It’s 1:00 a.m., I’m rolling out with my brother Shane, and we’re doing the thing that only record people truly understand: camping out for Record Store Day Black Friday 2025 at Phil’s Music Exchange in Wilson, NC. By about 1:40 a.m. we’re first in line (again), freezing, “spine reading” through the glass, and building that plan of attack before the crowd wraps around the building. Mitch’s Vinyl Corner shows up around 4:00 a.m., and by daylight it’s clear this year is bigger than ever. After the doors open, we score a serious stack—RSD exclusives and a bunch of pre-owned gems—then I do what I always try to do on days like this: respect the shop and the line. Instead of dropping a crate on the counter while folks are only grabbing one or two titles, we go get breakfast and coffee, warm up, and let the rush thin out. Back at it, I run through the haul: everything from big RSD titles (and a few with “mixed reviews” I still wanted to hear for myself) to sealed used finds, soundtrack grabs, budget steals, and even a few Steely Dan cassettes. Yeah… I spent over $1300 on vinyl, and honestly, the community vibe is what makes it worth it.