Book Jacket Covering Services
Send your book jackets to us and we'll cover them in clear acetate covers for only $2 per jacket!
Nearly 70% of a collectible modern first edition is in the condition of the dust jacket. The best way to protect your jackets is by putting them in protective acetate covers. As a service to our customers we will professionally cover your book jackets for only $2 each.
Please send them to us "flat" (not rolled), protected by cardboard. We will clean and cover them in top-grade acetate covers. Acid-free 2mil polyester is the best choice for covering your collectible books.
Acetate Jacket Features:
- Specially treated, crystal clear film resists sticking when stacked with other book.
- Won't crack, yellow or tear.
- Perforated liner provides a secure fit and protects the original jacket.
Please send your jackets in a flat container.
After adding the number of jackets you will be sending to the cart and checking out, please print off the order and enclose with your shipment. We will email you to confirm receipt of your shipment. Return shipping for jackets is $8.95 (domestically; please contact us for international orders)
Contact customerservice@vjbooks.com for more information.
What are the Benefits of Dust Jackets?
Much of the value of collectible hardcover books can be found in the condition of the dust jacket.
Dust jackets from the 1920s and later were often decorated in art deco styles which are highly prized by collectors. Some of them are worth far more than the books they cover. The most famous example is the jacket on the first edition of The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, published in 1925. Without jacket, the book brings $1,000 or so. With the jacket it can bring $20,000 or $30,000 or more, depending on condition. One copy in a near mint jacket was listed for sale in 2009 for half a million dollars.
Today, a book with a damaged or missing dust jacket is not considered collectible. Few collectors will add these to their shelves.
The best way to preserve the value of a dust jacket is to put them in a “book jacket cover,” also known as a library cover. We use clear acetate jackets with plain white backing produced by Gaylord Bros. No book leaves VJ Books’ door without an acetate jacket cover. We also offer a jacketing service – we put acetate covers on the dust jackets from books from your collection. Just send us your jackets (mailed flat), and we will put them into covers and return them to you. This is an inexpensive way to insure your investment.