Courtesy of Eddie Hudson, the 1955 edition of the Craftsman Mechanics' Tools Catalogue is now available as a PDF!

Enjoy!

http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?wvboy0bmibdqp6o

Thanks for the posting LG. Most of all thanks for the pdf Eddie!

I have been looking for a 1956 hand tool catalog for 3 years.  I wonder if what is designated as 1955 (pliers on the cover) is 1956.  I see the 1955 copyright, but assume Sears printed catalogs for the following year before January 1st.  Same as I just bought a 2012 calendar that was printed in 2011.  You would not start printing 2012 calendars on January 1, 2012.

3 years ago someone was selling the same catalog (with the pliers on the cover) but claimed it was 1956.

I have also been told on message boards the there was no 1956 hand tools catalog.  I find this strange if true. 

Here's a list of catalogs from "Dave The Toolman"

CRAFTSMAN TOOL CATALOG LISTING

•   Pre-Craftsman tool pages from 1905 Sears Big Book catalog  (78 pages)
•   Pre-Craftsman tool pages from 1912 Sears Big Book catalog (118 pages)
•   Pre-Craftsman 1915 Sears Blacksmiths catalog (reproduction) with a very large number of lathes with lots of detailed pictures and diagrams. (148 pages)
•   Rare Craftsman 50th Anniversary catalog. Only 2000 were printed in 1976.  Here is where some Sears employees got their facts wrong.  They say that the pages are reprinted from the 1927 Sears Hardware and Cutlery catalog, and even in the Sears 2002 catalog, they state that the 1927 Sears Hardware and Cutlery catalog are where the Craftsman tools first appeared...WRONG!   There wasn't any 1927 Sears Hardware and Cutlery Catalog...the Craftsman name was acquired in October of 1927, and they first appeared in the 1928 Sears Spring/Summer catalog.  The 50th Anniversay catalog was actually reprinted pages from the 1928 Sears catalog.  Sears doesn't know thier own history!
•   1928 Sears Catalog where the Craftsman line of tools first started, including their first warranty.  (58 pages)
•   1929 Sears Catalog (53 pages)
•   1930 Sears Catalog (38 pages)
•   1931 Power Tools catalog, The First Craftsman Tool Catalog!
•   1931 Sears Catalog (38 pages) These Sears Catalogs were collected because they showed the Craftsman hand tools that weren't in the power tools catalog.
•   1932 Power Tools catalog.
•   1932 Sears Catalog (50 pages) Norman Rockwell painting on cover.
•   1933 Power Tools catalog.
•   1933 Sears Catalog (26 pages)
•   1934 Power Tools catalog.
•   1934 Sears Catalog (32 pages)
•   1935 Power Tools catalog.
•   1935 Sears catalog (40 pages)
•   1936 Power Tools catalog.
•   1936 Sears catalog (44 pages)
•   1937 Power Tools catalog.
•   1937 Sears catalog (38 pages)
•   1938 Power Tools catalog.
•   1938 Sears catalog (36 pages)
•   1939 Power Tools catalog.
•   1939 Hand Tools catalog.  The First Hand Tools Catalog!
•   1939 Sears catalog.  (42 pages)
•   1940 Craftsman Power Tools Catalog
•   1940 Sears Catalog Pages (50 pages)
•   1941 Craftsman Power Tools Catalog
•   1941 Craftsman Hand Tools Catalog
•   1941 Sears Catalog Pages (68 pages)
•   1942 Craftsman Power Tools Catalog
•   1942 Craftsman Hand Tools Catalog
•   1942 Sears Catalog Pages (76 pages) Many "Buy War Bonds" advertisements
•   1943 Craftsman Power Tools Catalog
•   1943 Sears Catalog Pages (102 pages) "Buy War Bonds", rationed products, help support our troops, precision tools not available...needed for wartime use
•   1944 Sears Catalog Pages (74 pages) No Craftsman Catalogs printed this year.  Much talk of the war in the catalog...ratiions products, restrictions, items not available.
•   1945 Sears Catalog Pages (76 pages) No Craftsman Catalogs printed this year.  Rationed products, toys made of wood.
•   1946 Sears Catalog Pages (76 pages) No Craftsman Catalogs printed this year.  Aluminum products introduced
•   1947 Sears Catalog Pages (112 pages) No Craftsman Catalogs printed this year. 
•   1948 Craftsman Power Tools Catalog
•   1948 Craftsman Hand Tools Catalog
•   1948 Sears Catalog Pages (78 pages)
•   1949 Craftsman Power Tools Catalog
•   1949 Craftsman Hand Tools Catalog
•   1949 Sears Catalog Pages (80 pages) Roy Rogers childrens clothes and toys

