Vinyl Lovers Brave The Cold for Record Store Day

MAPLE GROVE (WJON News) -- Thousands turned out and braced the cold in an effort to get one-of-a-kind music on Saturday. The 18th Annual Record Store Day (RSD) took place at independent stores across Minnesota and the country. Vinyl fans flocked to stores to try to obtain limited edition records, CDs, and more. People started lining up at Down In the Valley in Maple Grove as early as midnight.

RSD vinyl can range in quantity from 400 to 11,000 worldwide.

Co-Store Owner Scott Farrell says the line at their Golden Valley location typically starts building late Friday afternoon:

"The previous year, we had someone get in line at Thursday at noon. We went out to make sure they knew that it was a Saturday event, not a Friday event, and oh, they knew, but they wanted one of the very limited pieces, and they stuck it out that entire time."

Some of the most sought-after titles this year included Taylor Swift, K-Pop Demon Hunters, and Olivia Dean.

Thin Lizzy's Live in Cleveland had 4,000 copies worldwide for RSD.

Farrell says it seems like the line starts earlier every year, but vinyl fans are a hardy bunch, and they turn the line into a party-like atmosphere.  He says many have become RSD friends:

"There's other groups that meet up at a certain time, and they all get in line together just because they met at Record Store Day, so I think they have a good time talking music and life, and everything else while they're waiting for their records. It's pretty amazing to see."

Farrell says he couldn't fathom back in 2008 that they would see these kinds of lines and that RSD has brought new fans into vinyl collecting, and that has been great to see. Record Store Day 2027 will take place on Saturday, April 17th.

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READ MORE FROM AUTHOR PAUL HABSTRITT