# Searching for Vintage LL Bean Catalogs (preferably PDF)



## DriCamp2 (Oct 8, 2016)

Hello, I'm researching several vintage LL Bean jackets.

I sure wish I could find some 1970s and 1990s LL Bean catalogs in PDF!

Please let me know if you do...thanks! 
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If you're interested in same, here's what I've been able to find online:

1933 Bean Catalog (at the bottom of the page, not the top!)
https://archivalclothing.com/tag/ll-bean/

1936 Bean Catalog: 
https://www.thefedoralounge.com/threads/ll-bean-catalog-fall-1936.38370/
also
https://www.flickr.com/photos/texasgirl_333/sets/72157616886275454/

1948 Bean Catalog (but only 4 pages): 
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.632322543490601.1073741864.150920264964167&type=3

1964 Bean catalog: 

__
https://www.reddit.com/r/OldSchoolCool/comments/4426rc
also
https://www.navyblazerclub.com/ll-bean-spring-1964/

1969 Bean Catalog (but only 6 pages): 
https://www.acontinuouslean.com/2010/01/14/the-deer-hunter-ll-bean-c-1969/

1982 Bean Catalog: 
https://archivalclothing.com/shopping-from-1982-ll-bean/

Early Autumn 1983 Bean Catalog: 
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B9YlPKBbOeG1WGhnTzRDbkl0SUE/view
also at

__
https://www.reddit.com/r/malefashionadvice/comments/4422d9

1987 Catalog (but only 7 pages):
https://www.etsy.com/listing/231856244/l-l-bean-catalog-christmas-1987-outdoor


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## gamma68 (Mar 24, 2013)

I have several LLB catalogs, dating as far back as 1927. Are you seeking something in particular?


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## DriCamp2 (Oct 8, 2016)

*Yes Actually!*



gamma68 said:


> I have several LLB catalogs, dating as far back as 1927. Are you seeking something in particular?


Yes actually! Right now I'm trying to determine when the "Bean's Anorak" (made with 2.5oz 'slick' nylon and parallel vertical seams on chest) was made, and when it morphed into the "Mountain Classic Anorak" (made with Supplex, heavier, and with a keystone shape to the vertical chest seams, which was plentiful in the 1990s). I think the changeover date was either in the late 1980s or early 1990s?

Neither do I have any idea when the start date was for the "Bean's Anorak," could it have started as far back as the 1970s? Just don't know. (I know Bean was making a parka/anorak even earlier, but that was before the kangaroo-pocketed "Bean's Anorak" seen in 1980s catalogs.)

I've seen the vintage 'Bean's Anorak' with product numbers like 1390, 1390B, 1331Q (4277Q womens), 1331R (4277R womens). I know it only came in 3 colors in 1982 (red, green, blue) and 4 colors in 1983 (added tan).


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## gamma68 (Mar 24, 2013)

^ I'll check my catalogs for you. I believe my latest one is Fall 1985. The bulk of mine are from the 1930s-1960s.


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## DriCamp2 (Oct 8, 2016)

gamma68 said:


> ^ I'll check my catalogs for you. I believe my latest one is Fall 1985. The bulk of mine are from the 1930s-1960s.


Oh that's great...1985 would be a good year to know. Wonder if they added colors by '85 or changed the product number.

Thanks much.


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## SG_67 (Mar 22, 2014)

Looking through the 1933 catalogue, does $35 for a pair of shoes sound excessive for those days?


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## DriCamp2 (Oct 8, 2016)

SG_67 said:


> Looking through the 1933 catalogue, does $35 for a pair of shoes sound excessive for those days?


https://www.usinflationcalculator.com says that's $648!

EDIT: Saw your follow-on post. The 1933 catalog is at the bottom of that link, the 1983 is at the top.


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## SG_67 (Mar 22, 2014)

^ Well, it does include postage.

Ooops! My mistake. I clicked on the link indicating the 1933 catalogue. It did not take me there. It took me to the 1983 catalogue instead.


