Helping to save independent record shops is the aim of Record Store Day (RSD).
Each year since 2007 music fans are waiting for that unique and prestigious day where there are special releases including mighty vinyls and CDs too.
What is special about it? These record will be rare because limited to that day only with for instance a special sleeve, colour vinyl, unreleased tracks or other little details which are important to collectors.
However and like most limited edition products, there is sadly a parallel market: online auction where items' prices can double, triple or even more... the (not) fabulous world of eBay.
It is not only about music but also regarding concert tickets: latest in date Kate Bush London dates.
Apparently, some places have reached £800.00! Insane, greedy and rather shocking. A world where only money rules without any shame! Despite all measures in place, limiting the number of seats per buyer, there is always a method to make big cash out of it.
Coming back to RSD, it is essentially organized for music lovers who like to own something special from a specific artist. People's attitude are changing and some individuals are ready to queue for hours because they will only make a purchase to run back home and add it to that digital store where prices have no limit. There will always be a fan (or two) interested in that very rare product.
...Special vinyl and CD releases and various promotional products are made exclusively for the day and hundreds of artists across the globe make special appearances and performances...
With the global economy struggling, it seems that buying cheap to sell at a high price is the norm and no one is actually moaning about this rather unorthodox procedure. Some will even be proud to have a £600.00 worth vinyl (initially tagged at £50.00). It becomes like an art work which could fetch even more if re-sold due to its originality.
Remember these years where for Christmas a child would get wooden tradtional toys, a colouring book or even a new bag for school?
A moment not to forget, which provided people what they wanted with no hassle and anxiety whether the present(s) will or won't work because of a firmware issue!? Nowadays, children want the most modern and high-tech toy(s) – it can't be the previous model. Usually parents just listen to their children in order to avoid any disappointment. Maybe not the right or best way to deal with such request?!
There is always this example where a child was offered an electronic toy, but instead of playing with it, he preferred the empty box and the batteries; simplicity can win.
Also, in the 80s and 90s families would purchase a certain type of breakfast cereals because there was either a 3D sticker or a fridge magnet in the packaging and some would start a kind of rare collection – involving even exchanging sessions during lunch breaks in case they already had it. This era is over and new generations would laugh by seeing the Panini football sticker albums – not seeing the point of such thing.
All this to say that people from all ages are losing touch with the values of life. Everything is and has to be digital (even books). Record Store Day is a kind of alarm call to show that quality doesn't need to be represented as a file and traders are relying on us to keep their business running or their survival is in danger. A lot of stores have already closed down because the technology is taking over most of our decisions/choices. Online shopping for music and film is common; buyers see the advantage of getting the media straight away in their inbox without the stress of going out, queueing and just facing other difficult/annoying customers.
Should RSD happen more often in order to change habits and bring back that social meet up in music shops rather than online forums?
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