[Tonto Yoder]

Visited a record store over the weekend while out of town. His stock ran the usual gamut from $2 bargains to used $75 Mobile Fidelity titles.
He also had one category that I've never quite seen so MUCH of---sealed cutouts in the $8-20 range. Struck me as odd---while it had the attraction of the sealed LP's never having been played, the clipped corners and drill holes certainly made them less attractive to me.

Nevertheless, I bought several examples:
Alex Harvey Band, Impossible Dream $8
Eric Burdon, Sun Secrets $8
Michael Stanley Band, $10  (a local guitar hero from Cleveland)
Todd Rundgren, Runt $15  (this LP was an urban myth, rumored to exist but not actually owned by anyone. This is the first time in 30 years, I've actually seen a copy).

Left behind several titles (discouraged by $20 price)
Neil Young,  Zuma
Al Stewart, Past, Present & Future
Cat Stevens, Foreigner

[ohenry]

I like to buy cutouts when I can find them.  I've never seen a merchant having a section devoted to them, that would be cool.  I recently bought Lowell George's "Thanks, I'll Eat It Here" for $5.

My copy of "Runt" isn't a cutout and was probably overpriced (it's been a long time), but I had to see what the fuss was about.  I like Todd, and aside from a couple of cuts, most of the record is mundane IMO.

It's always fun to rediscover older non-electronic rock albums, I now have more appreciation for the straight-ahead, minimalist approach in production and playing that many had.  And the bonus for me is that there's usually the evident blues link.  Grab Johnny Winters' "Still Alive and Well" for some early '70's bar scene flashbacks.  That good thing is that when you come back to reality, there's no purple stamp on your wrist, you can find your car, and your clothes don't smell like beer and cigarettes.  

[Tonto Yoder]

The store owner had obviously culled the titles of the cut-outs---all of the artists were recognizable.  So often bins of cut-outs are names you've never heard of--like Blind Lemon Tonto & his Houserockers.

You may well be right about "Runt."  I don't have my musical expectations set high for it, but there was quite a bit of nostalgia & curiosity at play in my purchase.

[meilankev]

Tonto,

I've bought many cut-out albums over the years.  I remember my favorite music store from my hometown (back in the mid-1970s) always had a special bin for cut-outs.  They were always a couple of bucks cheaper than "regular" offerings.

So, I guess you could say they were desirable because they were less expensive.  But of course, I was at the mercy of the limited selection.  However, in no way did I consider them undesirable.

Kevin

[orthobiz]

I have a cut=out "Runt" from the 70's. Love it, great record, especially "Parole" with Soupy Sales' kids playing guitars!

Cut-outs are cool because they are like orphaned, forgotten gems. I never shy away from them, but I guess for resale they might be worth less. I have heard some places like half.com can hassle you for selling a less than perfect item, even though it might be sealed and otherwise unavailable! Again, it's about the music.

biz

[Tonto Yoder]

Cut-outs are cool because they are like orphaned, forgotten gems. I never shy away from them, but I guess for resale they might be worth less..... Again, it's about the music.

biz

These particular cut-outs were being sold at a premium price of $8-20!
The price was largely due to the fact that they were SEALED still and the owner had obviously cherry-picked desirable titles.  Theoretically, I could have bought a near-mint used LP of Neil Young's "Zuma" for maybe 1/2 of the price of the sealed cut-out (cropped corner) of "Zuma" that I chose not to buy because of $$.  Of course, this particular dealer may well have asked $40 if he had a sealed "Zuma"  that wasn't corner-cropped.

[lonewolfny42]

TD :

Todd Rundgren, Runt $15 (this LP was an urban myth, rumored to exist but not actually owned by anyone. This is the first time in 30 years, I've actually seen a copy).

[/list:u]

So how's the urban myth sound....I would of picked up a Nazz lp..... [/list:u]

[Tonto Yoder]

It's SEALED!!!! You don't actually expect me to open it and PLAY it, do you???

(Actually, I bought a new cartridge and haven't installed it yet, so I'm putting off playing the new black wax).

BTW, there was some early Todd LP compilation that I considered: it may well have included some Nazz tracks. The seller is "offbeat records" in Ft Lauderdale and sells on eBay:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=306&item=4710997953&rd=1

[Uptown Audio]

I have quite a few cut-outs in my collection. They were Lps which were discontinued due to low sales and were then discounted. I like a variety of music and just because something is not popular does not mean that it is not good. The quality of the cut-out records is fine and while it does detract some from the value if you were to sell them, I don't collect Lps to sell them, but to listen to them and so don't pay a lot of attention to what is or is not cut-out.
-Bill