The vinyl hunters in Assen and Ruinen head straight for their target. 'K3 finished yet?' Oh no! You have to drive 90 kilometers for that.

Three young women, in their twenties, almost walked past the Vanderveen department store in Assen. They just hit the music department. With a big smile they show the contents of their Record Store Day linen bag. A single by famous pop star Olivia Rodrigo, an LP by Dutch band WIES and a single by Queen.

“Fat, right?!,” Janicki crows (22). “It's always interesting to see if a record store has received an announced release and if you're still on time, because when it's gone, it's gone.”

correct. The Woman That Came on Red Vinyl Specially for the In Love Reissue by K3 Misses the Grid. “Unfortunately, we don't have them anymore, ma'am,” says manager Geert Jan Galtema. 'Really? Oh no! You have to drive 90 kilometers for that.'' Exasperated, she stormed out of the record store.

common

Record store day, that is. Celebrate the record store and celebrate the art of music with exclusive vinyl releases in often limited editions available on this special day. It is popular with enthusiasts and collectors, as evidenced by the long waiting list that formed well before the store opened.

Vanderveen's music department has been involved since 2014. “We had four boxes of vinyl at the time,” Galtema says. “In the years since, it has grown tremendously.”

CD to return

Galtema: “The CD has already been written off a hundred times, but it's still making a modest comeback. It remains an attractive alternative. But vinyl is also interesting.” We're seeing a lot of young people buying an LP or single. Last year during RSD we had fifteen copies of Taylor Swift in the trash. “They were gone within fifteen minutes.”

This year, vinyl records by Clouzot, Marco Schweitmaker, Andre van Duyne, Queen and The Cranberries are selling like hotcakes. His record store often easily achieves weekly sales on this day. “I'm always amazed by the numbers,” he smiles.

'very expensive'

At Ruinen, the “CD Hall” designation suggests otherwise, but here too there is plenty of RSD vinyl on offer. “Yes, very expensive sometimes,” admits owner Klaas Brent. “To give you an idea: one LP sale usually equates to about a hundred CDs. Mainly Dutch and German music. My customers don't really buy it on vinyl.”

But the relationship today is a little different. Dozens of collectors pick various RSD releases from boxes early in the morning. Brent has been participating in the International Music Festival for four years. “It's interesting, especially since young people are buying vinyl. They're going back to record stores, and that hasn't been the case for a long time. And they're not always thumbtack , He hears. “Sometimes they just click 100 euros with this big phone, haha.”

Strategic trick

The CD Hall also has good turnover on Saturday. Brent uses a strategic trick to do this. It does not put RSD releases together in the bin, but rather puts exclusive releases with other releases by the artist or band. With a wink: “Then potential buyers also see other LPs and might think: Hey, hey, this one works for me too.”

Anyone who asks in record stores in Drenthe will hear that vinyl is based on experience, on emotion, on a warm sound, on physical action. With covers rich in pictures and information. Brent: “You're actually buying a memory for later. That you can show and hear to your grandchildren what Grandpa or Grandma loved.”

K3

Ron (54) from Nordwold, Friesland, is looking for a special live performance for U2 Atomic City. “He's not in prison,” he muttered. “I'll go to Plato's in Zwolle, he might have it.” What the CD Hall has: K3 LP.

Sold out even in Assen. But perhaps the angry lady will try her luck in Ruinen on Saturday.