I'd like to use plastic covers to protect some FF, Adventure and Barney hardback books. Does anyone have any tips or recommendations for the covers/vendors, please?
I'm afraid I'm very cheap and 'cut-price'! I cut around the sealed edges of 'plastic pockets', open them out, and fold them top and bottom to fit over the dust wrappers. I'm sure many people would frown on this, but it does the job!
'Oh voice of Spring of Youth
hearts mad delight,
Sing on, sing on, and when the sun is gone
I'll warm me with your echoes
through the night.'
Red Tower wrote:I'd like to use plastic covers to protect some FF, Adventure and Barney hardback books. Does anyone have any tips or recommendations for the covers/vendors, please?
If you don't mind spending a bit, look up Myne-4-u on ebay. She's a lovely helpful lady, I bought a full set of Famous Five copy dust jackets which are excellent quality and come in a clear plastic cover which you simply fold around the book. I intend on getting ones for all my other series when I've saved up for them. Their from Australia so I paid around £16 for postage and they arrived in about a week.
Society Member
I'm just an old fashioned girl with an old fashioned mind
Not sophisticated, I'm the sweet and simple kind
I want an old fashioned house, with an old fashioned fence
And A̶n̶ ̶o̶l̶d̶ ̶f̶a̶s̶h̶i̶o̶n̶e̶d̶ ̶m̶i̶l̶l̶i̶o̶n̶a̶i̶r̶e̶
Robert Houghton wrote:I know there's someone on eBay who sells copy dust wrappers (with no book included!) for about £7.50 EACH!! Exorbitant, in my opinion!
Yes I know which one you mean, and I also think it's daylight robbery. For that price, or even less if your lucky, you could pick up an actual book on eBay with an original dust wrapper, which you could either keep as it is, or put it on your book and sell the other copy on.
Society Member
I'm just an old fashioned girl with an old fashioned mind
Not sophisticated, I'm the sweet and simple kind
I want an old fashioned house, with an old fashioned fence
And A̶n̶ ̶o̶l̶d̶ ̶f̶a̶s̶h̶i̶o̶n̶e̶d̶ ̶m̶i̶l̶l̶i̶o̶n̶a̶i̶r̶e̶
Local libraries may be able to help too with advice on how to cover a dust jacket — they do it all the time, of course, with their own collections. My dad has worked in libraries for years and often puts the plastic coverings on their dust jackets, so he knows the covering material they use and how it works (it comes as a sheet or roll of clear plastic with paper on the inside, so that the dust jacket goes in between the plastic and the paper and is protected on both sides). He's always happy to cover any of my books for me, which is a great help!
Society Member
It was a nuisance. An adventure was one thing - but an adventure without anything to eat was quite another thing. That wouldn't do at all. (The Valley of Adventure)
Not for selling on or anything, but how do you patch up books? My Treasury wrapper is a bit torn in places and I'd like to stop it going worse, the only thing is I don't know how to. I know not to use sellotape but that's about it. Is there a correct way to mend a wrapper or will carefully sticking it on a piece of white paper with glue/masking tape to strengthen it up do the job?
Hope this is ok to post here as I didn't know if it should be under the books section or not.
Society Member
I'm just an old fashioned girl with an old fashioned mind
Not sophisticated, I'm the sweet and simple kind
I want an old fashioned house, with an old fashioned fence
And A̶n̶ ̶o̶l̶d̶ ̶f̶a̶s̶h̶i̶o̶n̶e̶d̶ ̶m̶i̶l̶l̶i̶o̶n̶a̶i̶r̶e̶
As mentioned in another thread - and my technique met with various opinions, so maybe its not for everyone - but I always use a glue stick (like Pritt Stick etc) and some white paper. I cut the paper into small strips/pieces big enough to cover the tears or chips, and glue it in place. Using Pritt Stick type glue means it isn't too messy and doesn't damage the cover. In my view the cover can only be improved by doing this - though I know many don't agree.
The only problem is if you do decide to sell them in the future - although I've only ever had one complaint from one buyer because the wrapper was mended in this way - and his argument was that I should have used special tape - so he wasn't against them being mended, just the method!
Here is the mended dust wrapper I did for my copy of Enid Blyton's Treasury -
'Oh voice of Spring of Youth
hearts mad delight,
Sing on, sing on, and when the sun is gone
I'll warm me with your echoes
through the night.'
You can't even see any of it from the outside so I can't see why anyone would complain!
"It's the ash! It's falling!" yelled Julian, almost startling Dick out of his wits...
"Listen to its terrible groans and creaks!" yelled Julian, almost beside himself with impatience.
I agree - but one buyer didn't think much of it. His prerogative, of course, but I personally have bought books mended this way and it didn't bother me. Its far better than a wrapper that grows increasingly tatty!
'Oh voice of Spring of Youth
hearts mad delight,
Sing on, sing on, and when the sun is gone
I'll warm me with your echoes
through the night.'
How sad the buyer wasn't satisfied.
I personally would have given any seller greater credit for such a good repair - and it would have also saved me the job of trying to repair the cover myself.
Never mind Rob.I suspect the other 99.9% of your customers are very happy with the service you provide.
" A kind heart always brings its own reward," said Mrs. Lee.
- The Christmas Tree Aeroplane - Society Member
That looks excellent Rob and I would be more than happy with that cover. Just so long as the repairs can't be seen on the outside I'm happy. I guess some people are just real sticklers for authenticity.
"What a lot of trouble one avoids if one refuses to have anything to do with the common herd. To have no job, to devote ones life to literature, is the most wonderful thing in the world. - Cicero
