The Hole

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Last August 13, 2010.

Probably the best known of all almanacs.  The "Old Farmer's Almanac", North America's oldest, has been continuously published since 1792.  The current publisher, Yankee Publishing, is in Dublin, New Hampshire and continues to produce a product that strays very little from that which founder, Robert B. Thomas began over two centuries ago.

The Old Farmer's Almanac

Year Issue Condition Notes
1792 N/A   The company was founded by Robert B. Thomas.  (George Washington was president and the cornerstone of the White House was laid)
1793 1   First edition.  Circulation was 3,000 copies.
1794 2   Circulation trippled to 9,000 copies.
1795 3    
1796 4    
1797 5    
1798 6    
1799 7 Excellent REPRINT
1800 8 Excellent REPRINT
1801 9    
1802 10 Excellent REPRINT
1803 11 Excellent REPRINT
1804 12 Excellent REPRINT
1805 13    
1806 14 Excellent REPRINT
1807 15 Poor Only fragments of the issue.  Missing covers, January, many of the monthly headers were removed.
1808 16 Poor Largely intact.  Missing the headers on the right pages for September and November.  Some other pages were trimmed on the bottom margins.  Some notes about farm activities, i.e. "Finished haying August 10th, 1808," were made by the original owner.
1809 17 Poor Missing the front and back covers.  Right page header for December missing.  Various farm notes from the original owner in the margins.  A few bottom margins trimmed out.
1809 17 Excellent 2009 Reprint
1810 18 Excellent 2010 Reprint
1810 18    
1811 19 Poor Missing the cover.  Right page April heading is missing.  Various farm notes from the original owner made in the margins.  Several of the notes from the bottom margins were trimmed out.
1812 20 Poor Missing the cover and an unknown number of the back pages. Right page headers for January and July missing.  Various farm notes from the original owner.
1813 21 Poor Missing from the cover to the left March page as well as right September-left October page, the back cover and possibly another of the back pages.  The headers from the right pages for August, November and December are torn out.
1813 21 Fair 'The Farmer's Almanack Calculated on a New and Improved Plan, For the Year of Our Lord, 1813; Being the First After Bissextile of Leap-Year, and Thirty-Seventh of the Independence of America' by Robert B. Thomas, Boston, Printed for West & Richardson. No. XXI. 4 3/4" x 7 1/2", 48 pps. Handstitched binding. Quite worn, tear across title page and one following page, but all text intact other than the very top of the last page
1814 22 Poor Missing front and back covers.  Right page header for August and September torn out.
1815 23 Fair Complete!  Various farm notes from the original owner.  Some of the notes in the bottom margin trimmed out.
1816 24 Fair Complete!  Various farm notes from the original owner.  Some of the notes in the bottom margin trimmed out.
1817 25 Poor Missing an unknown number of back pages but the front cover and remainder of the volume is intact.
1818 26 Poor Missing back cover.  First four pages, including the front cover is missing the bottom two inches. The interior pages are well preserved.  Various farm notes from the original owner.
1819 27 Poor Missing front and back covers.  Some pages very dog eared and in need of straightening.
1820 28 Poor Missing the first signature of four pages including the cover.  Right page September heading is missing.  Various farm notes from the original owner made in the margins.
1820 28 In Transit  
1821 29    
1822 30    
1823 31    
1824 32 Poor Missing half of last page.
1825 33    
1826 34    
1827 35    
1828 36 Fair  
1829 37    
