Welcome to the definitive English language resource for all things related to Mini LP Replica CDs.

The crème de la crème of mini paper sleeve LP replicas, and by far the largest selection in this site is the Japanese Mini LP CD.

Since mid 2007, our small team of dedicated enthusiast volunteers have uploaded near complete scans of more than 3,500 cardboard sleeve releases including over 400 official Japanese boxes and box sets. We have identified at least 13,000 Japanese Mini LP releases which we've recorded in our database and plan to build on this as new and old releases come to light.

Be sure to read our section on watching out for fakes. If you want to avoid fakes you can do no better than buy from one our known and trusted eBay sellers using our custom search.

A mini LP is a CD version of something that was originally released as a 12" (12 inch) vinyl LP.

In many cases the packaging is superior to, or at least more elaborate than the majority of vinyl releases. The reason being that many follow-up vinyl releases were inferior to the first vinyl release (or at least lacked some of the extras found in the first release - such as postcards, posters, lyric sheets etc).

They are often referred to as "cardboard sleeves" and "paper sleeves" being made exclusively from paper or cardboard (other than the CD of course).  Other names and abbreviations include: "jpn lp sleeve cd" and "kami-jacket". (The last of these I guess is an indication that they are held in high esteem by many who collect them.)

The term "promo box" is used generically to describe custom made boxes that are used to store Japanese mini LPs.

Disk Union

The majority of these boxes are created by a Japanese company "Disk Union" and they are truly promotional. They are "given away" as an incentive to people who purchase the entire set of a particular release. Each release is usually for one artist and also is usually on or around a specific date.

For example, Toshiba may release 10 mini LPs for a single artist over a period of a month or so (if not all on the same day). Disk Union purchase a set number of these and hold them in stock until the last is released. Meanwhile Disk Union create a special box using artwork usually based on, or directly derived from, one of the artist's releases.

The best way to spot a fake is to have an original and a fake side by side and compare them ... but of course we don't usually have this luxury and it's often too late before we realise.

The safest way to avoid buying a fake is to know what to look for.

The easiest way to avoid buying a fake (new and out of print) is to buy from one the numerous minilps.net verfied sellers on eBay. Our "Fake-free eBay shop" lists only releases from the major sellers that our community has checked out and confirmed as being legitimate releases. They are located in Japan, North America (USA and Canada), Western Europe (UK and Germany), Australia, China and Korea. Many of them stock current releases and ship locally for cheaper than Japanese rates.

Some recent significant fakes are the following boxes:

1. Led Zeppelin 40th Anniversary Box
2. Pink Floyd Oh By The Way Box
3. Beatles in Mono

Obi has a couple of meanings.

On this site it IS NOT an article of Japanese clothing (a sash or belt for securing and decorating a kimono).

On this site it is the small piece of paper included with a CD or LP usually wrapped around the left hand spine of the item. (See also promo obi.)

An obi strip is, for all intents and purposes, a disposable item.  It provides information to the seller and to the buyer (mostly in Japanese) about the item being sold. Once the item has been sold to the consumer it is basically useless (it has served its purpose).

Although not strictly ephemera (disposable paper items such as postage stamps and cigarette and bubble gum cards), obis are collectable items in their own right.

To non-Japanese reading buyers, the dates on the obi provide an indication of when the item was made or became available.

Japanese and most other mini LP replicas are usually 13.5cm by 13.5cm (5 3/8 inches square). They are slightly taller than (but about the same depth as) standard "jewel case" releases (which are not square).

The thickness depends on the type of cover.  A single sleeve cover (one that does not open out) is quite thin (about 2-3mm thin). Gatefolds are more than double this on the spine (about 6-7mm or thicker).  Some covers are thicker still as they have a large number of inserts or are tri-fold (or more - such as "Yes - Yessongs" which is 1.3cm thick at the spine).

Some non-Japanese replicas are larger in all dimensions (such as "Neil Young - Harvest").

There are also some Japanese replicas that are larger such as "Curved Air - Ariconditioning").