Goodbye Encyclopedia Britannica

Did an Encyclopedia Britannica salesman ever visit your house, many years ago? Did you ever beg your parents to buy a set?

If they never did, you're out of luck.

The company on Wednesday announced the end of the print edition of the iconic reference set as it moves into the digital age.

According to a statement on the company's website, the encyclopedia "will cease to be available in book form the first time in 244 years when the current stock runs out."

"They’ve always been there. Year after year. Since 1768. Every. Single. Day," editors said in a blog post titled "Change: It's OK. Really."

"But not forever."

According to the company, the Encyclopedia Britannica has been a primarily online publication for the past 20 years. For the next week, access will be free to the online edition. 

“The end of the print set is something we’ve foreseen for some time,” Jorge Cauz, president of Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc. said in a statement.

“It’s the latest step in our evolution from the print publisher we were, to the creator of digital learning products we are today.”

If you'd still like to get your hands on the 32-volume encyclopedia, you can buy the final, 2010 edition online for about $1,400 until supplies run out.  

You can also find a few nearby on Craigslist: a 1966 edition in Baltimore and one in Reisterstown. 

Read the entry on Encyclopedia Britannica on Encyclopedia Britannica. 

And check out the video for a blast from the past. 

Share your memories of the encyclopedia salesman or poring over the home edition for school projects in comments below.