Mini LP Sleeves -- What are they?

Sometimes when I'm browsing online, I see some CDs noted as having a "mini-LP sleeve". What is this exactly?

Unless I miss my guess, they are cds packaged in a replica of the original lp(shrunk down to the size of the cd). I have 2 Exodus cds packaged this way.I think they're kind of cheap though.If you don't like digipaks,you won't like these.They're just cardboard sleeves with the cd itself in a plastic sleeve.

I hate the Exodus ones since they are basically cardboard sleeves with the album art. Like 007 said, they are cheap and annoying. Along with being impossible to read.

There are others that have the actual gateway foldouts and are quite nice. Although in reality they are nothing more than glorified digipaks.

They seem to be common amongst Japanese reissues.

Sutekh wrote:

They seem to be common amongst Japanese reissues.

Yeah, I have a couple of mini LP Loudness reissues. They look really nice though.

I was asking because I want King Kobra's first album from CD Universe and that's what they list them as. I figured it was a recreation of the original LP but didn't think it would be cardboard sleeving. Oh well, I'll still pick'em up.

Thanks for the info!

I hate them.

I have that King Kobra. It's a cardboard sleeve with an inner jacket for the disc. The jacket has the lyrics but you'll need a magnifying glass to read them. The artwork on my sleeve has already started to scrape off. Wish I had put it in a slip cover. But a fantastic album well worth getting even with the lousy packaging.

Maiden did this about five or ten years back. I had two or three, but I spilled Coke on 'em and they got ruined. As Sutekh mentioned, a lot of Japanese reissues utilize this, but they go for exorbitant amounts of money (saw a couple of Tygers ones on ebay going for about 100 bucks a pop).

They're kind of neat, but I prefer the jewel cases, because they last a little longer, and they protect the CD a little better. Don't get me wrong, though, the original vinyl album artwork rules them all!

007 wrote:

Unless I miss my guess, they are cds packaged in a replica of the original lp(shrunk down to the size of the cd). I have 2 Exodus cds packaged this way.I think they're kind of cheap though.If you don't like digipaks,you won't like these.They're just cardboard sleeves with the cd itself in a plastic sleeve.

I've got these 2 as well. I find it amusing how they list the tracks as "Sides" 1 and 2. I've never tried turning the CD over