1830 38    
1831 39    
1832 40   Robert B. Thomas added the word "Old" to the title to distinguish the publication from the numerous copycat almanacs.
1833 41 Fair  
1834 42    
1835 43   Robert B. Thomas removed the word "Old" from the title.
1836 44    
1837 45    
1838 46 Fair Intact but edges foxed, brittle, creased.
1839 47    
1840 48 Fair / Good  
1841 49 Poor Outer wrap is missing but otherwise complete.  Well worn and torn in places.
1842 50 Poor Robert B. Thomas penned a lengthy retrospective of the past 50 years of publication and of the world.  A facsimile of his signature appeared for the first time in this volume.
1842 50 Fair Covers are missing.  Binding is loose.  Some discoloration, marks and frays on pages.
1843 51 Poor  
1844 52 Fair  
1845 53 Poor  
1846 54 Fair Robert B. Thomas died at the age of 80.  Lore states that he died in the process of editing the 1847 edition.
1847 55 Fair / Good John H. Jenks becomes the 2nd editor.
1847 55 In Transit  
1848 56 Poor This is the year that "Old" was officially added to the title. [CONDITION: Readable.  Foxing, fold, creases, edge wear, staining, and back page missing.]
1848 56 Good John H. Jenks becomes the 2nd editor.  This is the same year that "Old" was officially added to the title.
1848 56 Good John H. Jenks becomes the 2nd editor.  This is the same year that "Old" was officially added to the title.
1848 56 In Transit  
1849 57    
1850 58 Good Well worn
1850 58 Fair / Good  
1851 59 Poor John H. Jenks added a four seasons drawing, by artist Henry Nichols, to the front cover.  Unfortunately, this copy is missing the covers.  Many other marks, discolorations, frayed edges on pages
1852 60 Good The four seasons drawing was dropped for the next three issues.  Cover says "The Old Farmer's Almanac" while the title page says, "The (Old) Farmer's Almanack."
1852 60 Poor The four seasons drawing was dropped for the next three issues.
1852 60 Fair / Good The four seasons drawing was dropped for the next three issues.
1853 61 Fair  
1854 62 Good Published by Jenks, Hickling & Swan, Boston.  48 pages.  Complete.  Tears on the cover on or near the binding.  Discoloration and marks on the covers and pages.
1854 62 Fair / Good Published by Jenks, Hickling & Swan, Boston.  48 pages.  Missing covers.
1854 62 Fair / Good Published by Jenks, Hickling & Swan, Boston.  48 pages.
1855 63 Fair / Good
Donated by "bogofoats".  Check out their ebay auctions by clicking this link.
1855 63 Good 48 pages.
1855 63 Fair / Good  
1855 63 In Transit  
1856 64 Fair John H. Jenks reinstated the four seasons drawing, by artist Henry Nichols, to the front cover where it remains until today.  Cover is pink.
1852 60 Fair / Good The four seasons drawing was dropped for the next three issues.
1857 65 Fair / Good  
1858 66 Fair Missing back cover.
1858 66 Fair Missing back cover.
1859 67    
1860 68 Fair / Good Published by Hickling, Swan & Brewer, Boston, 48 pages.
1861 69 Fair / Good Charles L. Flint became 3rd editor and began a heavy emphasis on farming. The next two editors, John Boies Tileston and Loomis Joseph Campbell, served short terms and basically just kept the Almanac going in its traditional format.
1862 70 Good  
1863 71 Good Circulation was 225,000.
1864 72 Poor Missing back cover.
1865 73    
1866 74 In Transit  
1867 75 Good 48 pages.  Missing back cover
1867 75 In Transit  
1867 75 In Transit  
1868 76    
1868 76 In Transit  
1868 76 In Transit  
1869 77 Fair Back cover missing.
1869 77 In Transit  
1870 78 Good John Boies Tileston became 4th editor.  48 pages.  
1870 78 Very Good  
1871 79 Good John Boies Tileston's short-lived tenure ends.  48 pages.
1871 79 In Transit  
