Shoddy bindings: TW's new pet peeve

[Tarrasque Wrangler]

I've noticed that the bindings on RPG books lately seem to be getting crappier and crappier. It used to be that I needed to use a book at the table (where they seem to sustain the most abuse)fairly regularly before they got so much as dog-eared. I still own 1E AD&D books and old Rifts books that are still in excellent condition, despite years of heavy use. So why are my D20 books all falling apart? I actually play a lot less than I used to (or would like to), so most of my books are just paged through now and again for ideas. I store my books pretty sensibly, stacked horizontally in a cool, dry room. What gives? My copy of Midnight is about two months old and hasn't even seen a gaming table yet. But about 30 pages of book, the whole Magic section plus other pages, are falling out of the binding! This is just from paging through the book. Ditto for my copy of Armies of the Abyss, and a couple of other books I can't think of at the moment.

So I want to know why we can't get a better binding for our dollar. I don't own any other books, roleplaying or otherwise, that are falling apart to this degree. My Harry Potter books have been read many times by my whole family, shuttled back and forth amongst us, and those look brand new! They cost a lot less too. So what gives, are D20 publishers (including WOTC, their books fall apart too) just giving us the shaft on bindings to up their profit margins? Or am I just doing something wrong?

BTW, I would be willing to spend a few extra bucks to have a better binding on my books. The way I see it, these books are an investment I want to keep for a long time, and crappy bindings make for unplayable books.

 

[Rodrigo Istalindir]

I was in a 'normal' bookstore the other day killing time before a movie, and was surprised to see that they had several copies of the d20 Modern Urban Arcana. I picked one up to leaf through and noticed its binding was seperating. Not wanting to ruin it, I put it back and looked at the other copies. Three of the four copies had bindings that were already going bad.

Granted, they were in a bookstore and may have been pawed a bit, but this was not a store frequented by kids or gamers, so I doubt they'd been abused too much.

 

[Bendris Noulg]

Yeah, there seems to be a major problem with Midnight as well. Granted, FFG's being really cool working with their distributer to replace them, but what was hoped to be a single-batch issue seems to be effecting most of the first run.

Granted, mine is still intact, but I've only read it once with the intention of gleaming goodies from it later. I'd be hesitant about actually using it as a campaign manual until I knew a second (and more durable) print run was made.

 

[Andrew D. Gable]

Funny, I've never really had any binding problems, even with products I've heard others complain about. A wee bit of warp on a lot of WOTC stuff (Call of Cthulhu and Fiend Folio being the biggest offenders), and some nasty cracking sounds whenever I open anything by White Wolf (all the Scarred Lands and Ravenloft hardcovers - oddly I've noticed that my copy of Vampire and some supplements are in still in good shape, despite being the same company).

My PHB is in bad shape, but that was dropped many a time.

 

[Havilor]

I've noticed this trend as well. I've several hardcovers whose bindings have died swift deaths after regular reading. I think it has something to do with page density and methods of spine-binding, but I honestly couldn't say. I don't know about your copies of Harry Potter, but I suspect mine has a threaded backing to the spine, which does seem to give it a tad more life.

 

[Tarrasque Wrangler]

Yeah, there seems to be a major problem with Midnight as well. Granted, FFG's being really cool working with their distributer to replace them, but what was hoped to be a single-batch issue seems to be effecting most of the first run.

Any chance of FFG replacing books consumers already purchased? I really love the book, look forward to using it, push it on everyone I know, yadda yadda, but I'm afraid to touch it right now, let alone bring it to the table.

That's just one book though. I've got plenty more that no one's replacing. I mentioned Armies of the Abyss before. That book started falling apart while I was looking at it outside the FLGS! I brought it back in for a new one, but that one's since gone south as well.

My point is, for $30 and up, I at least expect a binding that doesn't fall to pieces on me. I don't think that's too much to ask.

 

[Bendris Noulg]

Any chance of FFG replacing books consumers already purchased? I really love the book, look forward to using it, push it on everyone I know, yadda yadda, but I'm afraid to touch it right now, let alone bring it to the table.

Yes. They are telling people (on the Midnight mail list) to return the book to the retailer, but have also supplied an address for those who's retailer won't exchange it; folks can email me for it if they want it...).

While I too promote the setting (although, by merit of my own setting, I don't play in it, it is one of the best I've seen available), I do suggest to those that don't have it to perhaps wait until the problem is resolved. It really is an excellent setting, but the hassles involved for those with bad copies is a bit much (one person on the list is on his third book, and it's falling apart already).

That's just one book though. I've got plenty more that no one's replacing. I mentioned Armies of the Abyss before. That book started falling apart while I was looking at it outside the FLGS! I brought it back in for a new one, but that one's since gone south as well.

Hmmm... Mine's holding up well, and mine's heavily used. Bummer for you.

My point is, for $30 and up, I at least expect a binding that doesn't fall to pieces on me. I don't think that's too much to ask.

Considering the number of $5 1E modules I still have in solid condition (faded, folded, burnt, stained, but otherwise still stapled together), I'd say that isn't asking a lot.

 

[Mark]

The bindings on all Creative Mountain Games PDFs are virtually indestructable...

 

[MerricB]

I can honestly say that I have destroyed a 1E DMG, but have yet to destroy any product of Creative Mountain Games. Go, Mark!



The binding of D&D books has been preying on my mind as well - what is the problem? Tome of Horrors fell apart the moment you saw it, some of the Wizards books are looking a little frail, and I also had problem with 2E books.

Unearthed Arcana was worse than Tome of Horrors.

How much does good binding cost, anyway?

Cheers!