Record Store Day connects vinyl collectors

    On April 23, an important event for some record collectors took place, Record Store Day. RSD is a day when exclusive and limited amounts of vinyl and CDs are produced for certain artists. 

    This event started 14 years ago in 2008 and is still a lively day for many collectors. About 1,400 independently owned record shops across America participate in this event and sell the limited edition vinyls on the special day in-store and then online the day after to sell any leftover pressings. Vinyl stores internationally participate as well, according to Record Store Day’s online site.

       It has been held on different dates, but it always occurs on a Saturday in April and then occasionally on Black Friday, which is in the month of November, “In 2010, Record Store Day coordinated its first RSD Black Friday event,” according to Record Store Day’s website. A recent example of this would be last year’s Black Friday RSD, including pressings from Fleetwood Mac, Lana Del Rey, Billie Eilish, and more. 

    This year, the ambassador for Record Store Day was American singer and songwriter Taylor Swift. She released an exclusive clear pressing for this year of her hit songs ‘the lakes (original version)’ and ‘the lakes (album version)’ in which the original version had never been pressed on vinyl before this day. Only 10,000 pressings were released.  

    Sophomore Ava Pippitt says that she bought, “Rex Orange County’s Apricot Princess, fifth anniversary edition […] I also was interested in the Taylor Swift [record] but it sold out so fast.” Along with Swifts and Rex Orange County’s limited-edition releases, artists/bands such as Wallows, David Bowie, Mariah Carey, The Cure, Foo Fighters, and so many more. If you would like to see all the pressings from April 23 or any other dates/years past, recordstoreday.com has the full list.  

    Pippitt says that she found out about the occasion from local record store REB Records’ Instagram page, “I looked into it more and I thought it was so cool!” She adds to, “support small record shops!” Pippitt says that her record collection started about a year ago and she currently owns “13 different albums [on vinyl].” She says that her experience with RSD, “was super fun! I like the concept behind it, and it’s a very fun event to do with friends.” Pippitt adds, “I would definitely do it again!”