1872 80 Good Loomis Joseph Campbell became the 5th editor.  Published by Brewer and Tileston of Boston.  48 pages.
1872 80 Very Good  
1873 81 Very Good Published by Bugbee & Hall, Providence, Rhode Island.
1874 82 Good  
1874 82 Very Good  
1875 83 Good  
1875 83 Good  
1876 84 Very Good Published for Tibbitt's and Randall and written by Robert Thomas of Rhode Island.  On the inside cover page it says that is published by Brewer and Tileston of Boston.  48 pages.
1876 84 Very Good  
1877 85 Good Copyright and publishing by William Ware & Company.  Robert Ware becomes the 6th editor.
1877 85 Good  
1878 86 Good  
1878 86 Good  
1878 86 Good  
1879 87 Good  
1879 87 Very Good  
1880 88 Good  
1880 88 Very Good  
1881 89 Good  
1881 89 Very Good  
1882 90 Good  
1882 90 Very Good  
1883 91 Good  
1883 91 Good  
1884 92 Good Complete
1884 92 Fair Complete but covers frayed and missing pieces.
1884 92 Very Good  
1885 93 Fair Missing front and back covers
1885 93 Very Good  
1886 94 Good  
1886 94 Good  
1886 94 Good  
1887 95 Poor Fragile. Missing back cover.
1887 95 Poor Fragile. Missing back cover.
1887 95 Very Good  
1888 96 Poor Fragile. Missing back cover.
1888 96 Very Good  
1889 97 Good
Donated by "bogofoats".  Check out their ebay auctions by clicking this link.
1889 97 Excellent Cover is not standard.  It is a wrap that says, "Sold by Thomas Groom & Co., India Building, 82 State Street, Boston."
1890 98 Fair / Good Published by G. Blatchford, Pittsfield, Mass., 48 pages.
1891 99 Poor Fragile. Missing back cover.
1891 99 Good  
1891 99 Good  
1891 99 Poor  
1891 99 In Transit  
1892 100 Fair / Good Centennial Issue.  Article called "Life and Portrait of Founder."
1892 100 Good  
1892 100 Poor  
1893 101 Good  
1893 101 Good Cover says "The Old Farmer's Almanac" while the title page says, "The (Old) Farmer's Almanack."  Complete.  Pages 15-16 torn across the top of the page but complete.
1893 101 Poor  
1894 102 Good Cover paper is brittle and torn at the spine.  Complete.
1894 102 Good  
1895 103 Fair / Good  
1895 103 Good  
1896 104 Fair / Good  
1896 104 Fair / Good  
1897 105 Good  
1897 105 Very Good  
1898 106 Poor  
1898 106 Poor Missing back cover.
1898 106 Good Complete.  Covers are torn and frayed.  Some discoloration.
1898 106 Good  
1899 107 Excellent REPRINT
1899 107 Poor  
1899 107 Fair / Good  
1899 107 Good  
1900 108 Good Robert Ware's brother, Horace takes the reins as 7th editor.  He began modifying the content towards a more general audience.  Scientific agriculture articles were systematically replaced with general features on nature and modern life.
1900 108 Excellent REPRINT
1900 108 Good REPRINT
1901 109 Excellent  
1901 109 Fair / Good Missing back wrap
1902 110 Excellent REPRINT
1902 110 Good  
1902 110 Poor  
1902 110 In Transit  
1903 111 Excellent REPRINT
1903 111 Very Good  
1903 111 Good  
1904 112 Excellent REPRINT
1904 112 Very Good  
1904 112 Good  
1905 113 Fair / Good  
1905 113 Excellent REPRINT
1906 114 Good  
1906 114 Poor  
1906 114 Good  
1906 114 Excellent REPRINT
1906 114 Fair / Good Missing back wrap
1907 115 Good  
1907 115 Good  
1908 116 Good  
1908 116 Very Good  
1909 117 Poor Cover torn lose
1909 117 Very Good 2009 Reprint
1909 117 Good  
1910 118 Good  
1910 118 Good  
1911 119 Poor Missing back cover
1911 119 Very Good  
1912 120 Poor Back cover torn and missing part
1912 120 Fair / Good Missing back wrap
1913 121 Good  
1913 121 Very Good  
1914 122 Good  
1914 122 Good  
1914 122 Fair / Good Missing back wrap
1915 123 Good  
1915 123 Very Good  
1915 123 Very Good  
1915 123 Good  
1916 124 Good  
1916 124 Good  
1916 124 Good  
1917 125 Good  
1918 126 Good Horace Ware's last year.
1918 126 Fair / Good  
