Record Store Day Black Friday vs. April
Record Store Day Black Friday feels like the little brother to the main Record Store Day event in April. There aren’t as many releases and the buzz is lower, but the upside is shorter lines. Back in April, it took us nearly three hours after the store opened to get through the line — and that was after arriving more than two hours early.
Choosing Saint Marie Records in Fort Worth
For Black Friday, we tried something different and went to Saint Marie Records in Fort Worth. I was able to order on-line from them one of the albums we weren’t able to get back on Record Store Day. I have been on their email list since then. One thing I appreciated was that they posted their inventory list online a couple of days beforehand, which made planning easier.
Planning Our Top Picks
My son and I identified our top three choices. Two of them showed they had plenty of copies, and the third — the one we wanted most, The English Beat – The Beat at the BBC — had only three. We figured it wouldn’t be as popular, so we felt confident.
Early Morning Line Experience
We arrived between 5:30 and 6:00 a.m. on a cold morning (blankets would’ve been smart!). About 20–25 people were already in line, and surprisingly, not many more showed up after we did until just before opening.
Inside the Store: Organization & Speed
Saint Marie Records has a small storefront, but they were well organized. Everything was alphabetized in crate boxes with dividers, making it easy to find what we wanted. Checkout was quick, even with only one register. We were back in the car within 15 minutes of opening. We’ll definitely return for Record Store Day in April.
Our Vinyl Haul: English Beat, INXS, B-52’s
Thankfully, we secured all three picks: the English Beat album, an INXS live album on red vinyl recorded in 1986 at Royal Albert Hall, and a picture disc of The B-52’s Wild Planet. I had just seen The B-52’s live in concert a few weeks earlier in Austin. Here is a video I took of them performing “Private Idaho” from Wild Planet.
