Book collecting has long been a popular hobby, and it continues to grow in popularity. In this video we are going to discuss dust jackets. Bob ten book collecting tips ive learned over the years. For the collector of modern first editions however defined, the dust jacket is a highly desirable if not essential component of the book for it to be deemed complete and collectible. Early books had dust covers, and they were exactly that, covers that protected the book from dirt or dust and they were really kind of plain.
Overall, a beautiful set, the books fine, the jackets and slipcases very good or better. Interestingly, however, there was a brief period in the 1940s when paperbacks were printed in dust jackets. King has been a publishing phenomenon almost since his career began in earnest with carrie, but many people discovered his early classics like that, salems lot more on that later and the shining through paperback editions. Open the book only as wide as necessary to comfortably read the book. A dust jacket guards against scratches, scuffs, jelly, and other distortions unworthy of a books perfection. On books twenty years old or older, the average increase in value added by the dustwrapper would be close to 400 percent, providing the dustwrapper. Greenwood check out the weekly recommendation thread. The dust jacket may be made of thinner or uncoated paper.
But a book with a restored dust jacket will fetch less than the same book with an unrestored jacket. Book covers provide additional impetus for academic. My goal is to scan and archive images of as many vintage dust jackets as i can. A brief history of the dust jacket book collecting guide. These dust jacketed paperbacks are highly prized by vintage paperback collectors. Paperback book club editions are often a little larger than the trade paperbacks. A book with its dust jacket present will always bring a premium. For modern first editions most of the 20th century, acquiring a book with its original dust jacket in fine or nearfine condition will mean the difference. If youve purchased a hardcover book, youre probably familiar with the dust jacket or, depending on which side of the pond you are, the. Used to describe where small pieces are missing or where fraying has occurred on a dust jacket or the edge of a paperback.
The modern age version of his second book, there pastures of heaven, is unusual because it sports a dust jacket. Trade copies of robert jordans wheel of time novels. Learn more about this oftenimportant detail as it applies to book collecting. Facsimile dust jackets llc is the sole funding for mark terrys dust jacket archive project. Book components identifying different parts of a book. Check the upper right corner or the bottom of the flap for a price. Carefully turn the pages, avoiding wrinkling or dimpling the paper when doing so. Book collecting basics a brief history of the dust jacket as most collectors are aware, a dust jacket in fine condition can greatly enhance the value of a book. Despite the fact that dust jackets often include useful information about a book and its author, including biographical notes and often a portrait, it has long been research libraries practice to remove the jackets from new books during processing for their permanent place in the stacks. Some collectors and dealers, in an effort to increase the value of a first edition that has lost its original. If the book is a hardcover and has a dust jacket then tick the relevant box.
The plastic and paper surrounding the dust jacket can do a great job of keeping the jacket from chipping. On recently published books, it is difficult to sell a first edition without a dustwrapper to a collector. The official price guide to collecting books, 6th edition. Book collecting world share the joy of collecting old books. Book club editions or bce this can sometimes look very similar to a true first edition but are not worth nearly as much. Typical tells are cheaper paper, flimsier dust jacket, no price on the dj, a smaller book than your typical hardcover. It seems that someone has taken a later printing book and placed a first printing dust jacket on it. Get cozy and expand your home library with a large online selection of books at. Book collecting leads to geeking out on a whole realm of esoteric knowledge about book publishing. They stick barcodes directly to the book, often on the spine, or even worse, the dust jacket. Another hybrid approach to collecting is to purchase the actual first edition, without a dust jacket which can save hundreds, if not thousands of dollars and purchase a separate, facsimile jacket to both preserve your book as well as to enhance its visual appeal on the shelf.
Book collecting, design, paperbacks on april 24, 2017 by jot 101. No matter what youre looking for or where you are in the world, our global marketplace of sellers can help you find unique and affordable options. That being said, depending on the book, even these editions can sometimes be sought after. It features blackandwhite photographs and includes an eightpage color insert of exceptional book covers. Early dust jackets pre20th century are incredibly unique and a major bonus to ones collection. The dust jacket of a book is the detachable outer cover, usually made of paper and printed with. Todays dust cover, or dust jacket, is a piece of art, glossy, attractive, and informative. A brief history of the dust jacket used books and rare.
If the book is falling apart and the binding is separating from the book pages, the book can be sent in for repairs and have the binding redone, when this is done the company making the repairs will put. The love of books is bibliophilia, and someone who loves to read, admire, and collect books is called a bibliophile book collecting can be easy and inexpensive. Ace paperbacks and many science fiction books were issued this way. Bear hudson publishing the bear facts 3 bear hudson authors. Dressed in our custom book jackets, your books can become a stunning centerpiece on your bookshelves, bringing eyecatching visual impact to. It wasnt a bestseller when it was released in 1925 with only. If you are unsure, you may to wish to search for books between two defined dates eg 1870 and 1880. Etsy is the home to thousands of handmade, vintage, and oneofakind products and gifts related to your search. Getting to know the dust jacket the flap the dust jacket, other than protecting the book block and looking pretty, also provides a number of clues about your particular book.
