The Life of L. L. Bean - Dobbs Productions- Bar Harbor, Maine

L.L.Bean
The name has become a household word, but the retail empire known to millions today all started with one simple idea: the Maine Hunting Shoe. And that idea sprang from the mind of none other than L.L. himself, Leon Leonwood Bean.
Born into a solid Maine family of humble circumstances, L.L. and his little store in Freeport would come to symbolize Yankee ingenuity, integrity, and the Maine way of life. He believed in the beauty of the outdoors and in treating people fairly in business. "Sell good merchandise at a reasonable profit, treat customers like human beings, and they will always come back for more." That was L.L.'s Golden Rule.
His journey -- from orphaned boyhood to his design of the famous hunting shoe and the development of his retail philosophy -- is the stuff American legends are made of.

[@sydfrissell]

When I got out of the Army in 1979, my Mom had moved next door to L.L. Bean's store. I was single and Freeport became my family's home. I was able to get on seasonally and continued on working under Leon Gormanas a Leather steerhide half sorter for the manufacture of the Maine hunting shoe. I met Leon Gorman personally when he did something that he always did for his employees that married - he gave me as a gift a Hudson's Bay Blanket to keep me and my new wife warm on the cold Maine winter nights! I still use that blanket today on cold winter nights and I still wear the 12 inch felt lined Maine Hunting Shoes that I purchased while working at Bean's! I was 15 the year before LL passed when I bought a yellow 16 foot lightweight Old Town canoe and an "Allagash" hat. for several years I whitewatered down the Androscoggin River in northern NH - long before it was commercially done as it is today.

[@sydfrissell]

Oh, and for years my photo was on the wall in the shoe sales department in the main store in Freeport. I was pictured with my coworker who was my neighbor. He lived across the street, also next to the retail store. Leon, if you read this, will you send me that big picture of me? My sister, Johanna Frissell-Butts still lives on Rt 1. Please contact her. Thank you.

[@susansmith493]

Thank you for sharing your story, Sydney. Fascinating.

[@jangel3300]

Warm memories of L. L. Beans and home. From working here for a short time, to shopping over 30+ years. I long for the sound of the wood floors from the older building. I hope the decision makers of today, 2021, do not travel too far from the feeling and the integrity that he lovingly built. Made in Maine and/or U.S. products, not products made or assembled abroad. This is what made and kept Beans such a huge part of America for so many years. I look forward to returning again on future Maine visits. Thank you for doing this video!

[@charlieporch3181]

I was there in 1971. So different then. Miss the old building.

[@ladydi4runner]

Soooo glad I came across this most informative gem. Been loyal customer since 1980. My Family now also buys from them, over 40 years later. True quality whatever is you buy. One day, the ultimate trip, to Freeport, Maine. 👍👏🏻👍

[@jackhandeganiii]

Has to be one of the most soothing and calming videos I have ever watched

[@emilyanthony7138]

My first time trip and visit to L.L. Bean was in 1975 with my husband. My husband bought a Norwegian fisherman sweater and me I bought a chaima. Few to mentioned. From Maine we traveled all the way to Prince Edward island in Canada.

[@NSoule]

Thank you for putting this up !. When I applied for a job at Bean's, I saw this film and jumped for joy!! There's my Great Aunt Carlene!! How can I show this to my mom and aunt?? Now I can! .. My Aunt Jackie Brand was on CBS due to working at Beans' for so long.. a 45th Anniversary/retirement party !! (1998?).. Just to let you know, Aunt Carlene Griffin died this year, 2016.

[@automaticenforcer9051]

Did you get the job ?

[@nancysoule8132]

@@automaticenforcer9051 Sorry, I didn't see you'd replied to me11 .. NO, I did Not get the job!! ..

[@destro513]

Fantastic documentary. I just love these old 1990s films where you get to see the people who were there

[@huntrrams]

Really love LL Bean especially the boots and moccasins! True craftsmanship! Thank you for telling his story.

[@carljamison6374]

I've had my 16" LLBean boots resoled 3 times in the last 40 years and they are still very servicable .

