Record Store Day:
Every year two days roll around that vinyl collectors both dread and celebrate, Record Store Day. The idea spawned off of individuals trying to revitalize the dying indie music store market by essentially stealing the Free Comic Book Day concept. Each specialized day would be one that emphasized collectors making a visit to their local stores and picking up limited run and exclusive records that is typically highly sought after. At first the idea was one met with a lot of praise. Numerous stores would report the day as the single best business day of the year (with the Black Friday RSD aiding business later on as well). But as time went on many stores and collectors were giving out about the entire ideals of the day and the distribution policies that were put into place. Here are just some of the issues that are consistently mentioned for Record Store Day.
1. Major Labels Flooding Plants with Unsellable Releases
This has to be the biggest one I consistently see each and every year. Typically RSD is where records are released that is both special and profitable; however the ongoing years have caused more and more problems for both labels and stores alike. If you go into any participating store you'll likely find a giant bin filled to the brim with releases that had limited to no traction on release day. On the one end the releases that remain are rarely surprising (does anyone really want a 10 LP set from the Flaming Lips each and every year?!), but it's still sad to think that some plant may have been unable to press an indie labels album due to the flooding that occurs to meet the days deadline and date. In addition, this overstock usually means the stores have to account for the possibility of taking major hits in profits, something that can make or break many of them.
2. Flippers
While not a problem exclusive to the day itself, or even the medium, Flippers are the subject of many a collectors nightmares and frustrations. For those who may not know what a Flipper is, it refers to individuals who purchase an item (typically limited run products or variants) with the sole intent to sell it at an exorbitant price later on. This day is the breeding ground for these types of people, and sometimes it's simply frustrating when waiting in line to know the person picking up the last copy of what you wanted didn't even want to really listen to it or enjoy it for themselves. It's highly profitable too, just search 'Record Store Day' on eBay within a week or two or the day itself and you'll see a barrage of auctions where a record that retails at $7 in-store is going for $50+. What's even more disheartening is when it's some indie stores that engage in this practice prior to the day even occurring.
3. Bending the Rules
Speaking of stores going against the spirit of the day by flipping, many break the other tenants of the day which often just hurts the loyal customer base they have. I've been to, and have seen online, a number of stores that jack up prices for items way above and beyond the MSRP. I can understand the need to help a business on the rocks, but I don't personally see any benefit of sending the message that you overprice records and other products for that matter.
4. Stock Distribution
This is something that hits a number of local record stores I shop at, quite often the distribution centers that the stores buy their stock from take special interest in 'thanking' larger stores by providing them the more desired and limited items. While I can see the reasoning to an extent, it's sad that a small room of a store may have to even compete with the bigger local chain stores in an area on top of the other chain music shops, especially on a day that's supposed to honor the small shops.
5. The Need to Join In
Finally, the thing that so many store owners bring up when asked. The need to be included. There's many stores who wish they didn't have to buy a Katy Perry picture disc that will sit on their shelves for the length of time itself, but if you ask them if they'd rather risk not participating they'll often say they really have no choice. While there's no firm statistic, there's a strong chance that a number of customers on the day are the equivalent of C and E'rs within the Christian and Catholic community. That is to say that they attend to their local stores one or two times a year and that's all. These stores need to get these types of people in though, with hopes of making a regular customer out of them, because without the store carrying the releases they can become invisible to these individuals. By not carrying that limited glow-in-the-dark guitar shaped 7", Johnny from down the road may never walk into the store in the first place. This is both sad and hopeful though. It's sad in that these stores rely on each and every customer, and sometimes one sale can be the difference in making rent that next month or not. But it's hopeful in that a number of collectors for the day may just become attune to the store and then later choose to become a loyal patron.
Record Store Day exists within some gray area; it's neither back nor white within the question of whether it's good or bad really. For every negative thing there's the giant positive that it's a day where a local store is out on the map for collectors within the surrounding area. These people can't simply go onto Amazon or to an FYE and pick these items up (unless they want to pay exorbitant fees), instead they have to step into a physical record store and be surrounded by the warmth of an independent shop ran by a neighbor. Because of this I encourage you all to go out and collect, not only on this day, or from online, but within the shops in your area. You'll not only help your areas local economy, but you may also get a much better experience than the cold and lifeless clicks from the internet.
