5ywjdPumpkinPrincess
33763
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May 24, 2025 8:54 PM
5ywjdPumpkinPrincess
33763
775
16
jaschac
We absolutely did this all through my junior and senior high school years. Always felt a little pointless. I mean, how much protection could this actually provide? But it was also nice to have a place to doodle and it was oh-so-satisfying when you got your cover to fit *just right*.
DarthWaiterSE
Did this all through K-12 and the doodles were the whole point for me; I'd re-wrap at the beginning of each semester because I'd fill the front and back with random cartoons like clockwork. Besides, the 'book covers' the school was supplied with fell apart on the regular from the humidity in Houston.
astrangehop
Maybe it was to pretend they weren't 20 years old. A book wears pretty fast sliding around in a backpack
RunsNakedThroughSwamps
I would wrap paperback books that I'd read between classes. It does actually provide a lot of protection for the corners and edges.
Lontri
Here we mostly covered our books with plastic covering. Sometimes some kids would have colourful plastic covering for their books, but my mom would only get the regular stuff that had no tint to it. For one class in middle school we had to cover the notebook with recycled materials, I think I used bread bags. One guy covered the notebook covers with duct tape and when the teacher criticised his choice, he said that he wanted to be buried with the notebook lol.
kamosey
Ready for this bad boy: https://imgur.com/IKZGkhq
wejustdontknow
Only next to a Mötley Crüe or Thrasher logo.
Doismellbacon
Relevant
CaptainThePirate
They made us do this and we got points deducted from our final grade if the books were damaged. Mean kids would constantly damage corners and pages on the ‘nerds’ books to hurt their score. I saw a full on child fistfight over this once.
MaleProstateMilker88
It was plastic wrappers. I don't know how paper is gonna protect the books.
houtaine
I wrapped mine with wrapping paper. Fun times.
bluestemrocks
And practiced writing our names as Mrs. (current crush) on the inside
StrangePaegan
I went from bully bait to the class artist because of those covers.
pip1
I still dont understand why we had to do this. You telling me the hardcover is more delicate than the pages? Does the cover serve any purpose other than holding the book together? Is it some nefarius contractual supplier-bullshit? Government requirements?
carolcherylwhatever
My grade school got free book covers with advertising on the front from get this… the local funeral home. We had to use the ones provided. Catholic
School was weird
TheSpanishIndian
Mine was a shopping bag!
SleepyKitten
When we were kids that's what everyone used, except maybe the teacher's kid. No general access to butcher paper (AKA bulletin board paper).
bladderinfection
That paper costs money, shopping bags are throwaway items. I never questioned using a bag, it just made sense.
wozat
Would have made more sense if they just came with extra dust jackets
maxzero
When I was a kid, the local grocery stores used to have paper bags with designs or just dotted lines to guide in the creation of book covers. I should make a few sometime for my hardcovers; they're sort of crafty and neat.
jaqque
I have one on a hardcover right now I am getting signed next week. I didn’t want hurt the dust cover while reading it
PickleRiiiiiiiiiiiiick
Shit. I just made this same comment before reading thru the comments. Glad to know it wasnt a fever dream, but a real thing. 😅😅
Default87
Just like the flour sacks during the great depression.
DukeElectra
You guys had a textbook for Art? We just made art.
5ywjdPumpkinPrincess
https://media1.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPTY1YjkxZmJlZWs3cnhxcnZzaTIwN3I3ajBkZ290dXhuZjYxMWl5emh0bmRjY3o4ayZlcD12MV9naWZzX3NlYXJjaCZjdD1n/sUkX7iZIjmQSQm9l3u/giphy.mp4
lurkyloos
Gen X checking in. The grocery bags cuz my mother was a cu#t.
TNSCLuotaMEa4fVN
Nice job!
skipweasel
Oh yes - I remember that from the mid-70s.
teberoth
We were definitely still doing it in elementary school in the late 80s early 90s
gitguuud
Late 90s had me doing this for middle school I think.
AThreeFootTallChocolateMooseWithFudgeEyes
2000s
cokebot9000
ElbowDeepInAJedi
We're old. WE. Now pass the Tylenol.
Revyloution
We were talking with the kid about walton goggins. The kid says "you mean that really old guy in the white lotus?
Goggins is 2 years younger than me
skipweasel
I had it the other way round... Customer thought I was in my mid 50s... I'm in my mid 60s.
jimmy8fingers
Mid 70's school kid, had to keep them nice for the kids next year.
LittleChickadee
Hells yeah! Older Millennials, unite! Getting a new Trapper Keeper & then wrapping the books from paper grocery bags the first week of school was the most hopeful i felt each September
alcaray
I think it was boomers who started this if anyone cares.
squelcheswetly
Xennials, form of lower back pain!
Lepercake
Waddayamean "older" millenials? I'm 37ish and mid tier at most.
SleepyKitten
Sadly, Trapper Keepers made today don't hold up like the original ones did.
BeaverOnFire
Nothing does with the focus upon using the cheapest and least amount of materials possible.
vmos
older millenials? you think books were only invented in 1995? I did it in school, my dad did it in school, his dad didn't because they didn't have their own books just a bit of slate. And wtf is a trapper keeper? You keep your trapper in it? Are you a poacher?
