It hurts to admit it, but I used to purchase right from the L.L. Bean store in Freeport Maine way back when L.L. himself was still alive and kicking, and contributing to that hard cover red book that was then the Bean's catalog. All the products were not only good, but excellent, most, if not all, tested and used by ol' L.L. himself or one of the family.
Times have changed and now many of their items are no longer American made, but made in ,,,ugghh....China. Take the famous Wicked Good slippers for example. Always a bit on the expensive side, they cost about $40 on sale a few years ago, went up to $60 a bit ago and are now $80 on line. They sure used to be worth the price but now, I can't say they are. Maybe if they lasted ten years to keep you feet warm in the mornings, but if they lased three or four years, are they worth $80? For indoor slippers, now, remember. Not outdoor boots or outdoor anything.
I'm bummed that an American legend touts their product as the same as was made in the old days and when you get it, it has a :Made in China" label affixed. Then you find the insides fall apart in due time. Worse yet, you find when the slippers fail to give satisfaction, the guarantee is not to replace them with the same slippers that are now double the price, but to refund or credit the original price. So, if you want a new pair you pay the increased price for a new "Chinese" L.L. Bean product.
Utterly disgusted. But much smarter as I now see why the latest Bean shirts do not hold up like the older ones. After a few washings they start to look like rags, no longer crisp and solid. More like something I would expect from Wal-Mart. Oh wait, the Bean shirts are made in El Salvador and Bulgaria. What did I expect? American pricing on foreign goods.
Another sad story for American goods and labor and a company with a good story left far behind. Old L. L. Himself would be really sad at this turn of events. Even horrified to see his fishing creel with a "Made in China" stamp on the bottom probably.
