WHY IS THE DUST JACKET SO IMPORTANT TO MODERN FIRST EDITIONS?
Dust jackets or dust wrappers were originally designed to protect a book in transit—just until it reached the safety of an owner’s library. The first recorded use of a dust jacket goes back as far as the mid-nineteenth century, but they were generally discarded after serving their initial purpose. Very few early jackets survive.

In the early twentieth century, however, dust jackets developed from simple coverings to art forms and promotional aids that became integral to the book. Because collectors of modern first editions generally prefer a copy as close as possible to the first appearance of the book in every way, most prefer a dust jacket when obtainable. Some dust jackets are exceptionally scarce, such as those of The Great Gatsby and The Sun Also Rises.

Condition of the dust jacket is key to the value, just as it is in books. Since they are made of paper, they are extremely fragile. Though no longer designed only for protection, dust jackets are the book’s first defense against sunlight, humidity, handling, dust, and other stresses. Naturally, they can show substantial wear: chipping, fading, darkening, staining and tears. They are still often discarded, and many are more fragile and prone to wear than others. For example, they may be light colored and show soiling quite easily, or made of a particularly fragile paper and prone to chipping or fading. Just as the difference in value between a modern first edition with a jacket and a copy without one can be considerable, the difference in value between a poor jacket and fine or near-fine jacket can be substantial.