Record Day is a good idea, in principal. I’ve been aware of it since it started and, whilst I didn’t buy vinyl, I like the idea of there still being independent record shops, so something that is designed to lure people into shopping there is a good thing.
Like most on here, record shopping used to be one of my favourite hobbies, until eBay took it away, by enabling me pretty quickly to buy everything I was looking for. I’d pretty much stopped going into record shops, cos I knew they wouldn’t have any of the few CDs I was still looking for, which are pretty obscure rap albums, but I liked the shops being there. But then I was given a record player.
My brother-in-law has said he debated about whether to give it to me, cos he knows what I’m like, and yep, I did exactly what he expected me to, and started buying records by the bucketload, which only stopped last week when I ran out of money. I’ve particularly enjoyed buying 12” singles, as I used to love them. They are also pretty cheap to pick up (when you like the stuff that I do!) and have music on them that I don’t have on CD. I have bought plenty of LPs too and I’m very pleased with the stuff I’ve got, which is enough for now, although buying secondhand stuff off Discogs hasn’t been as enjoyable as I hoped, because so many people are dishonest with their gradings. I’ve lost count of the amount of records that were listed as near mint that I’ve bought, that looked like they were previously owned by Edward Scissorhands. I bought a couple of ‘near mint’ records last week that were unplayable because of the scratches, and then the seller had the cheek to offer me a partial discount, telling me I could then sell the records on. Of course, I declined. It’s definitely a rarity to buy records on Discogs that are as good as their description.
But no sooner had I run out of money and decided I wouldn’t be buying anything else for a while, that I received a mail out from a fab shop in Sheffield telling me it was Record Store Day. I’ve never really looked at what has come out in previous RSDs not only because I didn’t have a record player, but because I didn’t want to get lured into buying one. So this is the first time I have actually looked at the full list. Of course, a couple of things jumped out at me – my favourite Prince album (The Gold Experience) and Viktor Vaughan’s Vaudeville Villain. Viktor Vaughn is better known as the late MF DOOM, one of my favourite rappers. I’ve actually collected all his CDs across all his different guises, and that took ages, as some of them are very hard to find. So there was no hope of me missing the chance to get this album on vinyl. Time to eat into the overdraft!
I looked on eBay the night before and, sure enough, both those albums were already available at vastly inflated prices. This is the problem with RSD. It not only creates rarities, but it also makes them initially available at reasonable prices, so there are loads of people who just buy them to immediately sell on for a big profit. I imagine the staff at these record shops scalp a couple to sell on too. I therefore decided that to make sure I get these two records I need to be there when the shop opens. So I got up at 6:15, dragged myself down for the 7:01 train and then a tram up to the shop.
I didn’t know what to expect. For all I know there could have been 200 people in the queue. I had to go to this shop at some point anyway, cos I had bought a Burial record that needed picking up, so if I only went home with that, whilst disappointing, it wouldn’t be a totally wasted journey. There were also two other record shops in Sheffield that were participating, so I could always try those ones. As it was, there were only 15 people queuing up. I wasn’t so confident about the VV record, but I was sure that they would have more than 15 Prince albums. When the shop opened the queue moved into it and was snaked around all the racks of records.
I looked at the person at the front and he bought about 15 records, including the Prince one. The second guy did the same. I decided to stop watching what they were buying, cos I wasn’t enjoying it, and continued looking through the racks as we moved along. It was then that I noticed something really odd. Everybody was getting to the front, asking for 10-15 of the RSD records that they wanted, paid, then left. Not one person had looked around the shop afterwards and, most puzzlingly, not one person had even looked through a rack as they moved around the shop. I got to the front and they had plenty of every RSD record, so I was able to get the two I wanted, but the guys behind the counter seemed a bit taken aback when I asked whether they could hang on to them and I’ll pay when I’d had a good look around.
There were only half a dozen people behind me in the queue, all doing the same as the people ahead of me, so once they had served everybody in the queue there was just me left in the shop. I chose another record, a Herbie Hancock one, not so much cos I really wanted it, although it was on my list of ones to buy, but mainly because I felt sorry for the guys behind the counter. They had opened their shop up several hours early, because it was a special day that would lure punters into the shop, but all it seemed to attract were people who wanted to buy some of the RSD records so they could go home and stick them on eBay. Okay, I am guessing at this, purely by the fact that whilst they were buying a lot of RSD records, they didn’t look in any of the racks in the shop. But to me it seemed that the objective of RSD hadn’t really been met. Yes, it attracted punters, but not to the actual shop. If they could have been served whilst in the queue outside, none of them would even have set foot inside the shop.
