Record Store Day is a chance for businesses to thrive

Record stores across Arizona will open Saturday to a concert-like crowd of fans eager to get their hands on exclusive vinyl releases, compact discs, posters, banners and other promotional material for some of their favorite musicians.

The high-fidelity, celebratory vibe is part of Record Store Day, which has become the unequivocal premiere date for independent record stores worldwide. Or, in the words of its organizers, a blowout bash for "real, live, physical, indie record stores—not online retailers or corporate behemoths."

More than 1,400 record stores across the country participate in Record Store Day, including 16 in Arizona.

"We always start the day opening early with a line wrapped around the building," said Dario Miranda, an employee at Stinkweeds New and Used Records in Phoenix. "It's really a great crowd. Everybody's well behaved and helpful to the other customers."

Miranda, who has worked every Record Store Day since the event started in 2007, said the store anticipates more than 1,000 customers will walk through the doors on Saturday.

Miranda said not to expect any kind of free-for-all Black Friday superstore rush.

"You'll find people asking people behind 'what are you looking for?' and they'll find it for them," he said. "It's not just this crazy mad dash where you're just shoving everyone aside. It's a nice experience. "

Independent record stores like Stinkwoods are able to offer deals to customers because of their partnerships with Record Store Day, an organization that helps stores acquire hundreds of records and CDs and promotional items.

Many stores would be unable to afford all of the gear, or collect it, if they attempted to get it on their own. Record Store Day only charges stores a shipping fee for whatever they provide.

"Anybody can sign up as long as you're a physical record store," Record Store Day co-founder Michael Kurtz said. "If they want to get all the special pieces that we make they have to sign a pledge that was written by the record stores themselves."

This pledge prohibits stores from selling exclusives items in advance of Record Store Day and from selling items on eBay. Stores must also agree not gouge customers.

Kurtz said every year a few stores are caught disregarding the pledge and are no longer allowed to participate in Record Store Day events.

Kurtz said Record Store day provides a strong economic boots for participating merchants and brings in "probably on average a month's worth of business on one day."

But it's not just business that Record Store Day brings. It's also buzz.

"I think we provide a sense of relevancy in a world of digital," Kurtz said. "When I want to shop for music ... I go to a record store. And Record Store Day basically reinforces the importance of that on the big day."

On its Website, Record Store Day says it works throughout the year to create contests, special releases and promotions to spotlight records stores. The Website includes testimonials from artists, retailers and customers about the way records serve as a community connector.

Jamaican singer Ziggy Marley is quoted on the site, saying record stores bring people together.

"Without the independent record stores the community breaks down with everyone sitting in front of their computers," Marley said.

In addition to Record Store Day offerings, record stores sprinkle in unique promotions of their own.

Stinkweeds this year will be giving the first 100 people through the door a Record Store Day goodie bag.

Revolver Records, which has stores in Phoenix and Tempe, is offering 20 percent discount on all items. Revolver is also selling a special record it produced featuring three Phoenix bands.

Revolver Records' Jared Cox said his store sees three different types of customers on record Store day.

"You see customers that are in for those [exclusive] releases," he said. "We see some of our regular customers that are in there for the sale, and we also put out a ton of used records that day."

Cox said the store will take certain obscure records off the floor leading up to Record Store Day to add another element of anticipation and surprise for shoppers.

Miranda and Cox both said Record Store Day reflects customers' love of music.

"They're mainly here because they love music and that they want to get a hold of something that might be tough to get a hold of," Miranda said. "It's not just some flavor of the month type item that everybody's just trying to get a hold of because it's the thing to do. They want to enjoy music and they want to enjoy the experience of buying music."

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16 Arizona record stores are participating in Record Store Day, Saturday, April 18.

Phoenix: Record High, Record Revival, Revolver Records, Stinkweeds New and Used Records, Tracks in Wax Records and Zia Records.

Tempe: Revolver Records and Zia Records

Scottsdale: The Record Room

Chandler: Zia Records

Mesa: Asylum Records

Tucson: Ancient Radio and Zia Records

Jerome: Renfield Record Exchange