[X] My Assistant

[Necro Tech]

I actually have everybook from every edition and only my Matrix book is falling apart. Since I have been hauling my books to various game sites once a week for the last 15 years I consider myself extremely lucky.

[Catsnightmare]

My BBB lost the archatype insterts within 6 months. The rest of it is still holding together but only just barely.
Man & Machine got little bit of Mt Dew leaked onto the spine a year ago and it's pages are falling out one by one in straight numerical order now.

[John Campbell]

My SR2 hardback has turned into more of a cardboard folder containing loose paper, but that's the only one that I'd say hasn't held up to wear the way it should. The back cover's starting to come off my SR3 corebook (tearing along the seam), but I think that's more a matter of my abusing it too much than any manufacturing defect.

[Artemus]

I have treated my books pretty well, but wear still shows. My Corporate Download wanted to lose a couple of pages before I just used some tape on the bind and it seems to be holding for now (of course I don't open it up as much).

I think as long as you don't fully open the book and treat it with care it should last a long time. Still just opening and closing the books tend to wear and tear the covers. My M&M started to peel a plastic film it has over it. Before anyone asks the M&M is the latest printing.

[RedmondLarry]

For about $6, Kinko's will "spine cut" and "spiral bind" a SR3 book. I was so pleased with mine, that I also had it done to the following pairs of books:
CC and MM
MITS and Shadowrun Companion

At one point I had three of these four in the same binding, but it was too big to use easily. I paid to rebind them with only two per binding.

I had the same done with my son's SR3, but since the edges were so worn I had an "Edge Cut" (About $1.50 each) done on top, right, and bottom. Now his looks almost new, because of the crisp page edges, it's just a little smaller.

With the spiral bind, you can open the book completely flat, or even fold it backwards to leave it open to a single page. It's wonderful.

If you have it done with more than one book, ask for black wire on one, and white wire on another. I have trouble distinguishing between my three spirial-bound books.

[Siege]

$3.95 for bound books without a cover, $4.95 with.

+ $1 for any book greater than one inch.

I'm supposed to be checking if I can find slip covers in bulk for a decent rate, but I haven't had any luck thus far.

A personal testimonial about the Kinko's binding process is always good to hear.

-Siege

[iPad]

Ive only noticed ED rule books fall to pieces....

[RedmondLarry]

Photo (20 KB) of my Kinko's bindings.

It is so useful, I now bind my frequently-used books, even if they are not falling apart.

[BookWyrm]

I know how easy it is to lose track of a binding's status until last moment. I have a copy of GURPS-Supers Wild Cards which had to be replaced, mostly due to my endless re-referencing it while I reread the entire novel series. Fortunately, I found a replacement on Ebay. :D

[Wutasumi]

I treat my books like shit. I won't deny it, my players paw through them, I paw through them, I don't keep them on the bookshelves, I keep the page by putting the open book like this /-\ on the table.

And yet, my binding hasn't gone ONCE on any of my books.

[Artemus]

@OurTeam: those bindings look good. I might have to take a look at that.

@Wutasumi: :shock: Nice, but as far as this thread you seem to be the exception not rule.

[Wutasumi]

I know, I just thought it was weird.

I might pick up those bindngs from Kinkos, because they look pretty cool.

[Vera53]

I chose yes, but only a couple of mine are actually falling apart. Even that is too much for me.

[Cable]

Wow, thanks OurTeam. That's probably the best idea I've ever heard. Thanks guys, this is why I posted this thread.

[Bane]

What OurTeam did is exactly what I do with my books, right down to the type of binding. That and lamination helps a bunch.

I have the added benefit of being really, really anal and obsessive about how my books are treated. My bindings are all fine. :)

[Blaze]

In my library of SR books the only two that are showing severe problems are the BBB and Matrix- both of which I loaned out to two of my players. Of course, it probably helps being an English grad with a thing for keeping books in good nick in the first place...

-JH.

[synfaktor]

mine fall apart all the time. i think it more a testament of how i treat them rather than a manufacturing defect, though i live in arizona and the heat can go through the glue in under an hour so i have to be careful about not leaving them in the car.

i just replaced my SR3 BBB and it has only been opened three times, but is already losing a good chunk out of the center.

looks like kinkos will be getting some of my business afterall

[S7Michelle]

I treat all my gaming books the same, and most of them have held together just fine. The BBB is the one of two game books that have tried to lose pages. And it went bad after less than two weeks.

I ended up doing the Kinko binding, and its working much better now.

[toturi]

My BBB, SSG and MitS are all going to pieces on me, MitS worse of all. I can't believe SSG pages are actually falling out, I have only given it a cursory read unlike BBB or MitS. :(

[The White Dwarf]

Several of mine are at the point where I cannot open it to certain pages without losing another page. SR3 skill section will lose pages if I crack it there, as will Matrix in two spots. A few others are very close to going, M&M is about to have pages fall out, as is CC. I treat all my books very well, even catching a little criticims from the fellow players when I take care to say "dont use that to write on" or "dont toss it around" etc. Its definatly how theyre made not how theyre treated.

[Herr Nebel]

My books (most in german and 3 in english) are all fine except my german M&M, it lost the second page.

[Dashifen]

I did the Kinko's thing for SR3, M&M, CC, MitS, R3, and Matrix and it's fantastic. The only thing that I did was to take colored tape and put colored markings on the top ring of the spiral bind so that I can tell them apart while they're on the shelf. Granted, I had to memoriaze which colors went with which books but that didn't take too long since it wasn't my whole library :)

[Fygg Nuuton]

[twofalls]

I purchased Matrix less than two weeks ago and the pages are falling out. I keep my books in great condition and this ticks me off. I'm going to have it reboud, but having to pay more money to keep a book that I just purchased together bothers me.

[mfb]

yeah, the first-printing Matrix book is notoriously bad. mine lost a page the first time i opened it.