Happy Record Store Day

I agree with Actusreus. This is my 3rd record store day I've been to. Long lines, the only record store day items, were the early releases, not the exclusive stuff. A 45 minute wait to get in, browsed for 15 minutes, 45 minute wait in check out line. Only one cashier. Couldn't put on an extra cashier when you know you are going to be swamped? Now I was at this same store two years ago, there was a band in back room, no lines, but crowded. I was going to visit two other stores, but this store wasted so much time, I had to skip the other stores. So this kind of exclusive crap turns me off. Reminds me of waiting in line at some uber popular club, hoping the bouncer will let me in.
I don't think this is how you run a business. Sure you're taking advantage of a popular trend now, but who will be your loyal customer when the popularity of lps fades out like trends do?

I'm sorry but I'm going to speak my mind about the above
negative comments. After rereading the posts several times
it comes off as "sour grapes". If you had arrived
earlier and were closer to the front of the line and got
what you wanted, you'd be singing the praises of RSD.

Boo-hoo, you got there late, crowds were large, items were
already sold out, lines were long to check out, blah, blah,
blah..."woe is me".

This is just like going to a "general admission
only" concert and getting there late and complaining
about the bad seats. Your fault dude.

Most of these stores are mom and pop shops. Most only have
one register and one credit card machine. I agree that if
they did have access to more registers, they should have
opened them, but these are not Best Buys or Walmarts.

As far as loyal customers go, the store I went to, I've been
going to for over 20 years. Seems pretty loyal to me.

I do have one gripe and agree with one aspect. I think they
should limit the amount of different titles to a maximum of
150 and have more copies. Instead of 1250 have 2500,
instead of 5000 make 10,000 and so on. If they get too
crazy, the limitlessness of the releases have little
meaning. This year they released over 300.

For me, I can't wait for Black Friday RSD and for RSD 2014.

I was not able to go this year because of trying to cut my expenses in today's uncertain economic climate. Didn't get the same bonus I have gotten over the past few years, and have more household expenses I am trying to deal with. We cut our Direct TV last week. Buying less at the grocery. And so on. I will say having gone the past two years, I saw a lot of guys up front first in line who were probably running out to FleaBay to put the limited release LPs up for sale, like the scalpers who buy up all the good tickets to live shows. That turns me off. I think it is good for the industry to get the buzz out about vinyl, but let's all be honest, this is a marketing effort designed to sell product at much higher list prices. Limited supply creates demand. Econ 101.

Swanny...I agree with everything you said, except the assumption that the guys in the front of the line were flipping the items on Ebay. You don't know that for a fact.

While I don't approve of that either and really don't like Ebay that well, I was able to find the four titles that my store didn't get on Ebay for exactly the same amount as in the store and a couple were even less money, (even with shipping) because I didn't have to pay sales tax. So not all sellers on Ebay are jackholes.

Most people don't know that the dealers do not know what they will receive for RSD. They put in their orders and don't know what they get until they open the boxes. I know quite a few record store owners and most say that they only get a 50%-60% fill for RSD.

This is no different than wine collectors or art collectors or rare car collectors or really most any other type of collector. Limited supply DOES create demand.

I much looked to score a copy of Dave Matthews live lp set, but.....
http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_odkw=Rsd&_ipg=200&_sop=16&_osacat=176985&_from=R40&_trksid=m570.l1313&_nkw=Rsd&_sacat=176985
And several of these very limited pressings emerged on eBay days prior to Saturday's RSD.
The local vendor did restrict purchases of limited release lps to one per customer. Yet, with the low number of pressings the resaleable value may be turning the event into a scalper's treasure trove.