Record Store Day // part one

The 4th annual Record Store Day, every vinyl lover's favorite holiday, is only a week away. If you've never been, RSD is a world-wide event designed to get people into independent record stores. RSD features special albums for sale, live music, and lots of free swag and food. And maybe they're doing something right -- in 2010, overall album sales were down 13%, while vinyl sales were up 14%.

Almost all of the releases on RSD are limited editions, with runs numbered anywhere from a couple hundred to a few thousand. The RSD releases fall into 3 categories:
-Exclusives: available only at RSD (and soon after, eBay)
-Early releases: they'll be on sale at a later date, but you can get them at RSD first
-Regional/small runs: the rare stuff; they're not available everywhere

As a veteran RSD-goer (alright, I've been once), I'll give you some tips on how to make sure you get the releases you need. First off, you have to know what you want. This isn't the time to lazily peruse through the records looking for something that catches your eye -- people will snatch up all the good stuff before you get the chance. Check out a downloadable PDF of all the releases here, complete with format and rarity. Or if pretty pictures are more your thing, view the list here. I recommend jotting down your own list of the stuff you really want, and look specifically for those titles first (especially if they're rare), then check for other releases at your leisure later on. Don't bother buying rare releases with the intent of making a buck on eBay; enough other people do this that you won't make any money anyway, and it's completely against the spirit of RSD. Don't be a jerk.

Second, you have to know what time your record stores open. Most places have an earlier opening time for RSD, so don't just assume you know when your local store opens. Have an idea of where you're going to go throughout the day -- maybe some opening times are staggered, and you can hit up several stores as they're opening. At most stores, they will put out a little bit of stock at different times throughout the day, but the best stuff is out first for the early birds. You can check where your nearest stores are at the Record Store Day website, or see a list of the Portland record stores here. By the way, not every record store is created equal. Stores order only the items they want, though that doesn't necessarily mean they'll get everything they ordered. Bigger stores means bigger inventory, but also bigger crowds.

Finally, take advantage of the freebies. Last year, Everyday Music had donuts and MGMT record mats. Music Millennium had gift bags with CDs and 7"s. Jackpot Records had tons of free posters. I also picked up stickers, a RSD t-shirt, and tons of other swag -- not to mention the live performances. Bands and DJs will be playing in-stores all over. I haven't heard who's playing yet this year in Portland, but I'll update this as soon as I do. I recommend doing your record shopping in the morning, because in the afternoon and evening the in-stores start. Last year Mayor Sam Adams even had a DJ set.

Hope to see some of you out for Record Store Day this year. It's a good time even if you don't own a record player. Check back for my next post on what I think are some of the notable RSD releases from this year.