from being first in line.

    The first method was going to be a "grab bag" where you took a "number" to figure your place in line but I think a lot of people complained and that went away.

    The next idea was to not allow anyone to start lining until 6 AM. I believe that has gone now as well in order to stop a huge "stampede" from the parking lot to the outside of the store where someone would surely be hurt.

    They still haven't made a final announcement as to how they are going to control the line.

    The answer is simple. First come first serve. It's not my fault that you are not willing to stay up all night to get what you want. And I can do whatever I want with the records I buy it is not up to the store owner or manger.

    Thank-you.
     
  2. dkmonroe

    dkmonroe A completely self-taught idiot

    Location:
    Atlanta
    A simpler solution is to restrict people to buying only one copy of limited edition items. I can see being concerned with someone buying 5 copies to flip, but few people are going to buy just one and flip it, and if they did, who cares anyway? One copy is certainly fair no matter what you intend to do with it.

    Frankly, I see overnight camping as problematic - what happens if someone is mugged or attacked in some other way, it could create a hassle for the store owner. I'm surprised that store owners allow that, although it's something people have done for years. Also, I stopped showing up for RSD at my local store a couple of years ago when people started lining up at 10 PM the night before - I'm not going to do that, and the only way to be sure of getting the items I really want is doing that.
     
  3. Bradd

    Bradd Now’s The Time

    Location:
    Chester, NJ
    You can’t do anything about people lining up whenever they choose to do so but if I were the store I’d put up a big sign that they're not responsible for what takes place outside their premises. Showing up the night before and camping out all night is silly, imho. Nothing is worth that much. To each his own, of course.
     
    dkmonroe likes this.
  4. bayen

    bayen Forum Resident

    Location:
    philadelphia Pa
    Do you think it would stop or at least slow down the flippers if all RSD items were shipped unsealed?
     
  5. Chee

    Chee Forum Resident

    Location:
    Denver
    Freakbeat is only allowing 10 people in the store on RSD. Imagine the long long line down Ventura Blvd. just waiting and even more time when the doors open. Is it really worth it? Stores have employee flippers......the subject rarely gets talked about.
     
    DJ Johnny123 likes this.
  6. DJ Johnny123

    DJ Johnny123 Active Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Charleston, SC
    Third Man Records banned a member for life for reselling one of their manufactured "vault" items on EBay. I don't understand how that would be legal even if you signed a user agreement. That user agreement would infringe upon the rights of private property. I certainly have no interest in Third Man but if I were that person I would have looked into my legal options.
     
  7. rhino4evr

    rhino4evr Forum Resident

    Location:
    South Florida
    the best way to stop scalping is for people to stop buying vinyl at inflated prices....I know it's a pipe dream, but that's the only true way.

    The earliest I ever got to RSD was 5AM....and I was able to get everything on my list. Camping out overnight seems a bit too extreme to me personally. I can see the potential liability issues as well.
    Best a store owner could do is ask the local authorities to patrol the area and put up strict "no overnight camping/trespassing" signs. However, I'm usually seen the opposite, and most stores actually promote the folks that show up the day before on social media...which I think is foolish.
     
  8. St. Matthew

    St. Matthew Forum Resident

    Location:
    NY, USA
    Would it? Is it a right to patronize Third Man Records? Did they discriminate per the constitution (based on gender, race, etc)? If not, they can ban who they want.
     
    Motorcity supernaut likes this.
  9. bjlefebvre

    bjlefebvre Forum Resident

    Location:
    Washington DC-ish
    Our store limited purchases of the Kenny Dorham release to one per customer for the first hour for RSD. I thought that was good. Though I guess if you only wanted the one copy to flip, even that doesn't help.

    There's not anything the stores themselves can do. If you want to stop flippers you basically have to stop doing this "limited to 1000 copies" bullpucky. I'm not saying flood the market, but the whole concept of a limited edition of one or two thousand is custom made for flipping. You don't see people flipping Tone Poets. I don't know if there's a magic number out there - 4,000? 5,000? - but there has to be something that let's the market know there will be enough copies to go around.
     
    Shawn, Curiosity and illmatic like this.
  10. Indigo

    Indigo Forum Resident

    Location:
    Miami
    My local record store only lets each person buy one copy of RSD releases. I think that's pretty fair since it ensures everyone has a fair chance of getting what they want. I think more stores should do this to discourage scalping/flipping.
     
    Shawn likes this.
  11. Strat-Mangler

    Strat-Mangler Personal Survival Daily Record-Breaker

    Location:
    Toronto
    Weird approach.

    If I run a business, I would care about making $. Why limit my profits and piss off my clientele simultaneously?

    Limit it to one copy of each title and that's it.
     
    GentleSenator likes this.
  12. GentleSenator

    GentleSenator what if

    Location:
    Aloha, OR
    it doesn't get much simpler than that and that's how every single shop i visit on RSD handles it.
     
  13. Chee

    Chee Forum Resident

    Location:
    Denver
    Employee flippers are the greater problem.
     
    Antenociticus and hi_watt like this.
  14. Droogmeister

    Droogmeister Welcome to the Atrocity Exhibition

    Location:
    West Yorkshire, UK
    Restricting sales to one per customer doesn't help really. My local independent record store owner told me that he sees a familiar line of 6 faces every year buying the same titles one after another, he knows that they're all in a group led by one individual, and none of those faces appears in his shop until the next RSD. I don't have any answers to the flipper problem..and I do see it as a problem, much the same as ticket touts for popular gigs/ festivals.

    Likewise, online pre orders limited to one per customer doesn't stop the flippers, they just enrol friends and family, collect their treasure and off they go to Ebay...see the listings on Ebay UK for God Save The Queen silver/platinum 7". I've not checked exhaustively but I have found 2 sellers offering multiples on separate listings.
     
  15. Chee

    Chee Forum Resident

    Location:
    Denver
    Just like the ticket scalpers employing bums to be in line in the 80's. The Denver Mint had a limited 1 per person gold coin some years back.....one smart coin dealer just got bums n homeless to line up for the small amount of money to use at the big beer and wine store up the street. He got most of the coins.
     
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