However, the first appearance of a book, which is strictly the first state of the first impression of the first edition i will explore these terms more in a following blog in the original publishers binding and dust jacket will often contain errors known in the book collecting world as points that are most commonly introduced by the. In japan, both hardcover and softcover books frequently come with two dust jackets a fullsized one, serving the same. Dust jacket art work is used to promote and sell the book. These have become very popular among book collectors and dealers, and have considerably boosted the value of certain rare books at auction. Book covers, dust jackets, and casewrap books the book. This outer cover has folded flaps that hold it to the front and back book covers. I also like the idea that a different area of book collecting vintage paperbacks can teach a new trick now and then. Front cover of dust jacket, illustrated by ben stahl. Dust jacket a paper cover protecting a book from dirt and wear, often with illustrations and information about the book and author, sometimes called a dust wrapper. Pfister and lentner mention a slipcase, but not the dust jackets. I feel these dust jackets are an important part of our culture.
Scott fitzgeralds the great gatsby with the original dust jacket is one of those rare books to track down. Some paperbacks are highly prized and collectible, particularly certain books which were only published in paperback format, or books from certain paperback. I always like to find books that are unique in some way or are somehow. However, that uk first edition comes in a red dust jacket and also in a green dust jacket, and noone seems to know which one was printed first.
As these books were never available for sale in conventional bookstores, there may be no price or barcode on the dust jacket, the back cover of the jacket may be blank, with no need for the usual sales copy. As a result, hardcover first editions of his first few novels are much more difficult to find and consequently very expensive depending on their condition. The first book component you see is the dust jacket, or the dust cover. However, another set, in identical dust jackets and slipcases, was sold at auction in 2014. They certainly are not the same old thing, which is why i like them. Ten book collecting tips ive learned over the years. The dust jacket, or dustwrapper, that covers a book is a valuable part of a first edition. Indicate whether the book is hardcover or softcover. The dust jacket meets every printing point of a first. Covering hardback books without dust jackets youtube. Often the back panel or flaps are printed with biographical information about the author, a summary of the book from the publisher known as a. As most collectors are aware, a dust jacket in fine condition can greatly enhance the value of a book.
A brief history of the dust jacket books tell you why, inc. If you own one of these rare books, youre sitting on a. There are various opinions about when the first dust jacket or dustwrapper, not to be confused with wrappers or wraps which are todays paperbacks appeared. The boards the book cover may be bound with thick paper instead of cloth. It has dust jacket in poor shape at the spine of the dj but still has great color and full front and back portions. Dust jacket dj a term synonymous with dust wrapper, indicating the usually decorative paper wrapper placed around a book to protect the binding. Indeed, for modern first editions, a book without the dust jacket will sell for only a fraction of the price. Collection of book jackets nypl digital collections. I have a few paperbacks of this classic so i dont need it, but its cool and im real tempted. Consider putting the dustjacket into a brodart or similar book jacket. Much could be written about elmer elliot saks, better known as f dubrez fawcett or as the main griff of many neartheknuckle paperbacks.
Paperback books, which entered the mainstream book trade in the 1930s, were slower to. These books are shorter, thinner and dont have a price on the dust jacket. Dust jackets only sets are perfect for adding personal flair to your favorite series. Dust jackets clearly dont actually protect a book from dust, and a quick. In many academic libraries, the dust jackets of clothbound books are discarded. Book collecting is the collecting of books, including seeking, locating, acquiring, organizing, cataloging, displaying, storing, and maintaining whatever books are of interest to a given collector. According to john carters abc for books collectors 1995 ed. Take care not to wrinkle or otherwise damage the dust jacket.
Kids books have such fun dust jackets that im trying to figure out a cute and easy way to display some of our favorites. It is our intent and purpose to foster and encourage indepth discussion about all things related to books, authors, genres or. The paper used for the pages is often thinner and of lesser quality than trade editions. The dust jacket makes the book look more puttogether and dressed in my mind my toddler immediately removes the dust jackets from her books and tries to with mine.
Untouched remains the standard, whether binding or jacket. The community of book collectors, as usual, had the final word. Subreddit rules message the mods related subs ama info the faq the wiki this is a moderated subreddit. However it appears that this may be a mismatched dust jacket to book. A guide to book conditions the hobbit first edition by j. Tolkien when considering the purchase of a book for your collection, the condition and, if applicable, the dust jacket are the most important factors affecting the value. The dust jacket sometimes book jacket, dust wrapper or dust cover of a book is the detachable outer cover, usually made of paper and printed with text and illustrations. In this regard it resembles a tonsil, absorbing abuse on behalf of a larger, more. The book construction blueprint continues with a discussion of the elements of the covers of casebound hardcover books, paper cover softcover. And paperbacks with dust jacketlike flaps are just a weird hybrid that. It is a beautiful copy, brighter then my camera caught here to the left. But booksellers selling paperbacks and hardbacks for.
At the shop we used 3 mil and 5 mil mylar to make a plastic dust jacket for special books. The american mercury edition of this title is pretty tame as is the readers library edition, but placed sidebyside and shown with other paperbacks, some with lurid covers, they make an interesting presentation. Book collecting basics a brief history of the dust jacket. In our last video we talked about the basics of book collecting. Finding books in their original dust jackets is a challenging and fascinating venture. Paperbacks may come out six months to a year later. This revised and updated edition of the official price guide to books has everything a book collector needs. Two separate books bound together so that each cover represents the cover for a different title. These dustjacketed paperbacks are highly prized by vintage paperback collectors. These barcodes are difficult to remove and removing them often damages the book or jacket.