Isnt it soemthing to do with promo items?? can`t sell for full value if a punch hole exists ??

anthonynputson, July 14, 2006; 12:24 PM

I always understood it like this; certain retail laws prevent you to sell a new product under a
certain price, unless the goods are damaged. In order to dump a stock of new CD's at very low
prices you need to 'damage' them. And that's what they do deliberately. I think this happens
mostly in the USA, but I also own a CD 'La fille de d'Artagnan' (by Sarde) made in Austria that
was treated in this disrespectful manner. In the old days they would clip corners from LP-covers
or also saw the cover. If I'm wrong here please correct me, but this explanation was given to
me in the old LP-days.

chris, July 14, 2006; 12:51 PM

This 'mutulation' of items with sawcuts, cutouts, punch or drill holes as far as I know only exists mainly with U.S. items.
Like email pointed out, it is done to supposedly devalue items which are used for promotional purposes and are not meant to be resold.

Personally I think it is ridiculous and idiotic since most of these items indeed are resold (e.g. eBay) and sometimes at full value and even more.

I hate it!

serifiot, July 14, 2006; 1:24 PM

So called 'overstock' and 'clearance' items can still be purchased by someone in bulk to have them resold in the future and make a profit from them.

Anyway, I think the whole thing of mutulating merchandise for whatever reason is absurd!

serifiot, July 14, 2006; 2:29 PM

Promo CD's have punched out bar codes.

I used to scrounge around the cut out bins way back when. Indeed some covers of LP's were often nearly destroyed with corners snipped off. Sometimes to a degree bordering on the absurd.

Discount 5 and dime stored would advertise in newspapers when a big shipment of recordings came in selling for 99 cents, three for a dollar and sometimes 10 for a dollar.

I remember one year when my father bought about ten sealed copies of Rosemary's Baby on Dot records for 10 cents each and handed everyone an unwrapped copy on Christmas eve.

That music scared the hell out me when I was a kid!



victoravalentine, July 14, 2006; 5:32 PM

Oh yes they do. Promotional copies often have punched out bar codes. Sometimes they stamp the cover stating promotional use only/not for resale.

At least that's the way it is in my part of the world.

PS; What does wwk stand for?

victoravalentine, July 14, 2006; 9:01 PM

Sorry coma, but you are wrong. I have received some promo CDs direct from the publisher, personally sent by the person who produced the CDs, and they have punch holes through the bar code to denote that they were given away, not sold.

I'm not sure, but in a limited edition, say 3000, it might be that there are exactly 3000 made to be sold, and a small number beyond 3000 to be given away, usually to reviewers, to promote sales. That would depend on specific licensing terms.

Indeed, the term for the sawcuts, barcode cuts, etc. is "cutout", as someone explained above, and it goes back to LP days when sawcuts, hole punches or corner cuts were made to denote that the item was sold at a big discount from retail, so people couldn't try to return them to a store and try to get a refund of full retail price.

betenoir, July 15, 2006; 8:47 AM

That's right, Coma is quite mistaken indeed. As for my coming across a fraudulent item... highly unlikely.

Picked up a copy of "Last Of The Dogmen" CD only yesterday for 49 cents (US currency) in a discount bin. It has a promotional use only stamp on the insert.

Punched out barcodes designates promotional items for in store play or radio station copies.

I think perhaps Coma may be experiencing a bad menstrual cycle this month. He seems to be easily agitated lately.

victoravalentine, July 16, 2006; 12:32 AM

Perhaps David was thinking of the 'For Your Consideration' promo cd's which are given to the Oscar Academy and other limited promotional soundtrack releases thoughout, like "The Core" by Christopher Young or "Young Sherlock Holmes" by Bruce Broughton and a myriad more I can't think of at the moment which have no promo markings on them.

Anyway, is it that important?...

Personally once more though, I hate the marking of items for promotional reasons or whatever it is used for in which overall I try to avoid purchasing... if possible.

serifiot, July 16, 2006; 1:58 AM

All 4 promo cd's I own don't have a bar code at all on the back cover.

philkws, July 16, 2006; 3:27 PM

Well everyone, I don't care about punches or cuts. The thing I make a big deal over is the cd itself. No, scratches, and only minor marks if I just have to have it. The cd condition is the only issue w/me.

dspin24358, August 9, 2006; 9:03 PM