Hole punched in vinyl records?

Question

I collect vinyl records for my music now and I have noticed on many occasions a hole has been punched right through the record's cover.

Why was this done to record covers?

Answer 1

Have you ever heard of a cutout bin. For example, "look at that crappy boy band, I give them two years, then it's the cut out bin!" Well, record labels take back things that don't sell after a while, and something has to be done with the albums. The label would usually cut a very short slit in the records's jacket, though they'd sometimes take a holepunch-type device to the cover. They also did this to casettes and CDs. Then, they'd go out to other stores to be sold againl. Think of it as tagging something as a refurb; it notes that its undesirable or a weak seller, and not intended to be sold at the regular price or EVER sent back to the record company. That's part of it- they just didn't want them back in exchange for other merchandise.

If you're curious, I have more than a few LPs and cassettes like this; lots of promos, too. Now for the mystery of why popular artists get cutout records, too. Perhaps its because the labels discontinuing a format or reissuing the album remastered or with different cover art? I think that's it.

Answer 2

In the old days it meant the record was discontinued.