I. Be Cool, Have Fun. They're Just Records.

Music is the best. Records are arguably the most fun way to collect and listen to music. That said, if you're a hand-wringing, "gotta have that limited Indie-exclusive colorway on Day One" type, this may not be the shop for you.

I do all I can to get cool stuff, including cool colors and exclusives, when it comes out but only to the extent that I can: a) still buy a variety of artists and titles; b) ensure the inventory I order actually sells; and, c) have fun. It's no fun buying ten copies of the new Sad Lemon color limited-to-250 variant of the billionth reissue of the debut from Complicated Sneakers just so we can cater to their fans who are already securing copies online because they have to own it or they will die. We get stuck with nine of them and could have ordered nine other neat albums from nine different artists.

It'll be a consistent theme but stressing over holds is no fun, either. Come to the store when you can to try to get what you want. Just because you really want the record doesn't mean those that actually make the trip and shop here don't really want it, too. If I held every record that was requested I would need to rent a separate space just to stock those items. It's not fun when you go to a shop and all the good stuff is tucked away for someone who asked online. It's not cool to ask, either, so please just don't.