Ten groovy years for Record Store Day
Niagara’s vinyl shops will open the doors early for Record Store Day’s 10th anniversary Saturday.
Both Mindbomb Records in St. Catharines and SRCVinyl in Niagara Falls will open at 8 a.m. to greet eager vinyl buffs hoping to scoop some of the exclusive releases sent to specialty record stores around the world.
“Record Store Day is mainly there to celebrate independent record stores,” says Mindbomb owner Chris Charkowy, who has ordered about 50 releases. “That’s what most people come out to do. They want to buy a record or two, it’s just a good day to do that.”
Releases this year include David Bowie’s Cracked Actor — a triple live album recorded in 1974 — along with the vinyl debut of Tegan and Sara’s 1999 debut (Under Feet Like Ours), three vinyl reissues by Spacemen 3, and a special Record Store Day tribute album to Leonard Cohen.
At SRCVinyl, co-owner Jenna Keyes expects the hottest item to be an extremely limited Jack White release — so limited, the store is only getting one copy to be raffled off.
“Everyone that comes in will get a free raffle ticket,” she says. “That’s the easiest way.”
With some releases limited to 500 copies total, Record Store Day has become a bonanza for shoppers hoping to re-sell releases for a quick profit. They’re referred to as ‘flippers,’ and they betray what Record Store Day is supposed to be about, says Keyes.
“I’ve noticed less amount of flippers through Christmas and last year than the first year. But yeah, there’s always people that want to sell them to make money.”
The Record Store Day website encourages patrons to “support indie record stores … not flippers.”
Prices for most new releases range from $20 to $30.
Taking its cue from Free Comic Book Day, Record Store Day began in 2008 as a way to celebrate indie record stores at a time large chain stores were putting less emphasis on music or outright closing. This year’s event in Niagara coincides with the demise of the region’s last chain music store, HMV at the Pen Centre, though the return of Sunrise Records will soon occupy the space.
As the event has grown in popularity, so has its problems. In addition to releases being resold online at steep prices, store owners are forced to buy product on a no-return basis. It means shops like Mindbomb must be prudent with what they order, says Charkowy.
“Some stuff is really absurd,” he says. “I don’t want to get stuck with five copies of the Space Jam soundtrack.”