I missed out on the Beach Boys 10"....and the Radiohead single....and the Cults 7".

I sloped off with 2 free badges and the James Yorkston 10" feeling a bit sorry for myself.

I see most of your purchases are already going for funny money on flea bay. (That didn't come out right, but you know what I mean, I hope).

East AND West. Rare day in the capital for me. Tried RTE, but queues longer than those at the Libyan border. Literally hundreds of people. Due in work at 1pm, so gave up there. Headed to work, jumped off at Ladbroke Grove en route and queued for about 20 mins for RTW.

Arctic Monkeys 7" (for No. 1 son)
Steve Earle 7"
Bruce 10"

And also picked up the Sarabeth Tucek CD

Wanted the Smiths (all gone) and Kate Bush HoL (never destined for UK - US only, apparently)

Ditto on all you say - terrific buzz in the queues and a certain something that clicking 'download now' just can't recreate. I'll be sticking to Jumbo in Leeds next time, mind....bloody Londoners etc etc etc

Bristol, got there at 9-ish, big queue, mostly blokes, cars going by, passnegers rubbernecking and clearly wondering what they were missing. Waited for about 15 minutes, wan't anything much I desperately wanted but who can resist 10 inches of Springsteen and a Lower Dens 7"? Bought some CDs and listened to the giveaway New West Comp CD on the way home.

had a queue of about 20 or so when I got there at 8.40. The staff let the punters in 4-5 at a time, so the first bunch got any of the real limited issues. It was galling to watch through the windows as at least one guy was walking around with armfuls of stuff.
I was able to get the Syd Barrett double compilation, the New Order/Joy Division 12" and the Matt Berry 7". Didn't even get a sniff of the Beach Boys double 10" unfortunately.

Already FULL of todays "exclusives". I'm sure this whole RSD is a scam set up by them.

The Crookes played live outside. Stopped traffic. Not really a collector so i passed on the Beady Eye box for 50 squid. Instead bought a couple of kd lang CDs, The Bees last elpee, KC rules OK, and Natual History by I Am Kloot. All for £25. Bargin. Plenty of beachboys left there when i last looked.

I visited Head around 09:25 and there were only around a dozen people in there. Staff advised me that most of the "hot" stuff (Stones and Radiohead) had long gone. Managed to buy the item top of my wish-list - The Vaccines Live In London LP. Also grabbed one of the numerous copies of the Arctic Monkey's 7" languishing on the shelf. Picked up lasy year's RSD Stones single (Plundered My Soul) in the excellent Rise Records. I find the hunting, rather than the buying, the most exciting part of the RSD experience.

This is my third outing and like last year I went to Phonica in London.
The queue then started at 7am and I was second then so I got the second train to London as I thought the first one at 521 was silly - wrong - this time I was fourth of an eventual 100-150.
And who is that I spy at number one in the queue? That's right, the star of Podcast 164, husband of Caitlin Moran and top music scribe Pete Paphides. I am not one to start conversations but I always will with music journalists as I know there will never be awkward silences.
We chatted for about two and a half hours about his recent piece in the Guardian http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2011/apr/14/strangest-record-shops-in-br... , lawnmowers, 78s, NME v Melody Maker and gifts for children and the doors opened at 9am sharp.
Pete handed over his list and got everything he wanted. Unfortunately that left me without the Nirvana, Kate Bush and Beach Boy releases. However, before we went in I mentioned that I wanted Arthur Russell and he said he would get it and let me have it if there was only one copy. And this is how it looked until another emerged from the stockroom just after Pete had paid. So we both walked out with one. He unfolded his Brompton and went home to be a dad.
I wandered past Sister Ray that was surrounded by a queue of at least 200 and smiled at the thought of getting home and playing:

Roxy Music
Smerins Anti Social Club
Derek and the Dominos
Suede
The Smiths
Radiohead
Foo Fighters
and, of course, Arthur Russell's World Of Echo.

nb. I also managed to get Fraser his copy of Pressed at Boddie's Local Customs.

two questions:

1. Vinyl may be unplayable by 95% of the public, but why not issue your special releases in a format that truly *nobody* uses any more. I suggest wax cylinders or 16rpm 10 inch disc albums for genuine collectability. This unplayability will render these issues *truly* of totemic value only. Most importantly it will underline that the record store is in no way anachronistic...

