Record Store Day shows vinyl is still worth a spin

It’s torturous waiting outside a record store in the early hours, hoping to score limited releases from bands such as the White Stripes, Metallica and Foo Fighters.

But that payoff is what makes Record Store Day worth it for dedicated vinyl lovers.

Record stores around Orange County and the country opened their doors early Saturday for fans who began lining up hours earlier.

Each year since the first Record Store Day in 2007, independent record stores have received a list of limited and special releases from independent and major labels from which to order.

This year, Jim Otto, who has owned Sound Spectrum in Laguna Beach since 1967, said his shop received exclusive releases from artists like The Doors, David Bowie and the Bee Gees.

“Record Store Day is really eclectic,” Otto said. “It’s not limited to a certain kind of music.”

David James, whose Factory Records in Costa Mesa typically makes one month’s earnings on Record Store Day, said the day has proved tiring and busy but worth it in the end.

“I always talk about RSD like a love/hate relationship,” he said. “It’s so exhausting preparing for it. But, boom, it’s a great success come Saturday. I have new faces in the shop and it’s great exposure and good money. So I’m in love with it come Sunday.”

Otto, who said his store had a steady crowd from opening until closing on Record Store Day, said other than the process being “disorganized” because of the inequality of supply and demand, it was still a fun day.

He said record stores place their orders but don’t necessarily know what they’re going to get because of the limited quantities of releases, which is “part of the fun.”

Ron Dedmon, who owns Dr. Freecloud’s Record Shoppe in Fountain Valley, said he believes independent record stores have been kind of lost in the mix lately because of the costly warehouse prices of some of the items.

Sometimes, he said, the labels, especially major ones, will allow stores to sell items for only a few dollars above cost, so it’s difficult for stores to make a profit.

“It almost seems like, because of these prices, it’s more marketed toward a chain store, which isn’t allowed to participate according to the rules,” he said. “It’s not very fruitful for independent record stores.”

Dedmon also said he sees favoritism, noting that the major labels appear to send more items to bigger independent stores, like Amoeba Records.

Otto argued that wasn’t the case.

“It’s not the record labels so much deciding who gets what,” he said. “I know if I order 10 copies of something and get two, and Amoeba orders 100 copies of something and gets 20, that’s the same based on percentage and what they could afford. On the other hand, it would be typical that people who buy more would get more.”

While shoppers typically seem to hunt for major label releases, they often do so with an eye toward reselling for higher prices on eBay, Dedmon said.

“It’s turned into a shark-fest,” he said. “Their intention is to double or triple the price once it gets on eBay. Maybe the labels are selling them for so high to counter that, but it’s still not helping the stores.”

Otto said there’s no way around the resellers but added that he’s followed the Record Store Day rules to make it fun for everyone.

“We don’t have a way of weeding out who the resellers are,” he said. “It would be great if we could form a test to tell who these people are, but it’s the same way with people who buy concert tickets and resell them....

“I love that vinyl is getting recognition again. Vinyl connects you to the music. You’re helping by participating in purchasing the music. With MP3s and CDs, you can skip songs, but with vinyl you’re more likely to listen to the whole album and take it in differently.

“That’s part of that whole vinyl and Record Store Day experience. Walking into Sound Spectrum is like a flashback to a former life.”