The line outside of Little Five Point’s Criminal Records was expected to go around the block later that day. But for now, a single “Swiftie” sits in a lawn chair, alone at the front door. Molly Swindall plans on staying through the night, if she can. At this point, she’s got her eyes on the prize, even if that means waiting almost 24 hours to get it. Her treasure? A Taylor Swift 7” Vinyl, only 10,000 in circulation.
April 23 was Record Store Day, an event celebrated by independent record stores across the globe to promote shopping locally. Starting at 9 a.m., a handful of special releases were offered in stores, drawing in shoppers from all walks of life. From Foo Fighters to Rick Astley to Nicki Minaj, everything is represented here.
However, with such special releases come very limited quantities. Taylor Swift, as Record Store Day’s first global ambassador, only put out ten thousand copies of “The Lakes,” a bonus track off of her 2020 album “Folklore.” Criminal Records, located in Little Five Points, was lucky enough to get 14 copies. “Because it’s a limited release, and every single independent record store wanted to get copies to sell, each store could only get so many of the 7-inch,” explains employee Stella Bentley. And with current supply shortages, it was even harder to secure them. “We could have ordered 40 and only have 10 show up. It’s mainly luck at that point.”
Customers started lining up outside the store at 3:30 p.m. Molly Swindall, who’s been a Taylor Swift fan for the past 16 years, was the first in line, leaving early from work so she could take a half-day to prepare. Having been a fan for so long, she knows how massive the fanbase really is, and how dedicated “Swifties” can be. Getting in line early was the only option. “I wanted to make sure I got this vinyl because I’ve had a complete Record Store Day collection of her since 2018,” she said. “And to me, it was worth it to wait in that line because I didn’t want to pay the resale prices.”
Over the next several hours, the line grew, weaving down Euclid Avenue, and into the neighborhoods of Little Five. But at the front of the pack were ten Taylor Swift fans, being united by their hours together on the grimy sidewalk outside of the record store. “We bonded that night, coming up with fun jokes and pranks that we played on people coming by,” said Swindall. Drew Clinton, a student from outside of Atlanta, agreed. “It was a time for people to come together and get to know others who collect records in your community,” he said. “I ended up meeting a lot of nice people in the line.”
After almost a full day of waiting, emotions ran high when the doors of Criminal Records finally opened. “I waited in line for about 13 hours, and I was so shocked that I was even able to get (my copy),” says Angelina Coglianese, a fan who was seventh into the store. “I started to tear up. It just felt very unreal that I even had it in my hands. Taylor Swift is like a mom figure to me. I would wait way longer than 13 hours if it had anything to do with her.”
Last year, Swift was the highest-selling artist on vinyl, selling 704 million record copies, with three albums making the top ten list, among the likes of Beatles’ “Abbey Road” and Prince’s “Purple Rain.” It doesn’t matter if you’re listening to the classics, or bopping to pop albums, Criminal Records, along with all other independent record stores, will be there to welcome you. “It really doesn’t matter if you’re listening to old-school rock bands or new pop artists like Taylor Swift,” says Bentley. “What matters is that you enjoy music on vinyl.”