2. A pressing of 2,000 is *way* too many copies to issue of a hugely desirable release like the new Radiohead single ... Why, if I had queued from 5am today, I might have actually been in with a chance of procuring one. I fear by this blatant mass production may be encouraging the "wrong kind of people" inside your establishments.

I hope this is helpful, as I know that this nation's independent record stores are keen to shake off the image of elitist anorak-magnets.

I should add that I am greatly enjoying my new limited edition 'Dead Kennedys sing Scott Walker' 8 track cartridge box set.

and had a mooch but didn't buy anything. As previously mentioned on another posting I'm not really buying this 'vinyl is best' bollocks but I do purchase stuff from Spillers on a weekly basis so my conscience is clear. Popped into a new independent record shop on the way home ( which wasn't participating in this RSD doo-dah ) and bought two Beatles bootlegs on CD. Tenner each. No queues.

At 10am or so had a queue right out the shop, through the bar and into the street - it wasn't until after 11 that the queue died down. Practically all middle-aged blokes - who'd have thunk it?

I'm not sure why so much of it is vinyl - surely that's just asking for Fleabay Effect? Genuine collectors can buy CDs, others can get downloads if they're not that bothered.

I'd be interested to hear from record shop owners whether RSD makes any appreciable difference to their takings for the week and to their business throughout the rest of the year?

The best bit was walking past HMV to get to Monorail, with no (even token) attempt to advertise RSD.

PS for the OP - keep your eyes out for another Glasgow Massive meet coming up in the next few weeks!

A leisurely stroll up at 1PM to catch the start of the live music.Enjoyed sets from Southern Tenant Folk Union, a fine instrumental set from ladies whose names escape me and Sharon King without her Fallen Angels.Watched the arrival and departure of several worried looking individuals with typed up lists, most of whom didn't purchase anything Bought Springsteen for myself and Radiohead for my eldest son. Enjoyed a drink and nibbles courtesy of the friendly staff then off to finish the afternoon with a couple of pints and a blether with my pal in Sandy Bells. Fine way to spend an afternoon.

My first experience of record store day. Someone on Twitter saying he was outside Rough Trade East at 4.30am made me realise that it might be a case of queue up or see what's left later so I meandered down to People Music in Guildford early this afternoon.

Only a couple of things on display so I naturally thought everything else had gone. Just about to leave when a young lad came in asking if there was anything left and lo and behold a box of stuff came out of the back! Pleased with what I got - Sandy Denny promo, Gram Parsons/Emmylou Harris Love Hurts, James Yorkston and Emerson, Lake and Palmer album - but there was still quite a bit left in the box. He'd had a queue at about 7am apparently but I guess he thought that when it got past lunchtime that was it ... odd ...

and the news that Melrose Ape wandered into a record shop on his road just before they shut tonight and picked me up this (ltd to 500)

Get the fuck in!

Oh and regardelkss of the anti vinyl lobby and such balls, the fact that some struggling music shops make some extra cash today so they can stay afloat is fine by me. That those customers make a killing off the back of it is nothing to do with them. Ut hapoens with all types of entertainment products, this is no different

Presumably the point of RSD is to highlight record stores, remind folk that they still exist and encourage lapsed converts back through the portals.
All the limited editions and ebay-scalping hoo-ha are merely the "noise" that they use to spread the word in the media, no?

Bookshops use World Book Day/Night for similar purposes, albeit without the ebay factor.

*edit* crossed post with ^ but similar sentiment

...and I picked up the Wild Beasts 7" of Albatross and listened to Serious Sam Barrett playing in the cafe on the balcony with my two year old, who likes going to the 'Elephant shop'. I got the 12" of Gold Panda's Marriage at Crash later on, as Jumbo had sold out. I could probably have found all the tracks I bought online, but I'm really enjoying the anticipation and the fun of getting records home, taking them out and playing them one by one...

Not having a turntable for other RSDs, I'd not seen the point of me taking part before, but having recently reacquired a turntable it all made much more sense. I'd strongly recommend all the vinyl doubters above to get themselves one too, if only to play records like the ones available yesterday. It's such a different experience when you put a needle on a record: It slows you down, makes you listen properly, keep you focused on the music - which digital doesn't often do.

