L.L. Bean boots...what the?

Same thing happened a few years ago when feathers braided into women hair was the rage. My fly tying boxes were raided by all three of my daughters. They told me it saved them a fortune!
 
Remember when I got out of the military in 68 and was asked by a few older friends to hunt in maine with their group. Never hunted deer and was really enthused. Drove to LL to get our license and other gear. Canoes strapped to the outside of the building, split log steps going in, wool shirts, pants, traps and trap scents [stinky section] and their famous chamois shirts. I was in heaven...
Still go there to the yuppi mall. Still have good service...
 
Chuck - hope that fly rod still gets used, it looks like a good one. My daughter inquired about my Metz fly tying "feathers" during that fad. My reply No How No WAY...
 
My daughter inquired about my Metz fly tying "feathers" during that fad. My reply No How No WAY...

I have friends who made a lot of money selling feathers at the height of that craze. Ten years or so ago I was in a bidding war at a charity auction for a high quality dry fly saddle patch. It was probably worth about $80 retail back then, and I dropped out of the bidding at $50 or so. A buddy got it for $5 more than I was willing to pay, and later sold it for nearly $400. Still kicking myself, but if I'd had that patch, it would long ago have been converted into trout flies, or lost in the great mouse invasion that took a lot of my tying materials one winter.

As for LL Bean boots, I was never really a fan of them for hiking or hunting, but they were probably the best boots for mud season ever made. I stopped being able to wear them long ago when my feet reached size 14.
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Try selling that today. Hunting Shoe,

Phil

Shoot, Bean's is still at it.
http://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/72753?page=mens-100th-anniversary-maine-hunting-shoes

Cabela's looks to me like they are doing gangbusters selling hunting gear, and don't even get me started on the Robertsons and Ted Nugent. Don't get me wrong, I'll take the old LL Bean or Herters catalog over those options any day, but marketing "hunting" is alive and well. And while LL Bean may have started out selling hunting clothing, and kept that as part of the store's image to this day, they really made it big when they became the mail order source for preppy clothes for college kids and families.
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Bob - I actually wore my wool Kromer and fleece Bean jacket to work today in celebration of your post. I can't believe the term Fedora didn't come up once in this post...

Too much class for these yuppies... Pat
 
I heard the same thing about the back-orders. Living in a Southern college town, I can attest to the popularity of the Maine Hunting Shoe (aka "bean boot")...back in the heat of September i was working at a social function and saw dozens and dozens of fraternity boys coming in wearing these boots with their khaki pants and blue blazers. Their feet had to be sweating by the gallon!

And my 16 yr old daughter "Had" to have a pair last year.
 
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