What Record Store Day Black Friday looked like at Stinkweeds

Turntables spun the sound of nostalgia just as the sun began to rise for Record Store Day Black Friday at Stinkweeds.

Although far from its prime, the vinyl record market has experienced a steady revival and a gradual increase in sales over the past decade.

However, vinyl records and other physical music formats still face overwhelming odds against digital music streaming and subscriptions, which have reached new highs, while sales of physical music have declined, according to the Recording Industry Association of America.

The RIAA’s mid-year revenue report for 2025 revealed that recorded music earned $5.6 billion, a new high record for revenue measured halfway through the year.

In addition, the report showed a 6.4% increase in streaming accounts in the U.S. and a 5.7% increase in revenue from paid subscriptions.

Finally, the report showed an overall 6% decrease in physical music revenue, with records, CDs, and other formats earning $36 million less than in 2024. Vinyl records only contributed $5 million to the decrease.

Despite this, dozens of audiophiles formed a line outside Stinkweeds at 7 a.m. in anticipation of limited-edition releases and exclusives.

Janet López and Jacky López, cousins and vinyl record enthusiasts alike, sat in their camp chairs at the head of the line before dawn. 

“We actually got here last night at eleven. We weren’t here by ourselves for too long because they got here at like midnight,” Janet said in reference to the next two people in line after them.

The López cousins have attended Record Store Days since 2020 and have kept up the tradition through the years, usually being the first or, less commonly, second in line. 

Janet said that her most expensive vinyl record is a limited-edition Taylor Swift pressing that she bought for $800, and this is only one of her more than 600-record catalog.

Dario Miranda, who has been employed with Stinkweeds for twenty years, said that vinyl records are more than just a trend; they have real value to the people who purchase them.

“I sometimes equate it to going to a restaurant, or teaching yourself how to cook that quality of food at home. You can make the same meal that you’d get in a restaurant, even if it’s not quite as good,” Miranda said, “but you’re gonna appreciate it that much more because you’re going through these motions and getting to know the food in that way. Same thing with music.”

Record Store Day takes place twice a year, once in April and again on Black Friday, at most record stores, both online and in physical locations.

Although vinyl records are much less popular than their streaming alternative, collectors still look forward to traveling to their favorite music shops and waiting outside for a chance to find something they’ll enjoy listening to or even just looking at.

“People want to have attachment to an actual item that’s important to them, whether that’s a piece of art or a book or, in this case, music. So definitely convenience is convenient,” Alex Soto, who walked out of Stinkweeds with his fresh bag of goods, said, “but people do want to have sleeves and all the things that come in this case of music.”