Tomorrow is the fifth Record Store Day. Having experienced all of them and two
RSD Black Fridays as well, I consider myself something of an RSD professional
at this point. Here are the seven
tips to ensure you have the best time possible on the greatest day of the year.
1.)
Record Store Day Isn’t About You
Record Store Day isn’t about you, me, the bands, the limited
pieces of wax, or any of the distractions that have spurred tons of RSD think
pieces over the last few years.
It’s all about THE RECORD STORE and THE RECORD STORE OWNER. Even after you’ve braved the crowds and
waited in line for hours, even after the guy in front of you grabs the last
copy of that limited release you were hoping to score, keep this in mind. Record stores need our support and our
business in order to stay afloat, and at the end of the day, that’s what RSD is
all about. Recognize that as a
lover of music, you’re in debt to your local record store for the role they
play in fostering a community centered around the love of music. So go buy some records, and tell the
person you’re buying from that you appreciate the job they do. Even if you don’t collect records, support
your local store tomorrow by heading out and buying a CD, a shirt, a sticker…
anything that contributes to the cause and lets them know you’re a grateful
part of that community.
2.)
Get There Early
If your whole day/week/month/year depends on getting that
one specific piece of limited wax… GET THERE EARLY. Real early. It
always shocks me when I see someone show up a few minutes before the store
opens, complain about the crowd, and then break down into tears or get pissed
off when they realize the limited release they wanted is already sold out. If this is a life changing record and
you know each record store might have a few copies at most, then give up two
hours out of your life and get there early. Lines get longer every year and I expect RSD 2012 to be
packed all day. Wake up, grab some
coffee, and get in line.
3.)
Make A List
Wait, let me clarify, Make a SPECIFIC list. A lot of people print off the RSD PDF
and use a highlighter to mark what they want. I highly recommend making a specific list with categories
based on desire. My list has the
sub categories: MUST HAVE, WANT, TBD.
Only the titles that I desperately want go on MUST HAVE. The ones that
I’ll pay for if they’re in front of me go on the WANT list. TBD is for the ones I’ll need to check
out the packaging and price point for before I buy. What this list allows you to do is cut through the madness of
an “all-open” record store, all-open meaning the store opens and lets everybody
in all at once. In a matter of
seconds the store will be packed with die-hard fans racing Supermarket
Sweep-style to find the wax they’re looking for. Your time to grab MUST HAVE records is limited. Make a list, and you’ll know exactly
how to spend your time, hitting the most important releases first.
4.)
Work In Teams
There are regional-only records, there are UK RSD releases,
there are Canada RSD releases… and too much ground for one person to cover. Most record stores only have a select
amount of titles and bouncing from record store to record store gets you
nowhere (see #2: GET THERE EARLY).
I have a team of five friends across the country and we all have each
other’s 3 lists. With some fair
ground rules and a little bit of communication, we can maximize our haul and
minimize our disappointment. Besides,
RSD is more fun with your friends, anyway.
5.)
Visualize
When I played sports in high school, the age-old quote was “Practice
doesn’t make perfect… perfect practice makes perfect.” Basically, you should go HERE and
memorize/visualize each of your MUST WANT/WANT album covers. Most record stores scatter the releases
all over bins, crates, and on the wall.
On top of that, some of the record covers lack any text whatsoever,
meaning you might not realize that your gem is right in front of you. You will increase your speed to grab
exactly what you want if you know exactly what every record looks like. It sounds obvious and stupid, but this
is one of the best tips you’ll ever get about RSD.
What is this?
It's the Deerhoof/Of Montreal split 7". No Text. Maybe a sticker. Know your album covers!
6.)
Be Part Of The Community
My first two years of doing RSD, I was so obsessed with
getting everything on my list that the world and RULE #1 blurred around me. Remember that aforementioned community
of music lovers? It’ll be out in
full force on RSD, with great shows, special guests, and plenty of other
pleasant surprises, all of which you should take some time and experience. Something else to consider – you’ll be
in line and elbow-to-elbow with tons of people who love records. Talk to them, trade stories of your
favorite vinyls, and compare your shopping lists (they might even be willing to
team up with you during the mad grab).
Trust me, you’re guaranteed to have plenty to talk about. Above all, just enjoy the fact that for
one day a large group of people are treating record stores with the respect
they ought to get year round.
Last year solidified the importance of this tip for me. I was in line with a guy who had just
bought his first turntable and was going to RSD to pick up his first piece of
wax. I forget what he wanted but I
grabbed it first and then noticed the store only had one copy. I really wanted the release as well,
but I also knew what a special first purchase it would be for him, and how
something like that could potentially kick off an entire lifetime of vinyl
appreciation. So I went up to him
and gave up the copy. Have fun
trying to complete your list, but never sacrifice the community of record
collectors in order to get there. Be
patient, be friendly, and look out for each other.
7.)
Don’t Buy Anything On eBay… yet
Right now, the day before RSD, every item is already on eBay. People make their month’s rent
snatching up limited releases and then up-selling them online for two to six
times the list price. These people
are assholes. The most common
mistake we make, the thing that feeds these horrible people, is that RSD
collectors freak out when the sun sets and they strike out on a few wanted
pieces of wax. Wait. Be patient. Give it a few months and the prices will drop and drop and
drop all the way back to list price.
Last year, only a few people could get the Cults 7” and for the next few
weeks it was going for $50-$75 on eBay (list price 6.99). If you go on eBay right now… the Cults
7” is $7. I understand using the internet
to secure the wax that you missed on RSD, but don’t support these pirates and
save your money at the same time by waiting to hit eBay until the prices drop
back down to reasonable figures.
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Get some sleep tonight, wake up early, and go buy some
records. It’s a fun day that
celebrates your local musical heroes, the people who have the guts to own a
record store in a time when very few people are buying physical music. They do it because they love music, and
they know that a world without record stores would be a nightmare for music
fans. Days like RSD should be
reminders to us all of how special they truly are.
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