To case or not to case?

That is the never ending question. Certainly there are good arguments for both sides but how much do you really care for them. Would it bother you if Folio started issuing their books without a slipcase or is that part of the appeal of acquiring a Folio book? I'm sure this is one way to save cost given the fact that Folio is known for not sending replacement slipcases but the whole package entirely, which is a huge lost for them. Or why not just offer the customer a discount instead of sending a replacement. After all, if the book is not damaged then didn't the slipcase do it's intended purpose? And I would imagine stocking up on slipcases would be a nightmare given how much space it would take up.

A follow up question:

Even with as many tight slipcases as I've had, resulting in damage to the books, I still like them in general. If not for the overall look, then as dust protection.

They also set FS a bit apart, I think.

The only Folio I own without a slipcase is Down and out in Paris by Orwell. It sticks out like a sore thumb (and thus appropriately resides next to my SF cubs). I believe it'd feel very weird If I had to mingle slipcase with no slipcase books - there's too many category dimensions to worry about as it is!

On a relevant note, were there ever any FS books, other than the collectables series, published without a slipcase? I remember seeing at least one from the very first years with dustjacket but know of no exceptions other than that.

I think currently the 2 poetry books (dickinson and Wordsworth) and a kestrel for a knave are dust jackets. Please correct me if that is inaccurate.

>4 bacchus.: A Kestrel For A Knave, Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde and Slightly Foxed But Still Desirable were all published without a slipcase, as was the 2015 version of Thank You, Jeeves

>4 bacchus.:

Folios were routinely issued in dustjackets, no slipcase, from 1947 until about ten years later when, over a couple or so years, they changed over to slipcases. Whilst I am an ardent fan of slipcases I readily admit the early dj versions have a certain charm.

>4 bacchus.:
A few years ago a translucent plastic wrapper was used for Kes and a few poetry volumes.
FWIW early slipcases were so shoddy that they gave little protection. Dustjackets have generally frayed a little at the edges but have prevented light damage.

None of the Folio Fine Press editions from 1987 to 1992 had slipcases but instead came with a transparent plastic dust jacket.

I don't use my slipcases but I also don't like the idea of just tossing them away when they're perfectly fine unlike some more extreme slipcase detractors. I honestly wouldn't cared if Folio stopped issuing them especially since 95% of them are just plain anyway. Very few are decorated with visually pleasing designs and even fewer actually help enhance the book's overall aesthetic via cut-outs or some other design element on the slipcase ie Rama, Day of the Jackal and We come to mind.

I agree that part of the reason to want them is that shelving with slipcase then no slipcase looks really weird. Plus I have them sent to Canada and frequently receive damaged books, so can imagine that removing all slipcases would result in much more damage, especially for bigger books. I also generally really like them for things like rearranging books and having extra support. Also, one time I was carrying a slipcase book downstairs with my toddler in my arms only to realize she was chewing on the book, thankfully only got into the slipcase ! Slipcases provide protection for all sorts of life events!

I am neither here nor there with the plain slip cases. If plain slipcases were eliminated (as an option maybe?) in favor of a price reduction there might be times where I’d take that option. if it is a beautiful decorated slipcase or has interesting comments as >10 wongie: says then I like to have them.

Édit: *cut outs not comments

On a different note, this is the first time I recall seeing a poll built into a thread here. Is that a new option?

>13 adriano77: Nope - just not one that people often use in this group (or on the site as a whole - not easy to find info about it if you do not know it exists as a possibility) :)

Oh wow, thank you. I need to do my homework :) Might be the case that a poll on whether one minds dust jackets over slipcases won't be as one-sided.

The only Folio book I wish had a less tight slipcase is The Once and Future King, one of my favourite volumes from them. It has already rubbed off some of the paint of the cloth binding. On the other hand, the only slipcase I consider awful is The Red House Mystery one.

I generally consider slipcases to be a plus and a distinction mark for them, but sometimes they make them so tight! I have to shake the books just to release a bit so I can pull them out. Worst offenders: The Tiger in the Smoke and The Princess Bride.

>15 bacchus.: One might ask, does one take off the dust jacket when perusing through a book? And would one request a replacement of said dust jacket if were it to be delivered damaged/torn! Ah the conundrum we devotees place our selves in.

I always use the case. When buying secondhand, if it doesn't come with a case, I usually won't purchase it.

>17 JuliusC:
It's one of the ironies of collecting older trade books that perhaps the chief determinant of value is the state of the dustjacket, when the damn thing's purpose is supposed to be protection of the binding.

As came up recently in a different thread, I'm usually happy enough to buy un-slipcased books secondhand if the price drop justifies it. That said, of 59 titles I own, only 2 are without. Folio actually selling their books 'bare' would be another matter for me though - a slipcased book just has a certain cachet to it in my mind. Although I do wish they'd lavish a little more love on them rather than just plain cardboard (mostly). They wouldn't need to go barmy with wraparound pictures or anything. Just something like they did with SPQR (repeating the wreath emblem on the cover), Prince in Splendour / She-Wolves (text) or History Of God (a light spattering of gilt, suggesting a starry sky) really sets things off for - I'd suppose - little enough extra work.

>20 Retronaut78: I'd settle for just printing the title on the spine of the case so the book spine doesn't have to be exposed. Give us the choice, please!