•   1950 Craftsman Power Tools Catalog
•   1950 Sears Catalog Pages (88 pages)
•   1951 Craftsman Power Tools Catalog
•   1951 Sears Catalog Pages (78 pages)
•   1952 Craftsman Power Tools Catalog
•   1952 Craftsman Hand Tools Catalog
•   1952 Sears Catalog Pages (90 pages)
•   1953 Craftsman Power Tools Catalog
•   1953 Craftsman Hand Tools Catalog
•   1953 Craftsman Full Color Lawn Mower Catalog
•   1953 Sears Catalog Pages (106 pages)
•   1954 Craftsman Power Tools Catalog
•   1954 Craftsman Hand Tools Catalog
•   1954 Sears Catalog Pages (94 pages)
•   1955 Craftsman Power Tools Catalog
•   1955 Craftsman Hand Tools Catalog
•   1955 Sears Catalog Pages (92 pages)
•   1956 Craftsman Power Tools Catalog
•   1956 Sears Catalog Pages (118 pages)
•   1957 Craftsman Power Tools Catalog
•   1957 Craftsman Hand Tools Catalog
•   1957 Sears Catalog Pages (110 pages)
•   1958 Craftsman Power Tools Catalog
•   1958 Sears Catalog Pages (112 pages)
•   1959 Craftsman Power Tools
•   1959 Craftsman Hand Tools
•   1959 Sears Catalog Pages (148 pages)
•   1960 Craftsman Power Tools Catalog
•   1960 Craftsman Hand Tools Catalog
•   1960 Sears Catalog Pages (124 pages)
•   1961 Craftsman Power Tools Stands (4 pages)
•   1961 Sears Catalog Pages (126 pages) No Craftsman Catalogs printed this year.
•   1962 Sears Catalog Pages (134 pages) No Craftsman Catalogs printed this year.
•   1963 Craftsman Hand Tools Catalog
•   1963 Sears Catalog Pages (118 pages)
•   1964 Craftsman Power Tools Catalog
•   1964 Craftsman Hand Tools Catalog
•   1964 Sears Catalog Pages (154 Pages)
•   1965 Sears Catalog Pages (130 Pages) No Craftsman Catalogs printed this year.
•   1966 Craftsman Power and Hand Tools Catalog (They Merged Together)
•   1966 Sears Catalog Pages (106 Pages)
•   1967 Sears Catalog Pages (132 Pages) No Craftsman Catalogs printed this year.
•   1968 Craftsman Power and Hand Tools Catalog
•   1968 Sears Catalog Pages (128 Pages)
•   1969 Craftsman Power and Hand Tools
•   1969 Sears Catalog Pages (78 Pages)
•   1970 Craftsman Tools Catalog
•   1970 Sears Catalog Pages (124 Pages)
•   1971 Craftsman Tools Catalog
•   1971 Sears Catalog Pages (98 Pages)
•   1972 Craftsman Tools Catalog
•   1972/1973 Craftsman Tools Catalog
•   1972 Full Color Lawn and Garden Catalog (Lawn Mowers etc.)
•   1972 Sears Catalog Pages (138 Pages)
•   1973 Craftsman Tools Catalog
•   1973 Sears Catalog Pages (116 Pages)
•   1974 Craftsman Tools Catalog
•   1974 Sears Catalog Pages (150 Pages)
•   1975 Craftsman Tools Catalog
•   1975 Sears Catalog Pages (140 Pages)
•   1976 Craftsman Tools Catalog
•   1976 Sears Catalog Pages (128 Pages)
•   1977 Craftsman Tools Catalog
•   1977 Sears Catalog Pages (134 Pages)
•   1978 Craftsman Tools Catalog
•   1978 Sears Catalog Pages (122 Pages)
•   1979 Craftsman Tools Catalog
•   1979 Sears Catalog Pages (114 Pages)
•   1980 Craftsman Catalog
•   1980 Sears Catalog Pages (116 pages)
•   1981 Craftsman Catalog
•   1981 Sears Catalog Pages (68 pages)
•   1982 Craftsman Catalog
•   1982 Sears Catalog Pages (68 pages)
•   1983 Craftsman Catalog
•   1983 Sears Catalog Pages (76 pages)
•   1984 Craftsman Catalog
•   1984 Sears Catalog Pages (68 pages)
•   1985 Craftsman Catalog
•   1985 Sears Catalog Pages (48 pages)
•   1986 Craftsman Catalog
•   1986 Craftsman Woodworking Catalog
•   1986 Sears Catalog Pages (64 pages)
•   1987 Craftsman Catalog
•   1987 Sears Catalog Pages (52 pages)
•   1988 Craftsman Catalog
•   1988 Sears Catalog Pages (62 pages)
•   1989 Craftsman Catalog
•   1989 Sears Catalog Pages (70 pages)

