I think it depends on your own personal experience. If you were lucky enough as a child to have access to the originals in hardback then yes, I'm sure those were very attractive and more exciting than the paperbacks...but as a child I never had any original Enid Blyton hardbacks, with or without wrappers. So if I wanted to read Enid Blyton books, I had to read paperbacks or annuals or the Dean hardbacks or go without!
My sister had all the paperbacks - full set of Famous Five Betty Maxey covers, Barney Mysteries, a few Fatty books etc, and also some Dean books - Faraway Tree set, one Wishing Chair book, Willow Farm, Galliano. I had a ready-supply of EB books but none were originals. I had some of my own Secret Seven books in paperback, some Deans like Binkle and Flip and Amelia Jane, and two Famous Five annuals (the only Fives I ever read as a child) - but no original hardbacks except for 'The Rilloby Fair Mystery which I bought for 10p aged about 11.
I think that's why I still prefer the Derek Lucas Secret Seven illustrations, Maxey covers, Rene Cloke Faraway Tree illustrations - its what I grew up with.
I do understand about hardbacks and now I have all the major series mostly with wrappers, and I love the look and smell and feel of them - but if I'd only wanted the hardback originals as a child I would never have read any Enid Blyton book!