DC to stop shrink wrapping "most" hardcovers

DC Comics announced yesterday in its retailer newsletter Direct Channel #104 that it will stop shrink wrapping most hardcovers beginning in December.  Here’s the blurb:

Please note that starting with books arriving in stores in December, DC Comics will no longer shrink-wrap most hardcover titles.

DC will continue to shrink-wrap titles priced at more than $50.00 US, as well as titles that include extra materials such as sell sheets or cards.

This serves two purposes: it reduces packaging which cuts cost and can be promoted as being environmentally friendly.  Of course if environment was the concern then the $50+ books would be bare as well.  Good stores either have one copy already out of shrink-wrap or will let you open one so potential buyers can peruse the book.

What’s wrong with this strategy is damaged dust jackets.  Yes I come from thirty years of comic and book collecting so I like to keep my dust jackets minty fresh; I use Brodart Dust Jacket covers.  Shrink-wrap keeps the book sealed and in factory condition.

Of course we could alleviate this entire scenario by eliminating dust jackets entirely.  Dark Horse has done a great job on hardcovers without dust jackets: Sin City and Hellboy Library, Grandville, Amazing Screw-On Head to name a few.  Fantagraphics and Drawn & Quarterly are almost entirely dust jacket free.  Let’s see this trend continue.

Scott VanderPloeg
Scott VanderPloeg

Scott works in I.T. but lives to eat and read. His other ramblings can be found at AE Index and eBabble. Art collection at Comic Art Fans.

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Laura Thomas
Laura Thomas
13 years ago

I completely agree with doing away with dust jackets. As a retailer I find they easily tear when handled, get wrinkled and damaged when customers are flipping through a book. As a book lover I simply prefer the look of a hardcover book without the jacket.

Tom Berry
Tom Berry
10 years ago

I’m with you on that one Laura. Also, I’m glad to see the shrink-wrap go. I like to see what is in a book BEFORE I buy it.