1918 126 Good  
1919 127 Good Frank B. Newton, a Boston lawyer, became the 8th editor.
1919 127 Good Frank B. Newton, a Boston lawyer, became the 8th editor.
1919 127 Good  
1920 128 Good  
1920 128 Good  
1921 129 Good  
1921 129 Good  
1922 130 Good  
1923 131 Good  
1923 131 Good  
1924 132 Good  
1924 132 Good  
1925 133 Good  
1925 133 Good  
1925 133 Good  
1925 133 Good  
1926 134 Good  
1926 134 Good  
1926 134 Good  
1927 135 Good  
1927 135 Good  
1928 136 Good  
1929 137 Good  
1930 138    
1931 139    
1932 140    
1933 141 Good Carroll Swan, a Boston advertising man and WW-I vet, becomes the 9th editor.
1934 142 Good  
1935 143 Good  
1936 144 Good Roger Scaife becomes 10th editor.  And probably the worst.  Under his "command", sales and circulation dropped sharply.  He made the biggest error by dropping the weather forecasts.  Readers were not happy.
1937 145    
1938 146 Good Circulation was 88,000.
1939 147 Good
1940 148 Very Good Top space on the cover where the volume number typically is was blank.
1941 149 Fair Robb Sagendorph became the 11th editor.  A publisher of Yankee Magazine, he had a strong sense of history and immediately reinstated Robert Thomas' original format.
1942 150 Very Good  
1943 151 Very Good Top space on the cover where the volume number typically is has a picture of F.D.R.
1944 152    
1945 153 Very Good Top space on the cover where the volume number typically is has the prayer, "God Bless and Protect Our Boys."
1946 154 Very Good Top space on the cover where the volume number typically is has the prayer, "God Speed You Home Soldier." Circulation 450,000 (Source: TIME Magazine, "Twilight, Length of," December 3, 1945.)
1947 155    
1948 156    
1949 157    
1950 158 Fair  
1951 159    
1952 160 Fair Complete but cover torn and loose.
1953 161 Poor Complete but cover torn and loose.
1954 162    
1955 163 Good  
1956 164 Good  
1957 165   112 pages.  Original price was 25 cents.
1958 166 Good  
1959 167    
1960 168 Poor Front cover not attached and no back cover
1961 168 Poor Front and back covers not attached
1961 169    
1962 170 Poor  
1962 170 Good  
1963 171 Good  
1964 172 Good  
1964 172 Good  
1965 173 Very Good  
1966 174 Good Some water staining
1967 175 Good  
1968 176 Good 148 pages. Nice printing of Edgar A. Poe's, "The Raven" including illustrations.  Some pages of the almanac contain red ink to spice is up and there are even four pages of black and white lithographed photographs.
1968 176 Good See Above
1968 176 Good See Above
1968 176 Good  
1969 177 Good  
1969 177 Poor Cover chewed up a bit.
1970 178 Good Robb Sagendorph dies after 30 years as editor.
1970 178 Good Robb Sagendorph dies after 30 years as editor.
1971 179 Good Judson Hale, Robb Sagendorph's nephew, becomes the 12th editor.
1971 179 Very Good  
1972 180 Very Good 160 pages.  Some of the featured articles are "I Saw Lincoln Shot" and "Mother of Mother's Day".
1973 181 Good  
1974 182 Excellent 176 pages.  Featured articles "Passenger Pigeons" & "Salt, Your Spartan Servant".  [Note: This is a copy rebound in hardcover.]
1975 183 Good 192 pages.  Featured articles "Battle of Lexington", "Beauty Was in The Eyes" (and nose) of the Beholder"
1976 184 Very Good I bought this one in the fall of 1975 and referred to it on nearly a daily basis throughout the bi-centennial year. 
1976 184 Good Donated by Mr. Carl Barton.  Check out his ebay auctions by clicking this link.
1976 184 Very Good  
1977 185 Good  
1977 185 Good  
1978 66 Good  
1979 187 Good  
1979 187 Good  
1979 187 Good No hole punched in upper left corner.
1980 188 Good  
1981 189 Good  
1981 189 Good  
1981 189 Good  
1982 190 Good  
1982 190 Good  
1982 190 Good  
