Stock up on vinyl, CDs:
Every year, Record Store Day is a chance to
More than 1,400 record stores across the country, including 16 in Arizona, will have a festive flair today as they celebrate what has become an annual Record Store Day tradition.
“They want to enjoy music
and they want to enjoy the
experience of buying
music.”
DARIO MIRANDA
STINKWEEDS NEW AND USED RECORDS EMPLOYEE
ABOUT RECORD STORE DAY CUSTOMERS
Record stores across Arizona will open today to a concert-like crowd of fans eager to get their hands on exclusive vinyl releases, compact discs, posters, banners and other promotional material for some of their favorite musicians.
The high-fidelity, celebratory vibe is part of Record Store Day, which has become the unequivocal premiere date for independent record stores worldwide. Or, in the words of its organizers, a blowout bash for “real, live, physical, indie record stores — not online retailers or corporate behemoths.”
More than 1,400 record stores across the country participate in Record Store Day, including 16 in Arizona.
“We always start the day opening early with a line wrapped around the building,” said Dario Miranda, an employee at Stinkweeds New and Used Records in Phoenix. “It’s really a great crowd. Everybody’s well behaved and helpful to the other customers.”
Miranda, who has worked every Record Store Day since the event started in 2007, said the store expects more than 1,000 customers will walk through the doors on Saturday.
But he said not to expect any kind of free-for-all Black Friday rush.
“You’ll find people asking people behind ‘what are you looking for?’ and they’ll find it for them,” he said. “It’s not just this crazy mad dash where you’re just shoving everyone aside. It’s a nice experience.”
Independent record stores like Stinkweeds are able to offer deals to customers because of partnerships with Record Store Day, which helps stores acquire hundreds of records and CDs and promotional items.
Many stores wouldn’t be able to collect or afford all the gear if they attempted to get it on their own.
Record Store Day only charges stores a shipping fee for whatever they provide.
“Anybody can sign up as long as
you’re a physical record store,” Record Store Day co-founder Michael Kurtz said.
“If they want to get all the special pieces that we make, they have to sign a pledge that was written by the record stores themselves,” he said.
This pledge prohibits stores from selling exclusive items in advance of Record Store Day or on eBay. Stores also must agree not to gouge customers.
Kurtz said every year a few stores are caught disregarding the pledge and are no longer allowed to participate.
Kurtz said the day provides a strong economic boost for participating merchants and brings in “probably on average a month’s worth of business on one day.”
But it’s not just business. Record Store Day also brings buzz.
“I think we provide a sense of relevancy in a world of digital,” Kurtz said. “When I want to shop for music ... I go to a record store. And Record Store Day basically reinforces the importance of that on the big day.”
On its website, Record Store Day says it works throughout the year to create contests, special releases and promotions to spotlight record stores.
The site quotes Jamaican singer Ziggy Marley saying record stores bring people together.
“Without the independent record stores, the community breaks down with everyone sitting in front of their computers,” Marley said.
In addition to Record Store Day offerings, stores sprinkle in unique promotions of their own.
Stinkweeds this year will be giving the first 100 people through the door a Record Store Day goodie bag.
Revolver Records, which has stores in Phoenix and Tempe, is offering a 20 percent discount on all items.
Revolver also is selling a special record it produced featuring three Phoenix bands.
Revolver Records’ Jared Cox said his store sees three different types of customers during the event.
“You see customers that are in for those (exclusive) releases,” he said. “We see some of our regular customers that are in there for the sale, and we also put out a ton of used records that day.”
Cox said the store takes certain obscure records off the floor leading up to Record Store Day to add another element of anticipation and surprise.
In the end, Record Store Day reflects customers’ love of music.
“They’re mainly here because they love music and that they want to get ahold of something that might be tough to get ahold of,” Miranda said.
“It’s not just some flavor of the month type item that everybody’s just trying to get ahold of because it’s the thing to do. They want to enjoy music and they want to enjoy the experience of buying music.”