I imagine that most of these people, if not all, left this shop and went straight to the other two, to buy the same 15 albums twice more. And why shouldn’t they, I suppose. We’re all feeling the pinch at the moment, so if there’s a chance to make an easy few quid, who am I to complain. After all, I will be selling some comics soon, to replace the money I’ve spend on records these past few weeks. It’s something I just wouldn’t do though, even though the money would be handy right now. It wouldn’t be fair for me to buy a record that someone coming in the shop after me would have wanted, so that I could sell it to him online at 3 times the price*. It just made me a little sad, even though I am thrilled with the records that I bought. I hope this wasn’t the same scenario in every record shop last Saturday morning. If so, the shop owners might as well not bother opening earlier and just flog them on eBay themselves.
* Then again, I get cross with people who buy a second property, so they can make money renting one of them out, because I don’t like how that practice has made it much more difficult for young people to get on the property ladder. Destined to stay skint, but with principals I guess!
fentonsteve says
I think the practice of RSD shops selling online 48 hours later has pretty much ended scalping.
I was busy decorating this year so didn’t go to my local shop on the day. And it was pissing down (the shop is actually a garden shed and most of the RSD stock is on the patio area outside). Last year I spent nearly £50 in the 12″ single-for-a-quid bins but didn’t buy a RSD release.
Also, a combination of less-than-enticing records – Rick Astley album, anyone? – and cost of living crisis meant it all seemed to be a bit underwhelming this year.
We’re off to Lincoln on Saturday to return Offspring the Elder and all her crap from the end of her first year at university. We’re going up early for lunch, and while we’re there I might as well pop into the record shop round the corner for a quick look.
I was busy at 8pm on Monday when the stock went online. At 10:30pm I was able to buy the Sun’s Signature 12″ – talk about amazed!
NigelT says
You have detailed two of my bugbears.
RSD annoys me more intensely than it probably should, but the creation of limited numbers of over priced LPs which are often poorly produced has totally turned me against the whole thing – if an LP is worth issuing, then put it out and make as many as people want! A friend who owned a record shop had to participate, but knew everyone was just buying stuff to sell on.
I have never bought anything through Discogs that hasn’t gone back. Truthfully, I have returned so many items that I simply won’t use them any more.
Baron Harkonnen says
I know a very good seller on Discogs.
They always have the cheapest price for the item they are selling on Discogs. Cheaper than any other seller.
The items they sell are `as described`, any issues are dealt with immediately to the buyers satisfaction.
They have 100% feedback.
Items are packaged to arrive safely.
Not all sellers on Discogs are disreputable.
Oh, the seller I`m talking about? It`s me, I also buy lots on Discogs.
Paul Wad says
I was about to ask you for his name!
I’m putting all my collection on Discogs, so when I buy things off there you get the option to add them to your collection and remove them from your wants list. I then have to click on each record and change their grade from what the seller put to what it actually is. Although so far I have had to send 14 records back. Or more precisely, get refunded and then add another record in bad condition to the ‘out’ pile. I can’t sell them on, because I wouldn’t be prepared to sell a record I knew didn’t play cleanly. I’m even in two minds about whether to give them to a charity shop, cos I don’t want them to have to deal with disgruntled customers.
Arthur Cowslip says
I must be lucky because I have bought a few things off discogs and they’ve been always pretty much as described. Only been burned once with an album that was some kind of bootleg or cheap import and advertised as an original UK pressing.
dai says
One of the few I have missed actually. I did buy one album online as a gift. It wasn’t really Record Store Day, that was in April. This last weekend was generally about releases held over since then because of delays at record pressing plants.
Regarding people not looking around stores, over here it is common to have everything in store discounted on RSD, also some have bands playing, free coffee, free souvenirs etc. This all incentives people to stay in the store longer and also makes it a fun day out.
SteveT says
I think the concept of RSD is a good one. Happy to participate if there is no clash with anything else Ibam doing. This year was an exception -,the choice was pretty poor but ion balance any initiative that supports record shops gets my vote -,not everyone that is buying on RSD is selling on.
Re Discogs I have had mostly good experience but a couple of cd’s not in the best of condition. As I have used it more I have got to know who the trustworthy sellers are.
fentonsteve says
Here, too, Dai.
Even my local shop (a garden shed) has gazebos outside, they have live bands and a pair of Dansette record players, on which the owner’s grandkids spin 7″ singles. The pub/cafe next door gives free tea & coffee all day to RSD shoppers.
