Around the same time that Cinderella has visions of pumpkins dancing through her head, eager music shoppers strike out into the night, their eyes lit up with expectation.

Since Guns N' Roses double whammy Use Your Illusion I & II hit State College in 1991 and sold 2,500 copies, local record retailers have caught on to the trendy debut scheme of midnight record sales. Although these late-night releases were previously reserved for cities, the excitement of waiting in line for a product is now a State College staple.

Spring is in the air, so along with the warm weather, new albums from Phish and Pink Floyd have warranted these nocturnal escapades. One student who patiently sat on the front steps of National Record Mart, 226 E. College Ave., last Monday for Phish's latest said the sales are about more than just buying an album first.

"It's the whole principle of the thing -- it's fun hanging out with people who like the same thing," said Steve Hawley (freshman-business). "It's only 12 o'clock and it's not like we'd be hanging out in our rooms sleeping anyway."

While a few energetic shoppers hacky-sacked, another student waiting with the 10 or so Phish fans, who had gathered a half hour before the store opened its doors, said he couldn't wait until the next day to hear the new album.

"I'm awake and I've been waiting like a whole year for the album," said Dave Kramer (freshman-mechanical engineering). "I'm anxious to hear it."

Phish's sold-out concert next Friday prompted this midnight sale, but consumer inquiries are usually the deciding factor for whether National Record Mart opens its doors at 12:01 a.m., said Brian Camps, third-key manager, adding that the store offers a special discount -- Phish sold for $11.99 instead of the usual $14.99.

"If there's a lot of requests for it, it's easier to sell just that one album at midnight -- people can get it as soon as possible," Camps said, adding that he expects about 300 midnight shoppers for Pink Floyd's new album.

Keeping their doors open until the last customer is served, midnight sales at Modern Times Compact Discs, 318 E. College Ave., are directed more toward the customers than actual sales, said owner Greg Gabbard.

"You can tell that there's a buzz on about the album coming out," Gabbard said. "It's just something to get people excited about the new release."

But for those who would rather wait until a decent hour to purchase an album, new releases are available at Modern Times for the same price during regular hours as well, Gabbard said.

"If you can't make it at midnight, we will be selling it the next day," he said, adding that there had not been enough interest in Phish's new album to deserve a midnight sale at Modern Times.

Having found midnight success with Pearl Jam and Nine Inch Nails in the past, Jay Williams, manager of Blue Train Compact Disc, 418 E. College Ave, said the cold winter weather deterred holding any midnight sales until Monday.

"We didn't do any during the winter, it was just too cold," Williams said. "I would've felt bad making people stand outside."