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## Fraser Tartan (May 12, 2010)

L.L. Bean customer service may surprise you if you ask them. They have an e-mail form on their web page. They've been quite helpful to me when I've had questions about their vintage items.


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## Fraser Tartan (May 12, 2010)

This is probably obvious, but you can identify the date range of an L.L. Bean item by its L.L. Bean label design. Use their catalogs as a reference.


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## Thurston Howell III (Jun 4, 2015)

*L.L. Bean posts covers of past catalogues on their website*



Fraser Tartan said:


> L.L. Bean customer service may surprise you if you ask them. They have an e-mail form on their web page. They've been quite helpful to me when I've had questions about their vintage items.


Yes, L.L. Bean surely has access to the contents of past catalogues because they post the covers of them (dating back to the 1930s) on a section of their website:


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## DriCamp2 (Oct 8, 2016)

Fraser Tartan said:


> This is probably obvious, but you use identify the date range of an item by its L.L. Bean label design.


I've read that 1940s or 1950s nape labels were black with a gold signature. I've also read green-on-white cursive labels were used in the 1950s, 1960s, and maybe 1970s (one source says into the 1980s). That's vague for dating. Do you have better info? Do the more modern block logos conform to a timeline, i.e., does an "L.L. Bean Freeport Maine" nape label stop at a certain year, and the "L.L. Bean" take over? When did the "L.L. Bean Since 1912 Quality Guaranteed" appear? This could be useful info!


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## DriCamp2 (Oct 8, 2016)

Fraser Tartan said:


> L.L. Bean customer service may surprise you if you ask them. They have an e-mail form on their web page. They've been quite helpful to me when I've had questions about their vintage items.


The one time I asked for information on a vintage jacket from LLB-CS, I got shut down fast: "I can't help you with that. I am sorry." Maybe I just got the wrong CS agent. But I think a forum like this, frequented by people who are interested in the topic, probably can reveal all sorts of useful historical information. Clearly, some of you have actual physical catalogs to examine -- nice!!


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## DriCamp2 (Oct 8, 2016)

Hey! The LLBean website revealed that the "Sunrise Over Katahdin" Bean logo appeared in 1987...woot! Although this book page says 1988.

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/9a/c2/04/9ac204dfe606178e9371291fe869ff40.jpg

I wonder what book that's from, and whether it reveals other label dates?


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## gamma68 (Mar 24, 2013)

DriCamp2 said:


> Yes actually! Right now I'm trying to determine when the "Bean's Anorak" (made with 2.5oz 'slick' nylon and parallel vertical seams on chest) was made, and when it morphed into the "Mountain Classic Anorak" (made with Supplex, heavier, and with a keystone shape to the vertical chest seams, which was plentiful in the 1990s). I think the changeover date was either in the late 1980s or early 1990s?
> 
> Neither do I have any idea when the start date was for the "Bean's Anorak," could it have started as far back as the 1970s? Just don't know. (I know Bean was making a parka/anorak even earlier, but that was before the kangaroo-pocketed "Bean's Anorak" seen in 1980s catalogs.)
> 
> I've seen the vintage 'Bean's Anorak' with product numbers like 1390, 1390B, 1331Q (4277Q womens), 1331R (4277R womens). I know it only came in 3 colors in 1982 (red, green, blue) and 4 colors in 1983 (added tan).


Below is a scan from the Fall 1985 LLB catalog. My next oldest catalogs are from 1971 and they have no Anorak products. I hope this is helpful to you.


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## gamma68 (Mar 24, 2013)

DriCamp2 said:


> Hey! The LLBean website revealed that the "Sunrise Over Katahdin" Bean logo appeared in 1987...woot! Although this book page says 1988.
> 
> https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/9a/c2/04/9ac204dfe606178e9371291fe869ff40.jpg
> 
> I wonder what book that's from, and whether it reveals other label dates?


