CNN.com is reporting, interestingly, that at various music retailers, big and small, that vinyl sales are increasing while CD sales continue to fall. It’s interesting to note that an essentially non-practical medium like vinyl might re-find an audience outside of a mostly-specialty niche, like punk rock.

With the proliferation of digital media in this day and age (with around 45 million CDs sold in the US last year versus just 1 million vinyl records), we’re still a long way off from vinyl making that kind of comeback. But as the article notes, there’s a definite draw to vinyl that rivals and to some, even beats out, CDs.

Record-store etiquette. That’s right, such a thing exists. And why haven’t you heard of it? Probably because you, like many foolhardy souls, don’t follow these rules. You think you’re above them, because you’re “only browsing”, unlike the rest of the poor addicted saps you see in there, nose-deep amongst the vinyl and CD’s. But the truth is, we’re all part of the same community, the same web of people who frequent record stores looking for that one final piece to the collection of Black Flag EPs, or just hoping the one album we want but can never put our finger on jumps out at us from the racks.

First off, you know that thing you’ve always heard snobby store clerks do where they’ll comment on your purchases when you go to pay, and then proceed to lecture you about some aspect of this record you either a) already know, b) don’t care about or c) disagree on? Don’t do that either. If there’s anything creepier than people commenting on what you’re browsing at the record store (which they see by spying on you over your shoulder), it’s commenting and then lecturing to people.

-“Oh, you like Jawbox?” *out of the fucking blue*

-“Huh? Uh, yeah, they were pretty good, I think J. Robbins is a great musician.” *go back to browsing the “J” section, looking for that Jewdriver album you’d wanted*

-“Yeah…” *dramatic critical pause* “You DO know they were on a major label at one point, right?” *insert expectant look on face*

You know what I mean.

Secondly, always put it back. You go into the store, wallet brimming with the money you should be using to buy toilet paper or cough medicine but is going toward music instead. You pick up some releases you’ve been looking forward to, it’s been a while and you’ve probably got about 6 or 7 discs in hand. Uh oh, you don’t have enough cash for all of them. No problem, you tell yourself, I’ll prioritize! Cut it down to 4 essentials. Now, where do you put the ones you’ve decided not to buy? Back where you found them, jackass. Sounds simple, right? Then how come every time I go into the store to get oh, I don’t know, Discount or Iggy Pop (those are in the “D” and “P” sections, respectively) I find Slayer in both? Come on people, it takes like 2 minutes to put them back in the rack you found them in.

The employees of your local FYE may be all idiots, but it’s not their jobs to clean up after you like your mother. The same courtesy goes for indie stores, if not more so. It’s bad enough that many independent record stores have to bow down to the pressures of the economy and close down not only in the face of giants like Virgin, but also to more and more people purchasing online and downloading (this isn’t universal, as some record stores do handle integration into the digital age quite well, but still, it’s an issue). So why not just cut those poor guys who, but for a twist of fate be you, a little slack, alright? Don’t make their jobs harder than current social and economic situations do.

Respect the store. What’s that, you think I’m kidding? Yes, I’m serious here. I’ve seen entire teenage powwows go on inside a record store, like they thought it was their living room. Come on people, show a little respect and go to the park if you just wanna slack off. Not that it is absolutely necessary to buy every time you go into a record store (I myself am pretty guilty of going to a record store to kill time on a lazy Sunday afternoon), but still, you should treat the place with respect. Don’t slam CD’s and records around on the racks as you browse. You don’t own them yet, genius. Wanna kill an afternoon when no one is around? Sure, go browse for a while, maybe pick something up or not. Chat with that cute guy or girl who works there and knows you.

-“Hey, is the new Napalm Death in yet?”

-“Oh, hi there! No, next week. I can hang onto a copy for you.”

-“Shit, that’d be awesome, thanks a lot!”

-“No problem.”

See? Like that. Pretty simple, polite, no time wasted, no one was obnoxious to anyone else.

It’s not that hard to be a nice person when in a record store, not that hard at all. All you need to do is remember this one thing. Remember to follow the rules because, in the end we’re all fans. We’re all lovers of the recorded sound. It’s moments captured on vinyl, through a microphone into someone’s laptop at home to burn onto a CD. Searching for records is like coming across a rare pearl, a treasure that probably no one but you can truly appreciate.

Don’t ruin that experience for others by being a dick, man.