CRM114

So my local awesome record store is completely bailing on Record Store Day. This isn't some low volume store - they moved huge quantities of RSD product and still they merely broke even. What he's doing this Black Friday is awesome - he's holding back hundreds of $15-30 records and posting lots of rare records like the first and second Big Star album, lots of original Blue Notes, and other stuff online but none of it is available until Black Friday. He's hoping to have a line of true music fans and not of eBay flippers he won't see again for a year.

* I was told that they did order ONE RSD item - the Big Star "Complete Third Vol. 1" release.

Supermallet

I like that, very cool of him to try something different. I've voiced my complaints about RSD here in the past and nothing I've seen has changed my mind.

CRM114

I personally don't mind RSD but I do feel for the small shops that are stuck with inventory they cannot move or send back. The prices are too high so stores make hardly any margin - the buyer gets screwed and the store gets screwed. The only ones that make out are the distributors.

Dan

Never really thought of it all that way, but you're right. I was at a store a couple weeks back, and they had a whole row of RSD stuff. Some from at least a few years ago, too. As I recall, none of it was on sale, either... all full price.

CRM114

My record store I frequent had the luxury of marking all RSD stuff to 50% off a week after to get rid of it. Even still, he had to find a bulk buyer. (Luxury in that he makes enough money to eat the loss.)

slop101

Yeah, and my favorite local shop can't even guarantee what he'll get or not. He orders what he thinks his clientele will want, but he's still at their mercy. He does throw the ones that don't sell, which isn't much, into a 50% off bin after 6 months or so.

Dan

My replacement copy of Twin Peaks from Mondo showed up this week.
I haven't done a side-by-side (I intend to), but it doesn't seem to sound as bad as my original copy (which was pure awfulness). It ain't perfect, but I'll take it.

Supermallet

Well, I'm a bit in shock. I wasn't expecting this but Music Direct was offering a one-two punch I could not refuse: An interest-free financing deal and a Black Friday sale on a special edition VPI Classic 2. This version comes with the metal arm from the Classic 3, not a 3D printed one (the 3D printed one sounds worse regardless of what the marketing materials say), a ceramic coated platter, and an isolation clamp. They're shipping it out on Friday; I'll probably have it next week. Going to pop my Denon DL-103R cartridge onto it. This will probably be the last turntable I ever buy (which is nice as it's also only the second turntable I've ever bought).



This is really an endgame table. I'm going to spend years building up the rest of my system to match the quality and capabilities of it.

MBoyd

Wow! Congrats. Welcome to the VPI family. That's a sweet looking table. Consider a dustcover. I am wanting the ADS currently.

Supermallet

The dustcovers go for $300+! What a load of crap. Maybe there are some generics that will do the same job for $25.

Why So Blu?

Nice turntable!


My Fight Club OST from Mondo arrived yesterday. That was fast.

MBoyd

I am in Marfa TX today and found some vinyl from a local jazz musician. It's truly everywhere. The town next to us, Alpine, has a record store. Incredible.

And yeah the dust covers are expensive. I am sure there is a DIY version somewhere. My used Scout II came with it and was such an obscenely cheap deal for the whole thing.

slop101

Here's my haul today. I got pretty lucky, as these were under-ordered, and the few stores that got them in, only got one copy. I also got Maiden's Brave New World, but it wasn't colored, so I didn't take a pic.



What's cool about these two albums is that these songs aren't available any other way (legally) but Vinyl, for now. The also both came with download codes for digital versions, with some bonus songs on the Mutemath digital.

Paff

Went to two stores, couldn't get the Bangles record. Didn't bother to ask if they even got any in the first place. Plenty of copies of the Ramones' live record, but then I thought, It's Alive is a pretty definitive (not to mention very high quality) live recording of that era of Ramones. Bought the re-issue of Sparks' first record (not an RSD release) instead.

Ravenous

Haha. What u doing out there? I was at ft Davis a few months ago and hit those places but didn't vinyl shop.

MBoyd

Just a little Thanksgiving vacation. The store in Alpine was a bust. The pictures online looked pretty nice. A review said some good stuff was found. In reality it was disorganized, overpriced, and mostly the same stuff seen at Half Price Books

slop101

Oooh! Just saw that a Kinks mono vinyl box-set is coming out in a couple weeks. (the albums contained are actually best in mono) It retails for $180, which is $18 per album, which isn't bad, but hopefully there will be good deals for it (can't find any just yet). Also, they need a new, affordable vinyl version of their Lola Album.

auto

Nice!

islandclaws

I went out looking for exactly one RSD BF exclusive and, lucky me, I found it.

JackBurton

^That's a great album. What's special about the RSD release?

Supermallet

All of those Kinks mono releases are available separately too. From what I've been told, they're all great except for Arthur which always sounded better in stereo.

slop101

I have the Deluxe CD of Arthur that has both mono and stereo on it, and except for one song (Victoria) or two, I like the mono version better; it's more punchy.

Paff

RSD works.

As mentioned, I wanted that Bangles RSD release, but came up snake eyes at my usual stores. Today I had to go to Corona CA to work a roller derby event. I decided to check the RSD website to see if there were any participating stores on my route. There was one, Old Town Records in Temecula. Now, anyone who's been to Temecula knows it's in the middle of nowhere. Yes, there's lots of wineries, but the best part about those is getting so tooted on wine that you forget you're in Temecula. Old Town Records is the proverbial hole in the wall, just a narrow hallway of a store with vinyl racks on both sides. But what a selection! I was the only one in the store on this rainy California night, about 30 minutes before closing time.

Long story short (too late), they did have the Bangles record, which I'm now the proud owner of. But I bought some other great stuff there, like a collection of Clash outtakes and demos, and A Woofer in Tweeter's Clothing by Sparks. I ended up plunking down $90, and I never would have found this place if it weren't for RSD. So they do serve a purpose. And if you're ever in Temecula, be sure to check this store out.

slop101

Yeah, the store I went to had a bunch of great deals as well, and I ended up buying a few more things that weren't just RSD stuff. And it was a local, independent store, 10 minutes from my house, so I felt good about buying extra stuff.

The RSD stuff I did buy, they were going for more than double what I paid on ebay just the next day. Assholes. At least there's only a couple copies being sold, so most of the people that bought them seem to be holding on to them.

islandclaws

Pressed on purple.