Anyone wanna go in on a book invention with me and make untold millions?

Cafe Society
#1

Over the weekend I went and spent 80 bucks at Books A Million. I got three new books and I was super excited to break into them, and on Sunday it was nice and sunny so I went by the pool to get a good tan and read a good book.

I’m reading a paperback and getting some sun when I feel hot, so I put the book down, jump in the pool, swim around a bit, pretend I’m a dolphin, and then get out to go read again. Now because my swimsuit was wet it made the towel wet, because the towel was wet I had no where to put my book that was bone dry, because I had nowhere to put my book that was bone dry I essentially ruined my book because the pages got wet and the dye from my towel ran into the pages, and now I’m pissed because my brand new book looks like shit.

Here’s the invention: I want to create a polyurethane cover/sleeve that will go around the front and back of the book and protect it from water. The sleeve will essentially be a big clear book jacket, it will be big enough to cover the pages and the spine, but leave room for you to turn the pages and put them in the adjacent sleeve. I will have multiple sizes that would fit on your smaller paperback books, and also your new release big ole hardcover books. The sleeve itself will be clear (so that people can see what you’re reading) and, if we can swing it, will have a nifty little bookmark in it too.

So who has the technical skills to actually make this? We could make a fortune!

#2

I think your timing and your estimation of the market need some work.

#3

Psst…not books, Dude, Kindle. Can you waterproof that?

#4

You mean like this: http://amzn.com/B003UPRPCS
or this: http://amzn.com/B001YYIAU8 ?

#5

First one no. That’s ugly and not very practical for what I wanted to use it for.

Closer with the second one, but my product would already fit the books vs. needing to make it fit the books like that looks like it needs to do.

#6

I’ve seen them, but not often. Yes, they come in multiple sizes. You might try an used book store that specializes in older books.

#7

One of the local TV stations here did a bit just last night where they determined Ziplock baggies do a very adequate job of protecting one’s Kindle/Nook/iPad/whatever while at the beach or poolside. Properly sealed, it will protect the item from a brief accidental dunk, from sand, spilled drinks, food… and it’s cheap.

#8

Precisely what I was coming in here to post, with the one caveat - make sure you’re using ‘freezer’ bags or ‘sandwich’ bags and NOT ‘salad’ bags…

#9

The right bag is more important than you know.

I threw away 4 Kindles before figuring out my problem.

#10

$80 on three books? Unless they were art books or textbooks, you need to start using Amazon. That way you’ll still have your untold millions from this harebrained invention.

#11

And at least one of them a paperback! What books were these, anyway, that were so expensive?

To the OP: I don’t think there’s much of a market for this, because most people don’t take expensive books that they want to keep in good condition to the pool/beach.

Many public libraries put clear plastic sleeves on at least some of the books they lend out, to give them additional protection.

And you can read while the Kindle’s in the baggie (at least if you have the kind that turns pages by pressing a button).