Tell me about the physical quality

[Valamir]

I'm in the process of collecting quotes for the Universalis Revised print job.  So far one of the most competitive quotes is from the same shop that did the last (second) printing for me.

They were easy to work with, on time, and delivered a sharp product (to me).

Some of those copies are going on 4 years old now.  I want to hear (good and bad) how well they are standing up.  Perfect binding is not the most durable of binding forms out there but there are solid perfect bindings and there are crap-fall-apart-if-you-breathe-to-hard bindings.

So how was the physical quality of your book? Good weight to the paper (it was 60#)? Good brightness and smoothness?  good weight to the cover (80# coverstock)?  Did the ink smudge or flake?  Did the cover lamenation crack or peel?  How well did the binding hold up?

I haven't heard a single complaint on any of those in the last four years and my copy has stood up completely well including 4 years of GenCon demos, so I'm inclined to think they did a reasonably good job.  Now's your chance to let me know. 

[Mike Holmes]

Well, my copy is in perfect condition. But that's because I never open it. In all cases where I've demoed the game, I've used a copy from the booth where I was demoing.

And, well, I know the rules pretty well. ;-)

Mike

[Ron Edwards]

My copy's been booted 'round the block a few times, and frequently consulted during play. It's holding up extremely well. I'd say your printer did a good job.

Best, Ron

[GreatWolf]

My copy is a printer's proof, so I can't really comment.

Except that I just did.

[Aaron Smith]

I've sold 4 copies of the game to friends, and all of them are in good condition, despite some pretty serious backpack wear. That's not to say that they're pristine, or that the cover's dont fold in funny directions, but the book itself, binding and pages are still solid.

[Andrew Morris]

Mine's only a couple of years old, but it's in great shape.

[Mike Holmes]

Aaron's comment reminds me...the covers do tend to warp a bit, don't they? Probably a result of the printing process? Maybe that could be addressed.

Mike

[Valamir]

I'm looking into the price difference with going with a 100# cover instead of an 80# cover.  With some quotes the diffence comes to like 4 cents a copy.  Others its $1.00+ / copy.  So we'll see where the best value is.  But I would like to see a heftier cover.

Note: 80# cover stock is about the equivelent of 120-140# text stock so it doesn't compare directly to the 60# text stock being used for the pages.

But some warping/curling I think is inevitable with a laminated cover.

[Mike Holmes]

True enough. Moreover, I may be thinking of my first printing copy, which isn't as nice as the second printing ones.

Mike

[Arturo G.]

Hi!

My copy is not so used. I got it less than a year ago, but it looks like a strong binding.
It suffered no dedegradation during the transportation from London to Spain.

Arturo

[tetsujin28]

Mine's been carried around in a backpack a lot, used, and highlighted. And it's held up a lot better than I ever expected.