Much of the stock* goes in the 4-for-£10 bargain bins, 12″ singles are all a quid, 7″ singles all 50p.
It sounds like the shop Paul visited didn’t bother to put anything on, perhaps that’s why there were only 15 in the queue.
(*) As the main store is a garden shed, only the premium stuff makes it in there, the rest collects in a nearby barn for sale a couple of times a year.
Arch Stanton says
I think RSD store is pretty much dead now. All the stock ends up in sales a few weeks later.
For example the OP wanted the MF Doom album. One week later…
https://beyondvinyl.co.uk/product/viktor-vaughn-vaudeville-villain-2xlp-rsd22/
fentonsteve says
Yeah, all the unsold stock goes online 2 or 7 days after RSD to avoid scalpers. You can buy most of it on Amazon.
The most exciting thing in this RSD’s crop was the Sun’s Signature 12″ EP (featuring Liz Fraser from the Cocteau Twins). It was a RSD ‘limited edition’ (of how many, I am not sure) but I picked up a copy online hours after the online sale began. Although it seems to be pretty much sold out now (a week later).
Arch Stanton says
it’s not just the fact that it’s unsold. There’s£10 off the price already.
fentonsteve says
Add in the fact that some of the pricing is random.
The Who’s RSD release – a double LP, first disc Half Speed Mastered at Abbey Road audiophile pressing. £25.
The new Jessie Buckley & Bernard Butler album, a £10 CD or double vinyl GZ pressing, £35. Thirty five quid! With added snap, crackle & pop.
Moose the Mooche says
….you get Rice Krispies with it?
The brand poisitioning is a bit opaque there, I feel.
deramdaze says
Am I right in thinking that the “double LP, first disc Half Speed Mastered at Abbey Road audiophile pressing” Who release is It’s Hard from 1982?
Oh dear, if junior’s buying that, the Kids Most-Certainly “Aren’t” Alright.
Shouldn’t someone tell the ankle-botherers?
Or shall we just all have a giggle?
Yeah, let’s go for the latter. Heh-heh.
fentonsteve says
Yes. I quite like Eminence Front.
All the rest of the Who catalogue is being released as AR HSM vinyl, for fairly normal prices, a couple every few months – they’re up to Tommy so far.
I don’t know what makes RSD think Face Dances and It’s Hard deserve bonus tracks or – for the kids – coloured vinyl.
Paul Wad says
I’ve found that it’s a novelty, these days, if the record is black vinyl. The best thing about some of the coloured vinyl records is that I can’t get obsessive about the little flecks of dust on it, cos you can’t tell if it’s yellow vinyl, or marbled orange or whatever.
It’s a pain when a clear vinyl record jumps though, cos you can’t see why. I bought Joy Division’s Closer on clear vinyl and it skipped several times on a track. I spent ages trying to see why, but I sent it back and then did the same three times, as it turned out to be a pressing fault. I’ve now bought a Brother Ali LP, which is clear, but with quite a nice splatter pattern on it. But it clicks several times on one bit and can I hell as like see why, cos I just see straight through it, which I guess is the point of clear vinyl! It’s the last copy Amazon had and I can’t find another one in the UK, so I’ll have to put up with it. Very annoying.
But of all the new albums I’ve bought, black vinyl is easily in the minority. Back in the day only a handful weren’t black, and they were mainly kiddies records. I had a single with nursery rhymes on, when I was little, that had a really garish, psychedelic pattern. But otherwise I can’t recall many at all. I had the Damned’s Phantasmagoria on white vinyl. I think I had Linda McCartney’s Suzie & the Red Stripes single on yellow vinyl, but I’m struggling to think of any more, out of a couple of thousand records. Apart from picture discs of course.
dai says
Don’t think it’s dead at all. There may be less flippers now, but if the releases are good enough people will line up for them. The very popular ones won’t make it online. Some selections seem pretty bizarre though, limited editions of albums you can pick original pressings up often for much less dosh. They may want to apply a bit more quality control to what they put out
duco01 says
The “Ragged But Right” LP Record Store Day release by the Jerry Garcia Acoustic Band was only available in the US, and will probably cost a King’s ransom when odd copies become available in Europe. Boo!
https://recordstoreday.com/SpecialRelease/14802
fentonsteve says
Ditto the World Party compilation. I have it all on CD, but that’s not really the point. Where do most WP fans reside, I wonder?
fentonsteve says
If anyone is interested, the two Beth Orton RSD albums (both doubles) which were £40 on the day, were both down to £20 on the dodgers’ this week.