1jsilver2
The downside to the pretty spines and covers put out by FS is that they will look like crap when they start to wear out. Some of their books (eg. the Thomas Hardy and others in similar style) you can scarcely find any that are not worn so they seem to wear very easily.
Does this bother you, and how do you protect against it? Never actually touch or read your books? Mylar covers?
Does this bother you, and how do you protect against it? Never actually touch or read your books? Mylar covers?
2abysswalker
>1 jsilver2: I read all my books, many of them multiple times, and most remain in fine condition. The major culprits are sun and moisture, so I keep most of my books shelved in cabinets and keep an eye on humidity.
Many of the more recent Folio designs seem more durable than some of the older ones (such as the Hardy volumes you mentioned), but only time will tell.
I generally avoid those bound in full paper due to the likely wear to hinges and corners, but even those are likely to be fine if you are careful, and I have a few.
I do put Brodart covers on any dust jackets, but that's not often a factor for the Folio Society or fine press books that I usually buy. It is a good idea to create Mylar jackets for books without dust jackets, particularly those with multiple volumes in one slip case, to prevent covers abrading each other, but honestly I haven't yet gotten into the habit and will probably only bother for more handcrafted fine press volumes.
Generally, the only books that I find to accumulate wear in my collection are the ones which use quirky or unsuitable materials. For example, real silk and some other dyes will fade quickly. Some papers are oil magnets and accumulate fingerprints easily, even if you are careful. Cheap metallic foil or stamping will not wear well. Generally I consider use of such materials and techniques to be design flaws, and in the rare case that a book using them enters my collection I generally mildly regret it, but I've mostly learned what tends to be an issue and avoid it.
I can't actually think of any of my Folio Society books that have accumulated noticeable wear from reading, though there have been 1 or 2 probably.
Many of the more recent Folio designs seem more durable than some of the older ones (such as the Hardy volumes you mentioned), but only time will tell.
I generally avoid those bound in full paper due to the likely wear to hinges and corners, but even those are likely to be fine if you are careful, and I have a few.
I do put Brodart covers on any dust jackets, but that's not often a factor for the Folio Society or fine press books that I usually buy. It is a good idea to create Mylar jackets for books without dust jackets, particularly those with multiple volumes in one slip case, to prevent covers abrading each other, but honestly I haven't yet gotten into the habit and will probably only bother for more handcrafted fine press volumes.
Generally, the only books that I find to accumulate wear in my collection are the ones which use quirky or unsuitable materials. For example, real silk and some other dyes will fade quickly. Some papers are oil magnets and accumulate fingerprints easily, even if you are careful. Cheap metallic foil or stamping will not wear well. Generally I consider use of such materials and techniques to be design flaws, and in the rare case that a book using them enters my collection I generally mildly regret it, but I've mostly learned what tends to be an issue and avoid it.
I can't actually think of any of my Folio Society books that have accumulated noticeable wear from reading, though there have been 1 or 2 probably.
3HonorWulf
I read my Folios as well and generally don't have many issues. Foil is probably the biggest culprit - sometimes the heat from your hands can cause it to fade, so try not to rest the foil on the spine directly on your hand. Paper bindings are the other major issue - they mark pretty easily and I tend to avoid them unless it's for a book I really, really want. But I have Folio's dating back to the 1980's that look close to new, and most show very little sign of wear.
4DanielOC
After ruining too many spines (mainly smudging the lettering) while reading FS books, I now use a leather book cover and there’s never any damage.
5wcarter
>1 jsilver2:
I have over 1000 FS books dating back to their earliest years and all have been read. All have held up much better than trade books of a similar age and none could be described as crap.
I have over 1000 FS books dating back to their earliest years and all have been read. All have held up much better than trade books of a similar age and none could be described as crap.
6JanPospisilCZ
>4 DanielOC: I'm curious - do you have multiple sizes, or is it a kind of fit-all design?
7cwl
There are a few titles that are notorious for wear (nearly all of the gold-blocked spines, eg the Eliot series and the Medici) and definitely avoid paper covers. Those editions recently released in paper will not age well. Less decorated full cloth and buckram (treated cloth used for research library bindings for a reason) wear well.
8DanielOC
>6 JanPospisilCZ: I have multiple covers of different sizes to fit the smallest to largest books, bought in Morocco where they’re sold for use with the Quran.
As seen here: https://www.etsy.com/listing/1200978446/moroccan-leather-book-cover-large?ref=sh...
As seen here: https://www.etsy.com/listing/1200978446/moroccan-leather-book-cover-large?ref=sh...
9jsilver2
What got me thinking about this (again) was seeing this worn spine: https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/I~MAAOSwT9dmgvoC/s-l1200.jpg
This book has such a neat cover design, it's sad to see it looking that way after 20 years. It almost makes you wonder if these covers are a gimmick and really a negative thing and we'd be better off with plain covers that will look the same for 200 years with no fear of wearing out.
I think I'll be trying a mylar cover on my copy of this book, as well as others that are likely to be handled frequently (as they are a collection of stories to dip in and out of, rather than a single novel).
>4 DanielOC: Very interesting!
This book has such a neat cover design, it's sad to see it looking that way after 20 years. It almost makes you wonder if these covers are a gimmick and really a negative thing and we'd be better off with plain covers that will look the same for 200 years with no fear of wearing out.
I think I'll be trying a mylar cover on my copy of this book, as well as others that are likely to be handled frequently (as they are a collection of stories to dip in and out of, rather than a single novel).
>4 DanielOC: Very interesting!
10boldface
>9 jsilver2:
Re the Tales from Shakespeare, the lettering and design on my copy are still pristine, but the background green has faded a bit.
Re the Tales from Shakespeare, the lettering and design on my copy are still pristine, but the background green has faded a bit.