Mind you, I was surprised to see the two records I bought going for twice their shop price on ebay this am, but I'd agree with the comments above about it all being good PR for record shops. Despite the nonsense involved with buying a creative product from people with strongly held opinions, my experience is that record shops are a great place if you actually talk to the staff and develop a relationship which you can trust. RSD celebrates all that and it seems to be a good thing all round. Glad I took part and I look forward to next year.

There is no doubt that buying CDs and downloads from the web is easier and in many ways more convenient than going to record shops and buying vinyl. But I love vinyl records, especially LPs. CDs as items have little attraction to me. They are digital media. LPs to me are attractive in a number of ways: to look at, to hold, to play. Their physical size does the artwork justice, unlike CD inserts.
I can easily spend hours listening to music, browsing through my vinyl collection (which isn't huge), reading sleeve notes and generally just enjoying listening to music.
A lot of the time I'll listen to music more as a secondary activity, via iPod or computer. I buy a lot of Cds from the web. I have resolved to buy more stuff from shops - I'll miss them when they're gone.
I do all this because I enjoy it. I know there are more convenient ways to acquire and listen to music, but I enjoy the vinyl experience so often that's what I'll do.
Looking forward to hearing more about the upcoming Glasgow meet.

..still a ritual for me - bizarrely I don't like the ease of e-bay or Amazon - there is something about the tracking down of CD's. We have a great market around our ways which has a number of great CD stalls. Yesterday a new box appeared on one of psychedelic stuff which whilst not interesting me got the guy beside me pulling out 10 for purchase.- but the thing was the owner was having a conversation with him and chatting and comparing the stuff with his previous purchases.
Another guy turns up - "that Jack Bruce gig was great the other day wasn't it - mate of mine got a great recording do you want a copy?"
Yes you can find this stuff on Amazon and forums but isn't the personal touch better.
Went then to the local indie shop and it was buzzing with strangely eary risers. But again the guys there are music nuts - one putting on a monthly Rockabilly night locally. But again the place has flyers everywhere advertising gigs and bands.

...the more I realise that I'm not a music "head". Given the comparative absurd vastness of my music collection (which is all in iTunes: my boxes of CDs have been in the loft for five and a half years now), that might seem a stupid thing to claim, but bear with me.

Real music heads love it ALL: the gigs, the artwork, the banter in the various specialised retail emporia, the smells, the ritual, the clubbiness of it. I don't love any of that. I just like the noise it makes. I'm not a fan: I'm just a listener.

*hands in Massive membership card, makes no eye contact*

Took my 16 yo son to both of the independent "bricks and mortar" stores in this University town. Both had live bands and DJs scheduled all day and were pretty well packed. No rigid "2 out, 2 in" policy anywhere to be seen.

Picked up John Doe/Jill Sobule and the 3 disc Crowded House Tour set, both on CD

Having made the choice to rid myself of vinyl a good 7 years ago, I can only look with bemusement on the fact that the choices for vinyl far outnumber (and certainly outweigh) those for CD

in my local record shop earlier today, unfortunately couldn't get on Saturday due to work, and as expected pickings were slim; a couple of Tom Petty lps, Deftones covers lp, a rather expensive New Order 12" and a Bruce 10" were about all that was left.

I was, perhaps foolishly, hoping to net a copy of the Andrew Liles 7" pic disc 'As if Punk Rock Never Happened', only to find out today that it never actually hit the shelves, due to pressing plant refusing to press the disc

in our house at the weekend.

Women safely out of the way while the men carefully handle the technical stuff.

"Dad, can I put your copy of Never Mind The Bollocks on the Dansette again?"

"Get your hands off son, this is going straight on eBay! Some of these old gramophone records are selling for as much as a pound these days."

....for anyone who missed out on their wishlist first time round. Just been into Rough Trade West and they seem to have restocked many of the items that were sold out when I went in on the 16th. None of the big-hitters, but quite a few things now available. Might be worth checking before anyone pays any of those daft eBay prices.

Oh, and NO queues. Not another soul in there, actually...

just in time for Saturday, and a lot of people will have just been paid...