The book is titled "Guaranteed to Last: L.L. Bean's Century of Outfitting in America." Published in 2012.

I don't believe other label dates are included in the book. But I would like to know when LLB discontinued using the cursive script label so I can more accurately date some of my items.


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## DriCamp2 (Oct 8, 2016)

*Thank You Gamma 68!*



gamma68 said:


> Below is a scan from the Fall 1985 LLB catalog...


Thank you SO MUCH Gamma68! Yes, this is very helpful. With your help, here's what I think I know about the older LL Bean Anoraks to date:

(1) There were some really old Gold Cursive nape tag LLB anoraks that we would hardly recognize; parka-like, two very prominent high diagonal hand pockets, cut so low at the hem as to encase the seat. People posting these say they are WWII vintage (specifying use by the 110th Mountain Division) and also 1960s vintage. I've read these oldies are cotton or 60/40. One owner called his "The Labrador Anorak Jacket." Also seen in 1959 catalog as "Bean's Labrador Parka." I know nothing about these...but would love to own one.

(2) The classic LLB Anorak must have started life as "Bean's Anorak" sometime between 1971 and 1982, made of 2.5 oz 'slick' nylon. Its signature visual details are the parallel vertical seams on either side of the chest. Also thanks to the post above, we see it got a new name in 1985, "Bean's Nylon Anorak," to differentiate from a then-new Gore-Tex model (that must be rare now, I've never seen one).

(3) The "Bean's Anorak" or "Bean's Nylon Anorak" may have morphed into the "Mountain Classic Anorak" (and eventually into the "Alpine Classic" or "Aztec" models of the 1990s) about the same time that the 'Sunrise over Katahdin' logo appeared, 1987-1988, although I am not certain. These garments of the 1990s had a keystone shape to the chest seams. I don't know when the 1990s "MCA" and "ACA" were disco'd, but would like to!

(4) The reissued "Mountain Classic Anorak" of 2012-2014 went all the way back to the 1980s (not the 1990s) for its pattern inspiration. It had, once again, the distinctive parallel seams and leather keepers on an internal hood cord. Along with several modern updates.


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## DriCamp2 (Oct 8, 2016)

DriCamp2 said:


> (1) There were some really old LLB anoraks that we would hardly recognize...


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## DriCamp2 (Oct 8, 2016)

DriCamp2 said:


> (2) The classic LLB Anorak must have started life as "Bean's Anorak"...


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## DriCamp2 (Oct 8, 2016)

DriCamp2 said:


> (3) ...morphed into the "Mountain Classic Anorak"....


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## DriCamp2 (Oct 8, 2016)

DriCamp2 said:


> (4) The reissued "Mountain Classic Anorak" of 2012-2014 ....


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## katon (Dec 25, 2006)

Good info; thanks!


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## DriCamp2 (Oct 8, 2016)

gamma68 said:


> ...I would like to know when LLB discontinued using the cursive script label so I can more accurately date some of my items.


Hey Gamma, I tried. I contacted Laurie Brooks, archivist & SM & PR manager at LLB. I sent her a proposed tag dating scheme *in hopes that* she would at least correct it. Alas, she did not. She said the project was too complicated due to all the various overlapping tags used by the company throughout the years. Here's what she actually wrote:

"Thank you for reaching out to L.L.Bean. We have had so many logos over the years!!! In fact, we have several different logos that are active right now. What you list below is just a fraction. Unfortunately, I don't have the time or resources to dedicate to researching this effort for you. I wish I did -- it sounds like a fun project!"

Any and all readers, please be warned that the following proposed timeline for LLB tags is extremely rough, woefully unresearched, incomplete, and may, in fact, be wholly inaccurate. If you can help refine it, please do!

- Gold LL Bean script on black - 1940s and 1950s? 
- Green LL Bean script on white - 1950s through 1970s (two sources say into the 1980s)? 
- LL Bean Freeport Maine (block font) - 1980s? 
- Sunrise over Katahdin (not a nape tag, but still&#8230 introduced 1987 or 1988. 
- LL Bean (block font) - 1990s? 
- LL Bean Since 1912 Quality Guaranteed (block font) - 2000s?

