Shrinkwrapping and your FLGS

[Numion]

When I point it out to them -sometimes I get: what, that's how you hold a book. (and I just think "no wonder you don't have a girl/boyfriend" )

And I try to avoid letting anyone read any of my books until I've watched them or found they have a geek hobby like me, such as comics, that's taught them better.

Anyhoo, any damage the book might've sustained in the store is pretty minor to the damages the book will show after 3 years of weekly gaming.

 

[Kichwas]

Life's too short to worry about wear and tear on books.

I don't like having to replace damaged goods, and I make a habbit of keeping everything I own in top shape.

My money's worth enough to me to not waste it on damaged goods.

As for people reading my books, you don't respect my property - you don't respect me. I don't need to waste my time with people not respecting me.


Numion: There's a smiley in those posts you're rolling eyes at for a reason.

 

[Sixchan]

I don't like having to replace damaged goods, and I make a habbit of keeping everything I own in top shape.

My money's worth enough to me to not waste it on damaged goods.

As for people reading my books, you don't respect my property - you don't respect me. I don't need to waste my time with people not respecting me.


Numion: There's a smiley in those posts you're rolling eyes at for a reason.

I'm *very* careful with all my books. By the time I'm finished reading something, usually the only indication you get is a tiny bend in the back page. Some of my friends have come close to being injured by returning books with corner folds, or in one case... *shudder*...a coffee stain.

My mother once asked me to write a message to them on the inside cover of a Mother's Day gift. I found this really confusing. Why would you write on a book? And on purpose?

*sigh* From all this I've learned that you should always borrow a book from someone before you let them borrow your books.

P.S. Of course, when I get a Library book, it's usually in such bad condition anyway that I don't mind mutilating it with corner folds, pressing the pages flat, writing indentations and coffee stains.

 

[Flexor the Mighty!]

I think if they just bound books with any care and effort poeple wouldn't have to treat thier books like a carton of eggs.

*flips through perfectly bound copy of 1e PHB...first printing!"

This book(and it's companions DMG, MM) is from the late 70's and it's been through 1000x the abuse as my 3e, GURPS 3rd, & SWD20 books and it's in much better shape. Hell I just bought the SW Hero's Guide and it's already seperating from the covers. Pathetic.

I dislike hardcovers for this reason, they put the shiny hardcover on it to make it seem like it's quality work but then when it falls apart in a few months it's becuase it was "handled wrong" and not becuase it was bound like crap. Even the much maligned Palladium does much better work putting a book together that will last than do companies like White Wolf and Wizards. But those WOTC books are so shiny and se...no I can't use that term for a book.

 

[Werther von G]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Shrinkwrapping and your FLGS

On another front, have you ever bought a copy of "Monopoly" or "Candyland" or "Axis and Allies" or any other board game? Was it ever not shrinkwrapped? If you bought that sort of game shrinkwrapped, why is it so different when you buy a game at your FLGS?

Because the manufacturers of boxed games, knowing in advance that the product will be shrinkwrapped, do their best to give a complete description of the contents, along with pictures of the included parts and a summary of the mechanics. I don't need to see what's inside the Monopoly box -- they show me.

RPG designers don't do that.

 

[Creeping Death]

Dragon's Keep in Provo UT

They shrink wrap all the rgp stuff and then charge 50 cents to open it. The 50 cent charge is waived if you buy the product. Oh, that is 50 cents per product opened.

 

[Kichwas]

I'm *very* careful with all my books. By the time I'm finished reading something, usually the only indication you get is a tiny bend in the back page.

I'm always getting asked why I never read any of my books... You won't even find that bend in the back page with me.

I treat anything I own with care, from my books to my cichlids, to my paints, and on down to my espresso machine.

P.S. Of course, when I get a Library book, it's usually in such bad condition anyway that I don't mind mutilating it with corner folds, pressing the pages flat, writing indentations and coffee stains.

See I tend to unfold those corner folds, press the bends out, and erase any writing I find if possible...

I view books with a certain respect.

That's why I won't put down my hard won money for something somebody else has damaged, and once I have what I want, I won't let it get damaged.

I've found the binding on RPG books is usually some of the better binding out there, but the people who use them are usually among society's less bodily-coordinated. They tend to have two left feet and are all thumbs...

 

[Sixchan]

I'm always getting asked why I never read any of my books... You won't even find that bend in the back page with me.

I treat anything I own with care, from my books to my cichlids, to my paints, and on down to my espresso machine.

Usually I try my best to straighten out the edge, but it's what comes with not folding the corners and having too few bookmarks (I'll usually put a book face down on a page at some point during it's life).

 

[Gallo22]

Oh brother! If I worried about every little ding, wrinkle or tearI might make when using a book, I'd never get a chance to play the game. Books are tools and I take care of mine but I don't go to extemes of preventing normal wear and tear. If I find, lets say, the Fiend Folio 3ed at Origins for 1/2 price because it had some cut marks in the cover, I'm buying it. (which btw happened this past Origins). I could care less about the general condition for a savings like that which let me buy another book.

Gallo22

 

[Flexor the Mighty!]

Why don't most RPG book binders use the old TSR technique of stapling the pile of pages together then putting then into the cover? I believe that's how they did thier first edition books until they were a few print runs in. Those books are indestructable. The pages have never seperated from each other and the only thing that you have to worry about is the pack of pages coming away from the cover, and that didn't seem to happen after years of use with those early books. Of course corner wear and cover damage is still an issue, but as long as the book is still together I'm fine.