I've purchased Folio volumes with glassine covers that are so worn I have discarded. I would purchase a Folio volume without a slipcase if I was very interested in the book. I wouldn't purchase a back catalogue volume I liked if the slipcase was very, very damaged.

So I have a complicated relationship wrt slipcases.

Would I buy Folio at current prices without slipcases?

Hmm, I'm not sure I wouldn't, finally, defect to Slightly Foxed.

I like slipcases - and I am used to them these days from Folio (I am not sure I realized there are slipcases on all books and not just on multi-book publications until I got my first books way back when). But if they stop using them, I will still be buying Folio books when I like what they are publishing and the details of the physical book.

The chance of receiving a damaged slipcase from the FS in the US is above 50%. The chance of the book being damaged as well is only around 5%. Without slipcases the percentage of actual books being damaged when sent to the US will sky rocket.

>24 kdweber: Maybe certain parts of US (which will point to localized issues with USPS - which won't surprise me much...). I've had probably 3 minors bumps on slipcase corners in 10 years (neither of them serious enough for me to care about) out of hundreds of deliveries in Phoenix. The external boxes sometimes looked like they spent some time in the trenches of the Somme but the content was unharmed.

Or I am just extremely lucky... :)

Plus... if our group is an indication, most people will ask for a replacement even when the only problem is a slipcase so not having them won't change much...

The yearly Presentation volumes that came free when you ordered four did not always have slipcases.

The one or perhaps 2 scuffed up slipcase I received leads me to believe it might have originated from the warehouse and not the postman as there was no damage to the box and it was well bubbled wrapped.

>25 AnnieMod:

Probably in the minority here but I've only had two different titles with slipcase bumps in the last four years. I had Descartes' Meditations come with a slightly rounded corner and ignored it and Rand's Atlas Shrugged come with two pretty banged corners, though I requested a replacement for that one because two volumes had bashed/crumped spines. Funnily enough, I ended up getting three replacements in all for it, and each subsequently had split/popped up signatures in volume three. That was quite a disaster.

I really like the slipcases, and the protection they provide. It's best when they look nice, too, of course, so more in that regard would be very welcome. And I'd really welcome the title and author on the back so books could be stored that way to protect them better from light.

In my 30+ years of buying Folio books (in the U.S.), I think I have had only one slipcase damaged enough to complain about. Most come in perfect condition, and a few have such minor issues that I don't bother asking for a replacement. The slipcase serves the purpose of keeping any scrapes or dents away from the book itself, so I consider tiny bumps to be evidence of them fulfilling their duty.

I'm definitely in the camp that believes it's not really a Folio book without a slipcase. In addition to the protection from dings, I think the slipcases help the books stand straight on the shelf without the need to be supported by bookends (which eat up valuable shelf space) and thereby avoid sagging.

>24 kdweber: "The chance of receiving a damaged slipcase from the FS in the US is above 50%"

I think we should hold Folio to a higher standard when it comes to packing products effectively. This is their job as a company with a business model involving direct sales. If they actually have a 50% damage rate to a major market such as North America, that is completely unacceptable, and the buck stops with the company providing the product or service, not with channel partners, shipping agents, or any other contractors.

I don't understand a sentiment that attributes such outcomes to the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune. Folio should pack their books more securely.

(Just to clarify, since this is the Internet, this isn't a criticism of the fine kdweber in any way, or assumption of any particular stance regarding shipping responsibility.)

Edit to add: I’m in North America, and I’ve never received a book from Folio with any damage to the book or slipcase. Just one customer data point though.

>30 coynedj: Exactly. I get a bit bemused when people are really precious about the slipcases, unless they're designed ones...a knock, scrape or two is fine for me.

I like slipcases overall. Although I also like dustjackets, but I do protect dustjackets with Mylar sleeves so they don't rip and start to look scruffy. Although a slightly scruffy slipcase doesn't worry me too much.

Contrary to this, I throw away the Everyman dustjackets - they are so plain compared to the beautiful colours of the book, and this detracts from their appearance on the shelf, as the spines are covered, unlike with slipcases.

>33 Jeremy53:

Everyman jackets vary though. Plenty of them have very nice art.

To clarify, I don't complain to the FS or ask for replacements due to the many minor dings on the slipcases but they do bother me. I buy lots of books from the UK and everybody else packs their books really well so they don't have any shipping damage. For the books above $100 and particularly for the LEs, I do want pristine books and slipcases. This is not too much to ask. Until recently I never had a shipping problem with their LEs but they've definitely started skimping on the packaging and it shows.

I own over 500 FS books of which around 80 are LEs. Almost all of these books were bought directly from the Folio Society. Two observations: The books are getting more expensive. More books are arriving with some shipping damage. It's one thing to ignore small slipcase dings on a $30 book and another to receive a crushed corner on an $800 LE because they've decided to skimp on their packaging.

Back to slipcases, they protect during shipment. They also keep dust off of the book. If they would put a title on the spine then I would shelve my FS books ugly side out to protect them from light. OTOH slipcases are generally ugly and take up a bunch of shelf space. My library would be a lot prettier without slipcases. On balance, slipcases win even if one discards them upon arrival.

I have found that I can fit a few more books on the shelf if none of the books have slipcases. So now they’re all gone. Shelf space is nearly full, and something had to give!

My complaint about my recent Marco Polo Travels book's slipcase, aside from being a little tight, was that the open end was straight rather than being slightly curved -as all the Folios on my shelves, based on a quick look. This makes it difficult to remove the book.