Record Store Black Friday Is Retuning To Lubbock’s Ralph’s Records for 2023

Ralph's Records (82nd & Indiana) is Lubbock's only independently owned record store and has been serving all of Lubbock's entertaining needs for over 42 years. I cannot overstate how extraordinary it is to have a heritage entertainment store owned, operated, and staffed by Lubbock folks that is the caliber of Ralph's Records. I've been to many big-city record stores, and Ralph's is just as good, if not better than 99% of them. I'm leaving the 1% for Ameoba Records, only because it's the size of a rural Wal-Mart.

Besides the obvious benefits of having the ability to buy, sell, and trade new and used vinyl, CDs, DVDs, video games, etc., we also get the benefit of access to Record Store Day titles. Record Store Day is an organization that assembles special, highly collectible titles that only independent record stores can sell on Record Store Day and Record Store Day Black Friday.

This is a day for the people who make up the world of the record store—the staff, the customers, and the artists—to come together and celebrate the unique culture of a record store and the special role they play in their communities. Special vinyl and CD releases and various promotional products are made exclusively for the day.

Record Store Black Friday will be on November 24th, 2023; that is, the Friday after Thanksgiving and the same Black Friday as major retailers. While many will rush to big box stores for special deals, people like me will be at Ralph's to get our mitts on rare, exclusive, limited-run, and regional-only records, CDs, and cassettes.

Want to start a wish list? Here's a list of titles(click hyperlink) that could be at our Ralph's Records. Due to the rarity of these titles, not all will be for sale at Ralph's, or Ralph's may only have a few copies that will go fast. That's why I recommend getting there early if there's a title you want.

There's a wide variety of titles this year- from jazz to pop, alternative rock to country, current artists and classics. Happy hunting, and I hope you find a real treasure.

In addition to these titles, Ralph's will also have plenty of other new and used vinyl, CDs, cassettes, etc. Look for surprise sales during the day, and don't forget to pick up a super cool Ralph's shirt while you're there. Let's support this cultural gem here in Lubbock, as it has supported our entertainment needs for over four decades.