Sounds Cheap : Deeply discounted CDs and a vast selection of LPs draw thrifty buyers and discerning collectors to Record Surplus stores.

If the CD you were hoping for didn’t appear under your Christmas tree and your budget is blitzed, a trip to Record Surplus may fill the bill.

The inventory at any of the Record Surplus stores consists of new and used CDs and LPs from private collections, customer trades, manufacturers close-outs and overruns from various labels. Deeply discounted CDs and a vast selection of LPs draw bargain hunters and collectors from all over Southern California.

Co-owner Mike Colestock acknowledges that the scarcity of vinyl has contributed to their success. “If people can’t go to Tower, Music Plus or Wherehouse to buy a record, where do they go to get a fix?”

Apparently, they go to “the last record store,” as Record Surplus bills itself.

Titles include recordings that are obscure and collectible, with jazz, classical and vocal categories attracting the most avid fans. But every genre is to be found here, from soundtracks and R & B to rap and rock ‘n’ roll.

In the Sherman Oaks store, check out the area beneath the bins where everything is priced 99 cents. Some of the finds in this section were extraordinary. Capitol’s 1957 release of Frank Sinatra’s “A Swingin’ Affair”; a 1962 Cameo/Parkway album, “All The Hits by Dee Dee Sharp,” and a six-record set of Beethoven symphonies conducted by Karl Bohm were selling for 99 cents each.

Many current hits are offered in the new CD section. The soundtrack from “The Bodyguard,” with Whitney Houston, has been at the top of local record charts and lists for $15.99. Both Tower Records and the Wherehouse sell it for $11.99. The price at Record Surplus is $8.78. Garth Brooks’ country hit, “The Chase,” lists for $16.99. The Wherehouse offers it at $13.99 and Tower Records for $12.99. The price at Record Surplus is $8.78.

For the collector, the pickings are grand. The soundtrack of “Valley Girl” was never released to the public and for that reason, it is valued at $175 by “The Official Price Guide to Movie & TV Soundtracks and Original Cast Albums.” The price at Record Surplus is $75. A 15-record limited edition of Mahler’s 9th Symphony conducted by Leonard Bernstein is valued in “The Canfield Guide to Classical Recordings” at $150, but it was priced at $99. A seven-record boxed set of LPs by AC/DC, the hard-rock group from Australia, is considered rare because it was never released in the United States and is valued in “Goldmine’s Price Guide to Collectible Record Albums 1949-1989” at $100. The Record Surplus price is $59.99. No wonder audiophiles make regular visits to the Record Surplus stores.

For serious collectors or just lovers of music, it’s a great spot for browsing and for getting the most for the money.

WHERE TO SHOP

* Location: Record Surplus, 4620 Van Nuys Blvd., Sherman Oaks.

* Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays; 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays; 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sundays.

* Credit Cards: MasterCard and Visa.

* Call: (818) 501-1022.

* Other Locations: 11609 W. Pico Blvd., West Los Angeles, (310) 478-4217, and 8913 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood, (310) 659-9994. Hours are the same at all stores, and all accept MasterCard and Visa.