[@katherenewedic8076]

Well if you bought them today you'd be lucky if they last four years and don't try returning it because they won't fix it

[@josephrobichaud5198]

I took my two sons on a trip to ME and my youngest son brought his worn out LL Bean back pack with broken zipper. They exchanged it for a new one with no issues. My mother sent me a jacket that had a broken zipper and they offered to pay to have it repaired, or I Could send it back at no charge and get another one sent out.

[@katherenewedic8076]

Well you're lucky I had a coat completely fall apart and they told me it was my fault over the last 10 years I've bought nothing but s*** from this company

[@LEDZEP769]

If it wasn't chinese crap you wouldn't have that problem.

[@johnnylaredo324]

I support LL BEAN and will always buy LL Bean ,they have the best products

[@theacdagirls2073]

Just bought my 3rd pair with their current discount! I love LL Bean. How I wish people weren’t greedy and LL Bean would’ve kept their lifetime guarantee!

[@stevenbean9706]

Its the crooked punk thats not a Bean whom took the company role as ceo whom destroyed everything last name is Smith ! What a prize he is Linda and the rest of the board would have been far far far better off continuing with tradition and moving another Bean like myself into the position the whole company would be far better off for it !

[@MM-rr1kp]

greedy people are only part of the problem. quality dropped off so badly that the guarantee policy was unsustainable

[@stevenbean9706]

You know why the quality dropped off right? Linda in all her infinite wisdom joined an association known as asi otherwise known as the advertising specialty institute. You can find anything and everything imaginable in asi call the distributor in a catalog they post once a year have your name or logo printed on products they offer and go sell the products for 3 to 500% profit ! They got lazy and no longer wanted to keep taking back cheap chinese junk they paid .50 for and sold for 5 or 10.00. They could easily sustain the guarantee but just don't want to !

[@heritagevr4010]

I have a very worn pair of LL Bean boots. This year, I determined to buy a new pair. I priced them before Christmas at $129 dollars. I even spoke the cost to someone who asked me what I wanted for Christmas. After Christmas I went to the Outlet shop. The boots were on sale for 40% off......but wait! ???!!!??? The original price is now $229 for the same boots. Take 40% off: It will be more than the $129 they cost before they were "on sale."

[@strokerace5468]

Great story. Now businesses mottos seem to be what can the customers do for us

[@dimitri1946]

My 1975 felt insulted Hunting Shoes (the ones with the full felt liners) have been resoled twice for free. They saved my feet numerously from frost bite doing outdoor work in the winter. I have used them every year since the purchase 45 years ago. I now hear that the resoling is no longer free but is still done for the die-hards who refuse the outsourced imitations. I working on getting 75 years of use out of them? The leather tops were yearly oiled or waxed with the leather "food" that Bean sold you. They are as soft and sturdy as new. Surely the best article of footwear I ever purchased.

[@user-jj9mi4os7y]

Gracias por tan explicito y bien hecho documental de LL BEAN 👍

[@livelife4471]

The quality of LL Bean merchandise has declined significantly in the last couple of decades. LL Bean products are made off shore using synthetic materials. And they are not like what they used to be. I've moved on.

[@stevenbean9706]

Thank the new ceo hes a nut job had Linda known hes a looney toon she would have suggested the board go towards a different ceo. He uses the foundation of large corporations like GE to make basic decisions. Lean manufacturing and piss poor quality.. They rely on cheap chineese products then relable ,re pack and lie to everybody. I referred to him as a used car salesman with leer jet ,rolex, champagne taste doing work that isnt even work insisting hes the hardest working guy in the company which he isnt. Hes a con artist thief. Everything sold there should be made in maine as far as im concerned including all the firearms they should be all new england firearms. Had i been ceo id have bought new england firearms and manufactured LL Bean firearms.

[@livelife4471]

@@stevenbean9706 I didn't know the reason why LLBean has gone the way of everyone else, that is, offshore manufacturers etc. but the quality has dropped dramatically and the price is high. You definitely don't get value for dollar. I bought from LLBean since the 1970's so I know what quality LLBean used to sell and I don't see that anymore. I long for the quality of days past.

