RECORD STORE DAY : WHAT TO KNOW

---

The week of I recommend calling up your local store and double checking what time they will be open for RSD. As an extra question I'd also ask what time most people start to lineup at their location. This can help you gauge when you think it will be best for you to arrive, especially if you plan on camping overnight! 

Ask if they have the specific record you're looking for! but keep in mind some stores might not know their final count until the day of just due to shipping and receiving. And also keep in mind that just because they say they placed an order for 100 of a certain record does not mean they will get that quantity, especially if it's a smaller drop.

Remember as much as they would LOVE to make everyone happy, they can not put records on hold!

Check back in on the RSD website and pay close attention to the categories that these records fall into. There are 3 main categories, here are their descriptions from the RSD website

• RSD First : Titles are found first at indie record stores but my be released to other retailers or webstores at some point in the future. (think the "Olivia Rodrigo GUTS spilled" pressing that was an RSD first and then a few months later was available on her webstore)
• RSD Exclusives : Titles that are physically released only at indie record stores and are only limited to that day. Not to be resold at a later date.
• Small Run/Regional Titles : Titles are either regionally based and sold at specific stores, or are press runs under 1000, which means they may be harder to find at record stores around the country. The majority of the titles on this section of the list are Small Run titles; any title that's regionally based and most likely to be found at specific stores will have that called out in the description, which can be found on the web-based version of the list.

Know what you're going in for! Double check on the RSD first and Exclusives and see which ones you may need to grab now rather than later!

Sometimes the first look of the list has us wanting more than we really need or want so it's nice to make those final last call decisions before getting inside the store. 

Have a PHYSICAL LIST of your final choices ready. It'll take away the stress of trying to remember everything. Once you complete your list you can then browse everything else for fun because you know you have what you came for!

Some stores might have the records sorted by alphabetical or sections of the new releases for RSD or mix them in with the artists current sections within the store. So it's nice to have your list to keep you on the right track/more prepared.

Remember, you can only buy ONE copy of an album per person. This helps guarantee that as many people as possible can get it until it sells out. This also helps with the scalper issue so no one goes in and buys all of the copies just to resell at 10x the cost. So honestly, not a bad rule in the long run.

It is to be said that RSD is an in-person event held at indie stores across the country. But there is a way to grab some pressings online the next day. No, no don't worry I'm not talking about eBay and the scalpers. I'm talking about indie record store websites! 

Believe it or not but a lot of titles don't always get sold on RSD just from them not being as popular of releases or just the store not having as much foot traffic for the day (which is rare). So that means that the NEXT morning those titles get to be listed on most indie store websites (as long as the title is still physically available in said store, can't sell what isn't there ya know?)

So make sure if you aren't able to make it to the in store day (or if the titles sell out at your local shop) you check around the next morning on other indie record store sites. And remember it doesn't have to be your local shops website! 

Indie shops are more than happy to give information and help as much as they can but remember, there is a VERY long list of rules they have to follow for RSD, so if they can't give you all the information you want, it's for a good reason! 

(-from a former record store employee) 

These helpful tips are based on my own experience and my time working in an indie record store. Everyone has their own vibe and their own way of shopping and doing things. So by no means does this negate any of your RSD prep that you may do! Do what works best for you and if it isn't broke, don't fix it! 

Record Store Day is one of the few days that really brings the community together so remember to be kind and courteous to others! A little kindness goes a long way! 

And for those of you who this might be your FIRST RSD, I hope you have the best time! It's truly such a fun community experience and I hope you find the records you're after! And REMEMBER if it's an RSD first, it will come back soon! So please don't give scalpers on eBay your hard earned money!!

Currently planning on partaking in RSD this year myself so here is a tiny but mighty list of what I'm after! 

• The Killers & Bruce Springsteen : Encore at the Garden - RSD First (5000)
• Joey Valence & Brae : Good Songs by JVB - RSD Exclusive (1500)
• Wallows : More - RSD First (amount not listed)

Being that majority of the few pressings I want are part of the RSD First category, I most likely won't be camping out. I'm a very go with the flow collector so if when I get there and some of the albums I want are sold out, I am content with waiting a little bit for those albums to circle back around.