Perkunas687
As a millennial with tactile sensory issues with textures and my hands/fingertips, I could never stand having/feeling paper bags on my textbooks, always had to find an alternative :(
Alvatore
Meanwhile, I significantly *preferred* the paper bags over other alternatives, and even over having no cover at all.
Perkunas687
ZOMGNO
I was watching my son watch "Young Sheldon" this morning and Missy had a Trapper Keeper... and now I finally know what those are. (Not in America)
OxyEmphasisontheMoron
I did it when i was in elementary school, but i was born after the turn of the century
skyhook
Hell, older genx too. Brown paper covers. My trapper keeper was red. And I have moderate to severe back pin.
JohnBluehill
Younger GenX/Xennial here. Trapper Keeper was black (I think) and I'm just starting to recover from a nasty sciatica flare-up
OverwhelmingSurplusOfDiggity
GenX here - me too, for all of the above.
species777
Same.
ndusr
Late-stage gen x are forgotten millennials
youlooklikehalfabuttpuppet
They came out with these nylon fabric type sleeves, called book sox, that just stretched over the covers. They were so easy compared to wrapping. My brother had them and I didn’t. I think I only remember them because one time he fell asleep wearing one like a du rag and woke up with a perfect tight wave in his hair.
SploogeMcDuck316
I remember rocking the book sox! Convenient but they tended to develop holes in the corners and lacked the customization that came with the paper covers.
DontKnowTheSource
Red is for math, green is for history, blue is for science. Get you a colored folder and notebook that all matched so your notes were kept tidy. That's the only reason my mother allowed me to get the socks
WellAckchually
I think I remember those coming out while I was still in school, but they cost money and paper bags were free so no one in my school had them
5ywjdPumpkinPrincess
I also remember the stretchy material kind but they where expensive in that time so I had to settle sometimes with the paper bags 😜
LubaTergenyev365
🙋🏻♂️
RevolutionOnHerLips
I remember seeing kids do this in the 90s but it wasn't required and I never felt the need. Most kids didn't do it at any of the schools I went to.
ionicseraph
They wanted us to keep the covers clean so we fucked up the pages instead. Check mate, teachers! Now turn to page 55 to see something funny!
holyspiritanimations3
This was wise, to prevent book damage.
Toverdoos
Ooh I used the newspaper to wrap my books!
IHaveAGuyForEverything
We used the funny papers.
VinnyVeritas
We dId it so we could customize our textbooks with our own art ! SO much better
TiredSnowball
Pretty much everyone in our class who wanted to resell manuals. We had to buy them in high school. Except rich kids, most bought and sold back used books year after year. At least they weren't "modern expensive" like these days.
5ywjdPumpkinPrincess
https://media3.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPTY1YjkxZmJlamFsMWJramN2Zmx4MnYzcWJlMWF3dzFiNDNrMm1sZWJzbnJmeGVqNyZlcD12MV9naWZzX3NlYXJjaCZjdD1n/LkMqX79U5OOAwcgZzC/giphy.mp4
InoffensivePablum
Real Gen Xer. I just left all the books at home and never touched them. You do none of the work, ace all the tests, the worst you come out with is a low B, high C.
youlooklikehalfabuttpuppet
Thank you, multiple choice testing!
iteachcalculus
You’d have an A from me. I don’t grade homework. The kids that want to do it, will; the ones that don’t would cheat if it was for a grade. I give keys for kids to check or just review. Homework is for practice and it’s okay if you don’t get it right at first. Why penalize someone who is learning and eventually gets it?
joemac65
I live in the UK. In the 70's my schools all had old wallpaper sample books that were donated by local businesses that we used to cover our books. The paper was flocked, loud and busy. I remember this one was really popular and i had this fuzzy paper on my books in green one year the an awful yellow/orange the following year
5ywjdPumpkinPrincess
That’s definitely 70s!
Mazzy94
Why?
WhiskyBravo
supposed to protect the books which were stupidly expensive. I got dinged on a science book that was trashed when I got it in like 9th grade, they made me buy a new one. Mother was not pleased. Was like $150. Also that teacher was a huge dick to me all year, he thought I was cheating on tests but couldn't prove it (I was).
ICantFeelMyHead
So we can graffiti all over them
req4adream99
Protect the book. If you turned your book back in w a lot of wear the school could charge you (your parents) the replacement cost.
Mazzy94
Ahhh
AwetasticAdventures
And they were listed for upwards of $200-$300
adjunctum
Why not?
Mazzy94
Why?
ElbowDeepInAGoblin
That isn't a valid response to the question 'Why did you -have to- do [x]?'
adjunctum
Why ask why?
ElbowDeepInAGoblin
...To learn the information. What kind of dim question...
adjunctum
dim.
Whatdoyousaytoanicecupoftea
My mum forced me to use left over flock wallpaper. I was called Gay Book Lord for three years
BroccoliCabbagePatch
Is that like a regular book lord who's a friend of Dorothy, or does that mean your heavenly bookstore only contains a particular genre
Whatdoyousaytoanicecupoftea
What do you think, Mr "Brasica Totality"
idontreadyourreplies
in my town our mothers used our school books to show off how fancy their wall paper at home is
Whatdoyousaytoanicecupoftea
...did you also grow up in Cheshire in the 80s? S.O. M.U.C.H Lura Ashley
idontreadyourreplies
no but was UK in the 80s, so musta been a national thing
Whatdoyousaytoanicecupoftea
Yersh