The third Saturday in April Indie Record Stores receive shipments of limited release vinyls specifically for that day to help generate sales and keep these charming places alive. It's a pretty neat concept actually. Over the past few years it's turned into such a huge thing, mainly so collectors of rare items can get their hands on priceless (yet what will become very expensive) records. I use to think it was just a go in and buy a record to help keep them in business, which essentially yes it is. And quite a few of those who happen to pop into their favorite shop on the day that's all they're doing, but as of lately people put out a TON of limited print items to draw even larger crowds in. And it works. Folks wait in line for hours before the store opens in hopes to get something no one will ever be able to buy again, except a few weeks later on eBay for 10 times what it actually cost to first buy it.
This year I got to go to my very first Record Store Day. Working in retail before I usually had to work almost every Saturday and always had to miss it. But this year my boyfriend Peter (an avid collector of vinyl himself) and I were able to go together! We checked out the list of RSD15 releases online and chose a few we were going to try and go after. So we woke up at 6:00am on a Saturday, yuck, and stood in the short line that had already formed by 7:00am at Fantasyland Records in Buckhead. I left the line to grab us some coffee and croissants while Peter made friends with the other music lovers waiting outside on the overcast day. By the time the store opened at 10:00am to a rather large line by now as well as a round of applause for the adorable old man owner everyone piled in like kids on Christmas hoping to get their hands on what they wanted most. I mistakenly broke off from Peter thinking the collectable records would be scattered across the store in their rightful categories. WRONG! They keep all of the special releases in one part of the store. Peter was one of the first to make it up there and therefore got us both everything we wanted. I got stuck in a cluster of people but ended up helping pass around what others were trying to get but couldn't reach. The entire staff as well as all the shoppers were so sweet and kind to each other. There was no fighting or rudeness, just a ton of swell music lovers trying to help everyone else out. It was quite a beautiful sight really. Someone let me slide in close to the front of the line to pay which was about the only thing I was good for since I didn't actually acquire any of the records we wanted. Thank God Peter knew what he was doing or else we might not have gotten anything at all. But 100% success rate for us this year!! All in all it was a fun and successful trip!
The awesome vinyl we got:
Get Behind Me Satan by the White Stripes
This limited edition two-disc came with one white and one red record along with a cover that changes depending how you look at it. It was also the first time this album was released on vinyl.
Earliest recording of Elvis Presley
Also released by Jack White who won the actual record for $300,000 in an online auction had 1500 of these exact replicas printed on 10'' vinyls. It's Elvis back when he was very young singing covers of 1930's songs "My Happiness" and "That's When Your Heartaches Begin". Mr. White didn't even clean up the sound and it is amazing to have this awesome piece of history!
The Original Soundtrack for The Darjeeling Limited
Printed on colored green vinyl this Wes Anderson classic is so much fun to listen to on a record player!
Music From the Adventures of Pete and Pete by Polaris
Do you remember this show on Nickelodeon?! For the first and only time ever they released the soundtrack on vinyl and it's every 90's kid turned vinyl collectors dream come true!
When I Reach That Heavenly Shore Unearthly Black Gospel 1926-1936
This powerful 3LP compilation was the record I was most after. Peter found the ONLY copy Fantasyland got for the day and I am so happy he did! These raw and electrifying songs sound amazing and it's my pride and joy from the day.
Did you partake in Record Store Day this year? What were some of the collectables you sought after?
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