How is everyone insuring no damage comes to their books? I know the most simple is to keep it in the slip case and stand guard with a gun...that could be extreme. I have the worst luck, I had just bought my Dragon Age set 2 game and I put the players guild into my side bag, no knowing that the cover had folded up on something small and it was creased in half. I about died. Yeah I'm a weirdo about my books. I love these books they are beautiful they fill like an official part of my Tolkien collection, the borders in the layout design, the artwork, the story and the game itself all fill like Tolkien himself and not someone trying to be him...I don't make sense I guess, but I haven't been this excited about a game since Vampire and that game changed what gaming was, so telling stories is now something my group does, not hack and slash...ok I'm rambling.

I use adhesive clear contact 'paper'. It is sold I think mainly to line the bottom of cupboards. Essentially it is clear plastic that has an adhesive layer and is covered with a paper backing. I use it to cover all my perfect bound softcover books (back in the day my collection of Palladium game books used quite a lot of the stuff). In addition to preventing staining and protecting somewhat against liquids it also 'stiffens' the covers adding some resistance to fold/crease chances. Please note that there is a definite technique to applying the stuff and it involves measuring and cutting and folding it to fit your book, all info that is very difficult to convey in a forum post.

Here is a link to the product I use, though you may find similar stuff from other places/manufacturers.

Hope this helps,
Luke

I do the same for all my softcover RPGs too. There is a skill to it to avoid bubbles etc but after hundreds of books I have an almost 100% success rate.

I inherited this from my older sibs that covered their softcover college books with the stuff. Here I thought I was the only one doing it. I have some "The Art of" Star Wars softcover books that I purchased almost 20 years ago and they look as good as the day they left Waldenbooks. Haven't covered my TOR books yet with the stuff, but I'm wondering how they will fit back into the slipcase. I'm worried that they will be too bulgy, with the added thickness of the plastic, especially with the maps included.

Yeah. I haven't done TOR for the same reasons. The added width may make it more than a tight fit, and the maps would likely need to be removed. The other 100+ softcover books in my collection are all cover though.

Thanks for the suggestions I was thinking the same too, but I wasn't sure about the bubbles.

If you do get bubbles, a razor blade can be used to make a nearly invisible slit to release the air.

I try to just be gentle with them as much as possible....
But we all know that when we game this is quite impossible. One trick that I've done over the years, is to photo copy the most important pages...make like a goto flip book and use the book for the tough stuff.

Using a pin to prick bubbles also works well.

Which is much easier to do in the age of PDFs

This is definitely a good topic as my Players Guide is already starting to come apart.

The inside bindings in certain areas are starting to separate from other pages and from the spine itself. So depressing. :-(



I'll look into the cover protection ideas suggested here though - at least I have a change to preserve the cover's integrity and artwork.


Robert

I have a friend here in Omaha who is a book binder. He restores family Bibles, binds collections of comic books (hey, the customer is always right), and does wonderful work with everything. If any of you are so inclined, I'll pm his info to you, and he can take care of you.

Yours in fellowship,
Stephen "Trotter"

I'm a little maniac over my books,
I think I've opened them joust a couple of times, for smell the pages (no, I'm not joking...), for everything else I use the PDF, very very very handy!

I too attempt to keep my books in pristine condition. I have often purchased two books, one to use at the game table and share and another for myself. Of course with the expense of books this is often not an option any longer.

OK, so we're all fessing-up about our OCD habits concerning Tolkien & TOR, I also hesitate even drawing these out of the box - AND - I also love smelling the pp. Yeah, we all need professional help ...

I use clear PVC Book Sleeves and find them somewhat superior to adhesive plastic because of the following reasons:

1. They are replaceable and once they start to look worn you just slip the book into a new one.

2. They don't ruin the second hand value of the book as much.

3. If you get the sturdier ones they can actually take more punishment than the adhesives as well.

/wolf

These are some solid suggestions - I'm going to try the Contact Paper & the PVC Book Sleaves & see which I prefer in order to preserve my copies of TOR.

I've been using Contact Paper for 30+ years. I am VERY intrigued by these PVC Book Sleeves. I've done a bit of research on them, but have a few questions.

GhostWolf69, where do you get your PVC Book Sleeves? How much do they cost you? What thickness do you use/recommend? Is there much overhang on the edges? How tight do they fit?