You’ve probably seen the headlines. Vinyl sales crossed $1 billion in the US last year. Record Store Day is trending on social media every April. Your friends keep posting photos of coloured records and tagged locations at shops you didn’t know existed.
And now you’re thinking about going. Maybe for the first time.
Good. You should. But let’s set some expectations so you actually enjoy it.
What Record Store Day Actually Is
Record Store Day started in 2007 as a way to celebrate and support independent record shops. The idea was simple: get artists to release exclusive, limited-edition vinyl that’s only available at brick-and-mortar independent stores. No Amazon, no big-box retail. Just local shops.
It worked. It became an annual event, now held on the third Saturday of April (this year it’s April 18), with hundreds of exclusive releases and thousands of participating shops worldwide.
The vibe is part treasure hunt, part community gathering, part mild chaos. People queue before the doors open, grab the records they’ve been eyeing, and then stick around for the atmosphere. Many shops host live music, have food and drinks, and generally make a day of it.
The Queue Thing
Let’s talk about the queue, because it’s the part that surprises first-timers most.
People line up early. How early depends on the shop and the year’s headline releases. For 2026, Taylor Swift has an RSD exclusive that will pull serious crowds, so the queues at popular shops could be longer than usual.
If you want the most in-demand titles, arriving 30 to 60 minutes before opening is reasonable. For a more relaxed experience, showing up an hour after opening still gets you plenty of great records, just not the ones limited to a few hundred copies.
Here’s the thing about the queue that nobody tells you: it’s actually fun. People bring coffee. They talk about music. Someone’s always got a list they want to show you. It’s a room full of people who care about the same thing, and that energy is infectious.
Queue Etiquette
A few unwritten rules:
- Don’t cut the line. Obviously.
- Don’t send one person to hold a spot for a group of six who show up at the last minute. Shops and fellow queuers don’t love this.
- Be prepared to move efficiently once inside. Know what you want. Other people are waiting.
- If you get the last copy of something, that’s fair game. Don’t feel guilty. That’s how it works.
- Be kind to the staff. They’re running on adrenaline and probably not enough sleep.
How Much Is This Going to Cost Me?
More than you think, less than you fear. Probably.
RSD exclusives typically run between 20 and 40 pounds each, depending on format. A standard single LP is usually at the lower end. Double LPs, box sets, and special editions creep higher. The occasional title pushes past 50.
For your first time, set a budget you’re comfortable with. Fifty quid gets you two or three records. A hundred gives you a solid haul. Whatever your number is, bring it in cash (or mostly cash) and stick to it.
The temptation to overspend on RSD is real. Everything looks special. Everything feels urgent. The fear of missing out is weaponised by the limited-edition nature of the whole thing. Breathe. If you don’t buy that purple pressing today, your life will continue. The record might even show up online next week for the same price.
What If I Don’t Have a Turntable?
This is more common than you’d think, and it’s completely fine.
Plenty of people start collecting before they have a proper setup. Records are objects worth owning even before you can play them, the same way people buy books faster than they read them.
That said, don’t let Record Store Day pressure you into buying a cheap suitcase player just to have something. Those things damage your records over time with heavy tracking force and poor-quality needles. If you’re going to invest in vinyl, invest in a decent turntable when you’re ready.
In the meantime, buy the records that speak to you. Display them. Read the liner notes. Appreciate the artwork at full 12-inch scale. When you eventually get a turntable, and you will, you’ll have a collection waiting for you.
If you want a sensible starting setup, the Audio-Technica AT-LP60X is the most common recommendation for beginners on a budget. Pair it with some powered speakers and you’re set. Budget around 150 to 200 for a basic system that won’t trash your records.
Start Small, Start Curious
Your first RSD doesn’t need to be a military operation. You don’t need to study the full release list and map out a multi-shop route.
Here’s a simpler approach: go to your nearest participating shop, get there a reasonable time before opening, and browse. See what catches your eye. Ask the staff what they’d recommend. Talk to the person next to you in line about what they’re after.
Buy one or two things you genuinely connect with. Maybe it’s an album you love on streaming and want to own physically. Maybe it’s something you’ve never heard but the cover art grabbed you. Some of the best records in my collection were blind buys.
The RSD exclusives get all the attention, but regular stock is still for sale too. If the limited stuff doesn’t grab you, that’s fine. There’s a whole shop full of music to explore.
The Real Point
Record Store Day isn’t really about limited-edition coloured vinyl, though that’s the hook. It’s about independent record shops and the communities around them.
These are places where the person behind the counter has opinions about music and actually wants to share them. Where you can discover things algorithms would never suggest. Where the experience of buying music is still physical, social, and a little bit magical.
If April 18 is your introduction to that world, welcome. You’re going to have a great time.
And if you get hooked, well, the shop will be there next Saturday too. And the one after that. That’s sort of the whole point.
New to collecting and want to keep track of what you’re building? My Vinyl+ makes it easy to catalogue your records from day one. Scan, log, and never lose track of your growing collection.
