But did you know there's a second Record Store Day every year on Black Friday?
Aptly called Record Store Day Black Friday (RSBF), the fall event encourages people to shop at not only their local record stores but also local stores in general.
"Sure, anyone can hang out at home and shop online in their pajamas, but it's really about supporting local businesses," Radio-Active Records shop manager Natalie Smallish says. "It does help tremendously. Record Store Day [in April] and Black Friday are the two busiest days of the year for us."
Smallish says RSD's semiannual event is the reason many record shops have remained open. There's a lot of money to be made those days, and Radio-Active takes advantage of the extra shoppers by not only carrying RSD exclusive releases but also bringing back its fan-favorite sidewalk sale to clear out bins for new merchandise. The sale allows shoppers to mix and match cassettes, 45s, LPs, and CDs, all at a price of ten for $1.
And though collectors seem to jump at the opportunity to sift through crates of used vinyl, Miami is actually home to South Florida's largest record store carrying all-new pressings.
In the Coral Terrace area of West Miami-Dade, not far from Mall of the Americas, you'll find Museo del Disco. It's a 10,000-square-foot store run by Hinsul Lazo that reminds you record stores used to command large retail spaces.
"There's plenty of parking, 100 percent new [vinyl], decent prices, and an incredible selection," Lazo says of his store.
He's not kidding. When you walk in, you'll notice what seem like endless racks filled with albums. Opening 16 years ago, Museo del Disco started out selling exclusively Latin music, but after three years in business, the store quickly made room for other genres, such as rock, dance, and pop, carrying everything from the Beatles to Kraftwerk.
Although Lazo admits RSDBF doesn't attract as many customers in November as RSD draws in April, he's still grateful to let people know he's open for business.
"You've got to support your local shop," Lazo says. "We're the ones who employ the local kids."
What should you keep an eye out for? Smallish says she's been getting a lot of calls about U2's exclusive release for Third Man Records, The Blackout, but she's really looking forward to Tori Amos' out-of-print debut, Y Kant Tori Read. Lazo says the Queen 12-inch — We Are the Champions/We Will Rock You — is high on his list.
If you can't pry yourself away from the mall this Friday, be sure to leave room for Small Business Saturday, an American Express-led initiative that raises awareness about local retailers during the busy shopping season.
Here's the full list of South Florida shops participating in Record Store Day Black Friday:
Miami-Dade
- Lucky Records. 250 NW 23rd St., Miami; luckyrecordsmiami.com.
- Museo del Disco. 1301 SW 70th Ave., Miami; 305-267-5511; museodeldisco.com.
- Sweat Records. 5505 NE Second Ave., Miami; 786-693-9309; sweatrecordsmiami.com.
- Yesterday & Today Records. 9274 Bird R., Miami; 305-554-1020; vintagerecords.com.
- Radio-Active Records. 845 N. Federal Hwy., Fort Lauderdale; 954-762-9488; radio-active-records.tumblr.com.
- The Record Rack. 2205 E. Atlantic Blvd., Pompano Beach; 954-783-5004.
- We Got the Beats. 5130 N. Federal Hwy., Fort Lauderdale; 954-671-9482; wegotthebeatsrecordstore.com.