[@Happyinmontana]

Cool beans

[@stevenbean9706]

Enjoyed your documentary, You left out the real begining of LL Bean , Leon and his brother started L L Bean dry goods in Auburn Maine . On court street ,main street corner , My current home in Auburn was built by my grandfather using materials from an old post office the land was owned by the swett family leons mom. at one time we owned a whole lot of land in auburn ,a lot of which we were told could never be used for commercial use so my grandfather gave it to Bates college and miraculously within 5 years it was all re zoned and sold off to various developers making Bates millions leaving the poor working class side of our family with zero ! Thanks Auburn ! The Bean brothers LL Bean was right across the street from my grandfathers business which was run right where the Auburn city hall is right now only the resteraunt side and LL started right across the street where Grittys brew pub is now. I have pictures somewhere showing the first LL Bean in this location. It was bizzare when i purchased my first home, i walked into the place and it looked familiar and felt familiar come to find out his home on court street was the home i bought. I ended up refinancing it and my fixed rate wasnt so fixed they said ohh you do have a fixed rate its your monthly finance charge we adjusted. Long story short they gradually increased my payment from 800 to 1000 to 1200 to 1400 then 1600, 1800 , 2000 i stopped at 2000 and refused to keep paying them more and more ! they ended up getting a government bailout and a free house they sold for 20,000.00 azzholes just like the crooked mortgage broker who got me the refinance. Keep away from k&r auto. John vallieres he was on downeast dickering i loved my home they stole it ! A fixed rate but we can adjust the finance charge as much as we want ! Crooks..anyways thank you for the video loved it wish you could have included pics from the very beginning , his house is still standing there and i doubt the new owners even realize its history !

[@Dave-zl2ky]

Miss the old building you could find things easily. I spent more money at the old place as well.

[@joshmears3871]

Love shopping at llbean it's my favorite store to shop at

[@QuaaludeCharlie]

My Grandpa got me my first Pair in the 1970's , They kept me High and Dry :) QC

[@dona62851]

What an amazing story.

[@oppslopper3017]

The Outlet in Elsworth is cool, Settlers Green in NH is good too. I want one on MDI but the politics are currently corrupt on island.

[@heritagevr4010]

Politics are only corrupt on MDI--nowhere else in US. Right?

[@brianhumphreys1660]

@@heritagevr4010 more so there. Because it’s such a small community

[@jamessheffield4173]

Need to keep enough in stock. My daughter-in-law wanted to order slippers for Christmas, but they were out of stock.

[@ohmeowzer1]

Loved this

[@sturg1s1]

Yup, like the other person said: "over priced yuppie garbage". A lot of it from China, swell.

[@P61guy61]

Enjoyed the video. Thanks.

[@multidimensionaltraveler806]

L.L was doin it and doin it and doin it well

[@jeffreyrichardson]

LL has an excellent return policy! I get free shipping to my home.

[@rawbacon]

Leon Gorman was the richest man in Maine when he died in 2015 with 860 million dollars, must have sold a lot of boots.

[@flossygalloway1190]

Well their jeans suck an are coming apart after washing twice I expect ed more.

[@phf3238]

And the latest Gorman came into the store last year and paid for a customer’s order at the checkout stations. I was working with the customer and she was astounded.

[@billydow1971]

I've lived in Maine all my life. This store is nothing more than overpriced yuppie garbage that no one needs. I've been there once and their customer service was poor. I was shopping for a new shotgun, took 30 minutes to actually talk to someone and they didn't seem interested in helping me. I will never go back....

[@nirv]

I live in Minnesota. Are you telling me that I don't need waterproof boots? Do you know how many lakes we have here?!

[@billydow1971]

@@nirv I'm not telling you anything. You buy your boots wherever you want. What do lakes have anything to do with boots? Maine has lakes as well.

[@nirv]

@@billydow1971 you said that no one needs. my argument is that I do need them and that's why I ordered them two days ago

[@billydow1971]

@bdb global your psychological evaluation is astounding! Well done.

