I can't see anything cliquey about a set-up where a normal way of getting records is to buy them direct from the artist, rather from some anonymous retail outlet.

I'm all for being able to buy them through retail outlets, and that applies especially of course in the case of artists who are no longer able to perhform, but that is a supplementary method. Wherever possible the direct source is better - it means all the money gets to teh artist, and also helps remove the barriers that the music industry erects.