Vinyl Cup Records readies as Record Store Day Black Friday nears

Record Store Day Black Friday is just around the corner, and it’s shaping up to be an exciting event for vinyl lovers, collectors and music fans alike. Taking place this year on Friday, Nov. 29, this annual celebration is an opportunity to score unique and rare vinyl, often with special artwork, colored pressings and live recordings. The event  includes 159 titles released across a wide range of genres—rock, jazz, hip-hop, indie, classical and more—making it an ideal occasion for both die-hard collectors and casual music fans to hunt for something special.

The independent record store Vinyl Cup Records opened back in 2022 in downtown Cedar Falls and is always looking forward to bringing new customers to their shop on both national record store day and Record Store Black Friday. The manager of Vinyl Cup Records, Burke Wallis, said,”I’m eagerly excited to see the turn out on Black Friday this year. Any events we have like this I love seeing people come together through music. We always have a line of people outside the door before we open in the morning.”

Music fans and vinyl collectors everywhere are starting to think about which special releases they’ll be hunting for this year. Everyone has their own wishlist, but a few standout releases are already generating buzz. Junior Megan Engdahl said, “I participated in Record Store Day back in April for the first time, and I didn’t know there were deals for Black Friday until the new releases were posted in October. My mom shared the link with me and told me she was looking forward to the new Joni Mitchell album. As for my vinyl collection, I’m really looking forward to snagging a copy of Olivia Rodrigo’s Guts Spilled.”

Wallis said, “I’m really looking forward to seeing Van Halen and the Beatles on the shelves this year. I feel like our best seller this year will be Billie Eilish or the Beatles. It always tends to be if Taylor Swift or the Beatles is on the Record Store Day list, it’s a good list. Unfortunately, Taylor’s not on the list this year, but I will definitely be going to Target to get her Black Friday exclusive of The Anthology vinyl and Era’s Tour book.”

Engdahl reminds those who choose to participate in Record Store Day to plan ahead by making a list of desired releases and checking the RSD release list early. She suggests looking for exclusive deals and exploring used vinyl bins for rare finds. It’s also important to handle vinyl carefully and enjoy the RSD atmosphere by connecting with the community. Don’t stress if you miss out—check back later or look for items online. Check out Recordstoreday.com to see if your favorite music artists are on the list for Black Friday this year, and be sure to check back in March for April’s releases as well.

The most important tip she gave was to arrive early to secure popular items and be prepared for large crowds. Engdahl said, “Some of the items only have a few copies made, and it’s unlikely many will be sent to Iowa stores, so it’s important to get to the record shop in the morning while they’re still on the shelf.”

Vinyl Cup Records will open early on Black Friday, from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Their regular hours are from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.