Again, the above are WAGs: Wild Ass Guesses. Caveat Emptor and all that. I always feel a little sick when publishing guesswork on the internet. You just KNOW someone will quote it elsewhere as truth.


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## gamma68 (Mar 24, 2013)

DriCamp2 said:


> Hey Gamma, I tried. I contacted Laurie Brooks, archivist & SM & PR manager at LLB. I sent her a proposed tag dating scheme *in hopes that* she would at least correct it. Alas, she did not. She said the project was too complicated due to all the various overlapping tags used by the company throughout the years. Here's what she actually wrote:
> 
> "Thank you for reaching out to L.L.Bean. We have had so many logos over the years!!! In fact, we have several different logos that are active right now. What you list below is just a fraction. Unfortunately, I don't have the time or resources to dedicate to researching this effort for you. I wish I did -- it sounds like a fun project!"
> 
> ...


This is interesting. The block font was in use at least as early as 1982, as shown by the link in the first post of this thread to a scan of a 1982 catalog page.


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## oxford cloth button down (Jan 1, 2012)

Awesome thread guys. Really enjoying it!


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## adoucett (Nov 16, 2012)

oxford cloth button down said:


> Awesome thread guys. Really enjoying it!


Hi everyone -

I haven't been around to post in a while but I'm one of the founders of the Navyblazer.org website.

We have an entire section we plan to use as an archive of vintage clothing catalogs, including LL Bean.

https://www.navyblazerclub.com/style/the-archives/

We have a couple from LL Bean currently up, and I recently purchased all four seasons of LL Bean 1984 catalogs to scan in full resolution for the site. We will be releasing content here as soon as we can curate it all. Our hope is to maintain one location where anyone interested in this kind of thing can browse and more or less time-travel back through the years for various brands.

I also want to keep an open invitation for articles and writers!

Thanks!


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## katon (Dec 25, 2006)

Christmas 1983, courtesy of Heavy Tweed Jacket.


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## DriCamp2 (Oct 8, 2016)

adoucett said:


> I haven't been around to post in a while but I'm one of the founders of the Navyblazer.org website. We have an entire section we plan to use as an archive of vintage clothing catalogs, including LL Bean...


Adoucett, thanks so much for the link! I've sent you a PM in case you want my stash of LLB PDFs, such as they are.



katon said:


> Christmas 1983...


Thank you Katon! Christmas '83 now nailed down!


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## Guest (Apr 21, 2020)

How much was a pair of Birkenstock Arizona sanders in 1993 in an LL Beann catalog? I have abet with my wife....


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## Guest (Feb 27, 2021)

gamma68 said:


> I have several LLB catalogs, dating as far back as 1927. Are you seeking something in particular?


Does anyone have a summer or spring 2000 catalog? Looking for a friend that lost theirs's whose son was a kid model in it.


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## Guest (May 27, 2021)

gamma68 said:


> I have several LLB catalogs, dating as far back as 1927. Are you seeking something in particular?


Hi , I'm looking for a few l.l. Bean catalogs, 1927 spring, 1929 spring, 1930 fall, 1931 spring and 1982 fall. If you can help me out it would be appreciated. Thanks Dennis


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## drpeter (Nov 21, 2008)

Guest-734086 said:


> How much was a pair of Birkenstock Arizona sanders in 1993 in an LL Beann catalog? I have abet with my wife....


This may not help, but my first pair of Birkenstocks (it was the Arizona model) was bought in 1978, and it was $38 plus tax. I bought these at an actual brick-and-mortar shoe shop in Rochester, New York. They were (and still are) the most comfortable sandals I had ever worn, bar some custom-made ones from years earlier. Since then, I have never been without a pair of Birkies, and I often have two or three pairs in reserve, picked up whenever I find a sale!


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