[@devlevine2782]

Have been an LLBean for 3 decades sad to see how terrible the quality of the Clothing and everything else has gotten. Sad. Please bring back the quality that Bean use to stand for. Made in Maine

[@buntingy]

2021 just found ancestry to bunting family

[@derbywinner6316]

Be back to buying LL Bean when I can be able to buying 100% cotton and 100 % woolly. I hate synthetic

[@AmericanPatriot-bp7cu]

The little boy and the knife story is an old fable all over America in the 50's our mothers warned us about. I doubt it happened at LL Bean. Makes good narrative though.

[@KristaAMartin]

Cool!

[@granskare]

I knew a guy named Roger Bean who was the northeast. I wonder if my Bean is related to LL?

[@stevenbean9706]

Where is he from ? Leon was my grandfathers cousin

[@joe4freedom676]

I love these outfitter stores, I hope someone can help me find a craftsman that can copy an old rucksack of my which is made of canvas and leather with a metal frame back support? Thanks for everyone's help and God Bless.

[@LEDZEP769]

I moved to Maine in 1989 and remember my first trip to LL Bean. Great store for outdoor activities. Sadly they have become a cheaply made in China, overpriced yuppie clothing store. They only have one case with a few knives now because yuppies don't by them as with the work boots they don't have anymore. I'm sure guns will be the next thing to be scaled back and I think Lionell himself would not be very unhappy with what his company has become today. Greed instead of integity and quality products ruined a Maine tradition and landmark. 👎💰🧦🧤

[@ellarae7575]

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

[@chipper592]

I don’t think LL would be happy with the fact that little sold is manufactured in the USA nor that his guarantee philosophy has changed. I’m a fifth generation purchaser but know I’m very careful what I purchase. My family now has elevated to its seventh generation round of buyers.

[@1Mhoram9]

When they stopped making bluchers without steel shanks I stopped buying.

[@bokumroad2659]

When the guarantee went so did my business. Things changed when Leon Gorman passed away.

[@BehindThePlayButton]

Jack Perkins!

[@marycahill546]

Unfortunately LL Bean has not kept up with their competition. The prices are double what they should be. I get s similar quality from Lands End and Lee Valley Tools at much better prices.

[@princessmarlena1359]

I hear ya’ there! 👍

[@farrahmccahan4831]

So, in 2021, no actual hunter wears ANYTHING related to Maine. It's like you all live in a dream world. The only hunting L.L.Bean boots do, is looking for where you parked your carbon spewing car in the parking lot, as you shop for over priced crap.

[@MM-rr1kp]

ive heard their replacement policy has changed, much more limited. Probably had to, too many people taking advantage of the policy at the same time quality fell into steep decline multiplying return/replace volume. stopped buying their stuff a while back. just not good quality any more

[@boostedbilly7308]

Their lifetime guarantee does not exist anymore I wonder how her father would feel about that

[@elijah1440]

They have the best rain gear

[@christopherfreeman8558]

Ayah

[@JoshP037]

Great documentary, except for the cheesy canned music.

[@farrahmccahan4831]

No real Mainer actually wears bean boots anymore. Why? They suck to go hunting in. In 1930, they were probably awesome. In 2021, they are awful to go hunting in.

[@Zordy21]

It's a shame they're terrible now. Treat employees poorly, terrible warranty, hardly any knives except for Leathermans, anything you find their that's name brand you can usually find for 5 or 10 less at other hunting fishing stores. Had a pair of the slippers. It's very obvious they had a major seem failure and they wouldn't replace them

[@polytech100]

MADE IN CHINA

[@machinebp23]

loadn mags what’s made in China?

[@carasmussen27]

some and most other companbies so go spend you money on cheap worthless shit from greedy fucking walmart and STFU.

[@solobackpacking]

Cant win. Made in US simply means made by illegals.

[@princessmarlena1359]

@@solobackpacking or by automation/machines

[@lulutileguy]

i have never bought anything sub standard from LL GOING ON 35 YEARS

[@hellokittysks6580]

Get rid of the music

[@wandajames6234]

everything was needed in those days-- you would almost have to be an idiot to NOT make a success of a business....

[@c.catlover4080]

Not fond of killing animals. :(

[@danvanhoose6783]

Can the music get any gayer!

[@MM-rr1kp]

only youd be able to answer that authentically