Dave is probably making an educated guess, like anyone else.

I have the 1956 power tools catalog I bought a few years ago on ebay.  I really did not want it, because I was looking for the 1956 hand tools catalog.  But I know the power tools catalog is for 1956 because it says right on the cover, "with 20 new models for 1956."  The copyright date, however, is 1955.

According to Dave's list there was no 1956 hand tools catalog, just power tools.    There was a 1955 and a 1957 hand tools catalog per the list, but no 1956?  I find this very hard to believe.

I am starting to guess the hand tools catalog with the pliers on the cover, with a 1955 copyright date, may be the 1956 catalog.  If this guess is true, then there is an actual 1955 catalog to account for.  Unless Sears back then did not come out with a new catalog for every year.

Very nice catalog.
Thanks for the time and work.

I bought the Mechanic's Tools catalog with the pliers on the cover, because I think it is for 1956, not 1955.

We know the Power Tool catalog is for 1956, because it says so on the cover.  On the inside cover of this catalog it has a 1955 copyright date, with 6.15.55.  I assume it was printed on June 15, 1955.

The pliers catalog also has a 1955 copyright date, with an assumed printing date of 7.11.55, or July 11, 1955. 

Therefore, I am going to put down the pliers catalog as a 1956, and not 1955.

Is 7.11.55 the printing date?

I would guess so.

I have a 1949 Power Tools catalog.  We know it is 1949 because that is what is on the cover.  On the inside cover it has a 1948 copyright date, with 10.26.48.  I assume this 1949 catalog was printed October 26, 1948.

TP's reasoning seems to make perfect sense...

Of course, that also means the 1954 catalogue is really a 1955...

There are probably others too.

Try asking your catalog questions to Sears Catalog Archives. Do a Googlr Search. They will tell you what you want to know.

A Print date is a more reliable method of dating. Just because something has a copyrighted date, it doesn't mean thats when it was made. It might be for a logo etc.

True, but the known 1952 edition (known because "1952" is printed on the cover) has a copyright date of "9.21.51".

I tried Sears Archives 3 years ago.  Person did not know.

1952 Mechanics' Tools catalog because that is what is on the front cover.  Copyright 1951 and 9.21.51 on the inside cover.  If 1952 was not on the front cover some people would call this a 1951 catalog because of the copyright date.

1952 Power Tools.  The inside cover does not have a copyright date, just the notation 8.16.51.  The more I look at these and other catalogs, this must be a printing date.

Sears did not always put dates on the front of the catalogs.  Using the copyright date to date the catalog as the same year may not always be accurate.

Sears may not have always dated a catalog, because it would serve as the catalog for more than a year, or at least until another catalog was printed. 

Dave has on his list a 1960 Power Tools, but the catalog has 1960-61 on the cover, and copyright 1960 on the inside cover.  The 1966 combined pawer and hand tools has 1966 on the front cover, and copyright 1966 on the inside.  So with these 2 examples the copyright date matches the cover date.

In later years when the power and hand tools catalogs were combined, Sears would sometimes not put dates on the front of the catalogs.  Instead, there was a last date you could order from the catalog.