1983 191 Good "Special Edition" - No Ads
1983 191 Good  
1984 192 Good "Special Edition" - Marketing handout.
1984 192 Good  
1985 193 Good  
1985 193 Good  
1986 194 Poor 226 pages. Cover loose.
1986 194 Good  
1987 195 Good 234 pages.
1987 195 Good  
1988 196 Good  
1988 196 Good  
1988 196 Good  
1989 197 Good  
1989 197 Very Good Donated by Carol Scheid.  Check out her ebay auctions by clicking this link.
1989 197 Good  
1990 198 Very Good Donated by Carol Scheid.  Check out her ebay auctions by clicking this link.
1991 199 Good  
1992 200 Good 200th Anniversary Edition.  Greeting by President George Bush. 304 pages.  John B. Pierce, Jr. (1948-2008) became the 22nd Publisher.
1992 200 Good Readership of 7,000,000 (Source: Seatle Times, "The Old Farmer's Almanac -- Agrarian Chic In A High-Tech Age," by Jack Smith, June 14, 1992
1993 201 Very Good 256 pages.
1993 201 Good  
1993 201 Good  
1994 202 Good  
1995 203 Good  
1996 204 Very Good  
1996 204 Good  
1997 205 Good  
1997 205 Very Good  
1998 206 Good  
1999 207 Very Good Hardcover with dust jacket
1999 207 Very Good Hardcover with dust jacket
2000 208 Very Good Hardcover with dust jacket
2000 208 Very Good  
2000 208 Very Good  
2001 209 Very Good Hardcover with dust jacket
2001 209 Very Good  
2002 210 Very Good Hardcover with dust jacket
2002 210 Very Good Janice Stillman becomes the 13th, and first woman editor.
2003 211 Very Good Hardcover with dust jacket
2003 211 Very Good  
2004 212 Very Good Hardcover with dust jacket
2004 212 Very Good  
2005 213 Very Good Hardcover with dust jacket
2005 213 Very Good  
2005 213 Very Good The editor transposed the weather predictions with the calendar pages.  Readers let them know this was not acceptable.
2006 214 Very Good Circulation is 3,500,000.
2006 214 Very Good Hardcover with dust jacket
2007 215 Very Good  
2007 215 Very Good  
2008 216 Very Good  
2008 216 Very Good  
2008 216 Very Good Hardbound printed book form.
2009 217 Very Good  
2009 217 Very Good Hardbound printed book form.
2009 217 Very Good  
2010 218 Fair Hardbound printed book form.
2010 218 Excellent  
Miscellaneous Related Publications
1904   Good "The Old Farmer and His Almanac," by George Lyman Kittredge
1957   Good "The Old Farmer's Almanac Sampler," edited by Robb Sagendorph
1987   Excellent "The Education of a Yankee: An American Memoir," by Judson Hale
1988   Good "The Old Farmer's Almanac Book of Weather Lore: The Fact and Fancy Behind Weather Predictions, Superstitions, Old-time Sayings, and Traditions." by Edward F. Dolan
1997   Excellent "The Old Farmer's Almanac Book of Weather and Natural Disasters," by Benjamin A. Watson
  = In Collection
  = Need
  = Need Replacement

  • Very Good (VG) – Top grade - a nice copy, with all pages present, nice clean covers and no tears or stains noticeable. Looks practically new!

  • Good/Very Good (G/VG) – A complete and clean copy, possibly with minor light cover wear. Any major defects noted.

  • Good (G) – Definitely looks its age, but is a complete copy. Covers may be slightly soiled or creased, and some fraying of the spine edge may be present. Possible small cover edge tears or light stains. Any major defects noted. “Rolled Spine” – Spine edge is curled from being folded back when read.

  • Fair/Good (F/G) – Well read, and not stored well. Wear to the covers, with possible edge tears, stains. Defects often noted.

  • Fair (F) – Readable and complete, but with noted damage.

  • Poor (P) - Pages loose or missing.  Major damage such as insect and water damage, brittleness, tears.  Useful as a space holder in a collection until a better copy is obtained.

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