"Cut-Out" LPs

rot26

rot26

Active Member
IDK if this topic has been discussed before, could not find anything via the AK Search, so here goes.

How many "cut-out" LPs do you have in your collection?

Loss-leaders from the manufacturers, and heavily discounted. The LP's cover either had
a gash in the side (including the insert(s), or were cut at an angle at the top.

I've got lots of them ...
Cut Out image LR.jpg
 
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I have quite a few records and CDs with the cutout and I used to have about a million tapes with it too.
My mom worked for the Capital Record plant (at this point it was owned by WEA) in Olyphant, PA and every spring and fall they would have a warehouse clearance sale where they'd charge something like 25 cents for a tape, 30 cents for a record and 75 cents for a CD.
She would have us fill out the order form and in a few weeks would come home with BAGs of music and distribute it to us kids. Each case or jacket would have either a cut or a burn hole in the plastic to show that it had come from the "last chance before the dumpster" sale.
 
OMGCat! said:
I have quite a few records and CDs with the cutout and I used to have about a million tapes with it too.
My mom worked for the Capital Record plant (at this point it was owned by WEA) in Olyphant, PA and every spring and fall they would have a warehouse clearance sale where they'd charge something like 25 cents for a tape, 30 cents for a record and 75 cents for a CD.
She would have us fill out the order form and in a few weeks would come home with BAGs of music and distribute it to us kids. Each case or jacket would have either a cut or a burn hole in the plastic to show that it had come from the "last chance before the dumpster" sale.
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Nice background info.

And probably where Columbia House and similar back in the '70s got their offerings.

Now you've got me curious to check my tapes and CDs for the same markings.
 
Holes punched in the corner is the same as the corner cut. These were titles that were being taken out of print and were sold at big discounts.
 
I spent a lot of time digging through the cut out bins at K-Mart. I'm suprised you don't see them for CD'S now
 
Please don't generalize as it's starts internet myths.

Not all cut corners and defacing the records are the record company dumping the overstock.

The saw cut like in the OP photo is a overstock that was sold cheaper in the day. They would take stacks of records and cut them with a band saw.

Lots of Promos also had defacing of covers in many different ways and and cuts where part of that to. Sometimes they did a cut, stamp, sticker, drill hole and even a multiple of the defacing.
 
guiller said:
I remember those discounted LPs and CDs at Tower Records! I bought lots of them!
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I used to work at Warehouse Records and Tapes in the late 70's (Mission Valley, San Diego).

We would get cut outs, or ones with promo stickers on the cover.

My manager was cool - she would give me some when the rotation on the in-store system was over.

Still have my AC/DC Powerage and Cars S/T, along with some others.
 
Marine0811 said:
A lot of radio stations also punched holes in the corners
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I was going through mine recently and found "promo copy only" on some and think they might have had punches too.

One of the local stations would regularly dump their excess at a record shop and the bins were always full of EPs, interviews, and other oddballs.
 
Erik Tracy said:
I used to work at Warehouse Records and Tapes in the late 70's (Mission Valley, San Diego).
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One thing I loved about the record stores back then is if you asked they'd pull band & tour posters off the wall and give them to you as they always had more out back.
 
soundmotor said:
One thing I loved about the record stores back then is if you asked they'd pull band & tour posters off the wall and give them to you as they always had more out back.
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A couple stores here would put the name of the first person to ask for the poster on the back. When it came down the person could ask to have it. If it sat too long someone else got it. The same went for the hanging and stand up cardboard cutouts.
 
Lavane said:
A couple stores here would put the name of the first person to ask for the poster on the back. When it came down the person could ask to have it. If it sat too long someone else got it. The same went for the hanging and stand up cardboard cutouts.
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One store I used to hit had a free barrel up front with rolled posters. They'd change up ones on the wall midweek to ready for the weekend so you time your visits to Thursday or Friday mornings. One of my faves was a huge Nugent Double Live Gonzo with tour dates. I had to beg the manager on that one.
 
I think most collectors have at least a few cut outs in their collection... LPs and CDs. I know I have a number and I don't even really check to see if it is a cut out. As long as it's in good shape and the price is right, I'm there!

Happy Listening!
DeeCee
 
Not sure how many cut outs I have :dunno:. They have always been plentiful in used record bins.

If I log Vinyl onto Discog ... I usually note it in the comments but never counted them. I've always paid
more attention to the condition of the LP ... if the cover is pristine :thumbsup: icing on the cake... but it's not that important to me.
 
Paul de Jong's album, IF, was printed to look like it was cut out and had ringwear:

TRR249_ColoredVinyl_HI-RES_640x.jpg


It is also printed with no labeling whatsoever.
 
This thread is good news — everyone here is a music lover! No one even mentions that the corner-cuts and drilled holes destroy the resale value.
 
I have quite a few. I bought most of my records during college/music school and mainly bought used and cutout. My largest cut-out buy was in the 90s. I walked into a Peaches Records (for what I don't recall) and saw they had put all the LPs in the corner. Their entire vinyl inventory was cutout and priced between $0.25-$1.00. I checked my wallet to see how much I had, wished it was more, briefly considered where an ATM might be, how much gas was in the car, and bought what I could. I think nearly all my ECM LPs were bought then.
 
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