AIBU to throw away book sleeves?

[BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz]

Usually wait til books are in paperback, but if I really want it, I'll get it on release. However, if they come with a sleeve, it gets binned immediately.

Similarly if I pick any up in the charity shops or get given hardback - the sleeve goes.

I just hate them. I don't really understand the purpose. Especially when the book itself has the title printed on. It's not needed to tell me what the book is.

I always do the same - they just get in the way and irritate me.

YANBU, they're unnecessary and I hate that scratchy shiny material on the inside, it's so uncomfortable to touch.

I'm with you on that, they are completely unnecessary.

The flaps work as a book mark

Depends. If its a first edition then it might have value in the future but normally needs the bookjacket

I hate hardbacks. On the odd occasions I've been gifted them I do the same as you and bin it.

You’re a heathen. I don’t like hardbacks either but you can’t permanently strip them! Even if you take the cover off the book to read, put it back on for the shelf

Nope it's stripped.

I use either a bookmark or I gasp fold the corner of the page.

I was with you until you admitted to folding page corners 😱

Well it's to protect the book obviously. Stops the corners from getting frayed/ripped/whatever.

Always threw them. Kindle all the way now.

Why not put it to one side then put it back on afterwards?

On a more pragmatic note some of my old sci-fi hardbacks have illustrations on the sleeve that are now in demand (as publishers have replaced with bland generic ones over the years) they are now selling at 3 times what I paid for some of them. The days of decent illustrations on covers are mostly gone.

You are (potentially) throwing away half the future resale value.

So YABVastlyU!

If you did ever want to sell them (assuming there's anyone left who can read or still wants to read actual physical books after the 'Rona, that is), then they have been worth more with their dust jackets than without, generally.

Agree with throwing them away!
My kids just try and pull them from the shelf and destroy the sleeves. I am fine with books looking 'used' and that's what they are for but the sleeve is just annoying

What!!! Folding corners . I can’t get past throwing out the cover as well. But folding corners is just too far

They're your books, do what you like.

When the dust jacket is different to the actual cover, I've always regarded it as a matter of preference - do you prefer a colourful illustration or an old-fashioned plain look.

If it's exactly the same then it makes no difference. The price is usually on the dust cover so it's easily snipped off if giving the book as a gift, but besides that, whatever.

But I keep the dust covers on. I see no reason to remove them.

I love books and I never even considered it a possibility that you could remove the dust jacket until I read it on here on a previous thread! Obviously each to their own and I now know some people find them irritating so remove them for reading but binning them - wow that is wild! 😜 Did you know when you turn down the corner of a page the little triangle it creates looks like a dog's ear? That's why its called dogeared.

I wouldn't throw it away if it was one of those black covers underneath.

No, YANBU, OP. They're only bits of paper. You're not U for bending the corners, either. (Or for getting them wrinkly in the bath, or ... underlining passages and writing notes in the margins - try those two, if you want to feel nicely evil.)

Oh god I feel I bit sick, first you strip the books of their covers. Then you fold their pages. You are an utter heathen 🤢

The sleeve is important in resale value.

This is possibly the most "have I fallen into an alternate universe" thread I've ever met. I wouldn't dream of binning the cover - there's book content in that.

I don't mind recieving a second hand book without, but wilful destruction? No.

So, those of you who keep the dust jacket, do you read the book with them on?

Like others, i very rarely buy hardback but when i do i take the jacket of to read, and one day it just didn't make sense to put it back on. I'd never consider books to be a financial investment but those arguments sound sensible.

I don’t like the feel of hardbacks without the jackets on (that sounds kind of weird!)

I can’t read them without them, they’re slightly bumpy and have a weird texture

So no it’s not about the value to me, they are one and part of the book. Removing them is just wrong 😂

I’m happy with paperbacks or kindle editions though 😉