When conversing with non-musical nitwits, it became apparent that most people weren’t aware that record stores still exist. Even some music fans were only aware of places like HMV or knock-off shops. Well, this is why Record Store Day was invented, to educate you dumb asses.

A whole day in April will celebrate the old school way of listening to music through discounts and new releases. This year saw Nirvana, Green Day and Oasis bringing out old and new releases on vinyl, CD and cassette. Even though I hunted tirelessly for the new Green Day album it became apparent that you would need to get to your local store extremely early in the morning to buy them.

All the best records had gone but I trolled through and found some absolute gems.

Why not just download?

Of course, downloading music is easier and more efficient but nothing beats being able to hold something that the artist has made in your hands. A slice of your favourite band or singer’s creativity that you can actually hold and cop a feel. I used to love reading the lyrics with the music and flicking through the album art when I was younger. During my childhood, Cassettes and CD’s were king.

Besides, what’s cooler than an Urban Outfitters turntable in your room? Even if you don’t have a turntable, you could use your vinyl collection for wall art to put your musical taste on display.

But just like any good thing left in the world, record stores are dying out. I went to Notting Hill to visit two stores including Music and Goods Exchange where all the staff were knowledgeable and friendly. They knew an awful lot about music that you couldn’t get from iTunes app. Then, I went to Honest Jon’s which sold predominantly Reggae and Jazz.

You can get to a record store wherever you live in the UK, there’s no excuse, they are out there. So even if you missed Record Store Day, go out and support your local store before they’re all doomed.

If you want to build a record collection, I urge you to check out this blog post on how to build your dream record collection (and avoid getting ripped off).