L. L. Bean A-2 history time line?

[Doctor Damage]

The L.L. Bean jackets seem to be being priced higher on ebay recently. I was lucky to get mine for $63. There are some that are starting in the $100-200 range and more. I wonder how much longer these jackets will be the bargain they are today as people realize the quality of the earlier ones at least?

I was wondering that myself last night because I'd like to find a 44 with Thinsulate since my 42 is a little tight.

I just missed out on a nice one dated 1997 for $35. Someone grabbed it before I had a chance to buy it. I guess I shouldn't have wasted time asking the seller some questions! Bean obviously sold tons of these jackets over the years so there seems to be a constant supply and turnover on e-Bay. Keep looking regularly. Prices are all over the map but the older ones are still well under $100 most of the time. I suspect that when the hot weather comes prices will drop a bit.

 

[Levallois]

Maybe it's very optimistic sellers looking at a recent L.L. Bean catalog and thinking they should be able to get 60 percent of retail not realizing that the better older jackets are going for 20 percent of retail?

 

[Doctor Damage]

Maybe it's very optimistic sellers looking at a recent L.L. Bean catalog and thinking they should be able to get 60 percent of retail not realizing that the better older jackets are going for 20 percent of retail?

I'm a real estate consultant and you see that sort of seller dumbness all the time: one agent sells a building for X price, and then they all figure they should get X price for every other property in the area. Unfortunately the property tax system in Ontario takes the same approach, despite its irrationality. Sellers can rarely judge their stuff. Mind you, many buyers can't either and spend too much on the wrong things. With that in mind there are some bonkers prices on e-Bay right now: one clapped out jacket for $195 and a couple others of same vintage in better condition for $90! And one group of bidders took a jacket from around $25 to $110 for no reason I could see other than the photos were better than any others.

 

[Levallois]

Humans are a weird bunch. You should try to make sense of their behavior in the past by looking at their trash - I'm an archaeologist by trade - it can drive you nuts.

Back to my jacket - I didn't realize that Thinsulate hasn't been around that long?! My jacket can't be any older than 1979 (when it first came out) and based on another post in another topic, LLBean went to a 3-piece back in 1989. If that's true, then my jacket dates to 1979-1989 range. Don't know if I'll ever be able to narrow it down more than that?

 

[thor]

Maybe Sellers (and Buyers) have stumbled upon this thread and are reading all about how good (and valuable) the Bean jackets have become!

 

[handymike]

There's a guy wanting $350!!! :-0

 

[Levallois]

Maybe Sellers (and Buyers) have stumbled upon this thread and are reading all about how good (and valuable) the Bean jackets have become!

Oh crap! Uh, well then, those LL Bean jackets suck. Especially the old 1-piece back, made in the US ones. Yeah, you'd be lucky to get $20 for one . . . . .


And $350 for one? You gotta be smoking crack while you're on your way back to the planet your'e from.

 

[GoodTimesGone]

I currently own six L.L. Bean A-2s. Three thinsulate versions in seal brown with a one-piece back, two thinsulate versions in a distressed brown with the three-piece back, and one non-insulated seal brown with a one-piece back. To further confuse things one of my distressed brown ones has a tag in the pocket dated 10/2/89 and my one-piece back non-insulated jacket has a date of 7/10/90 so apparently they were manufacturing the seal brown one-piece during the same time they also made the distressed brown three-piece back. If six L.L. Bean jackets seems excessive, that's because it is. I bought them because they were ebay bargains and I was searching for the perfect fit. I plan on selling three of them because the arms are too short for me. Here is a link to an older thread where I mentioned my observations about them. I have seen the ones with "Flying Tiger Jacket" on the label and the only difference between them and others is the label itself. http://www.thefedoralounge.com/show...p=1702407&highlight=L.L.+Bean+A-2#post1702407
____________________________________________________________
Tom

 

[RailRoad]

Thanks for the information Tom. I saw the 3 piece back, made in USA jacket, on ebay and wondered about the quality of the later ones.

 

[Levallois]

Yes, thanks Tom. Six Bean jackets is impressive. Having that many allows you to look at changes through time. How do the zippers change? I thought that I could see a Scovill, Talon, YKK early to late progression but now I'm not so sure? Also, do you find the older ones have longer arms? Thank again.

 

[GoodTimesGone]

My three-piece back A-2 dated 10/2/89 has medium weight leather with a quality feel and nice grain. Scovill zipper. Size 40. Fits me perfect.
My three-piece back A-2 dated 6/1/93 has thin leather with an artificial look to it. Talon zipper. Size 40. Arms much shorter than the other size 40.
Seal brown thinsulate one-piece back A-2s, no date in pocket, 2 of them have Scovill zips, 1 has a YKK zip.
Seal brown uninsulated one-piece back dated 7/10/90, Talon zip, labeled a 42 but fits like a 38.
From what I can gather for order of zippers used from earliest to latest is most likely Scovill, YKK, Talon or YKK, Scovill, Talon. Talon zips are on the A-2s starting in 1990.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Tom

 

[Levallois]

I thought the zippers were all over the place so thanks for confirming that. I wonder what the oldest "bomber" jackets from LLBean look like. There are some on ebay with a cursive/script logo that are claimed to be from the 50s-60s with the wool liner and real moulton collar but I don't know how they are dating them?

 

[Doctor Damage]

^ Given how poorly most companies record their own history and historical product development, this is going to be one of those things that you'll never have all the information about. You'll just have to live with not knowing. I would fixate on something else, to be honest!

 

[Levallois]

Yeah, my girlfriend just giggles and says "you're funny." I think she's the funny one since she is still hanging around. Women are eternal optimists. They look at us with all our faults and "funniness" and think, "ya know, I can do something with that." .

I appreciate all the replies but I think the Dr is right, time to move on.

 

[GoodTimesGone]

Levallois the facts on your first post of this thread are accurate. They correspond with what I've observed with L.L. Bean A-2s I've owned and what I 've seen on ebay. Like you I have not seen one with a two-piece back. Between what you stated and what I added from personal experience anyone looking into buying a vintage L.L. Bean A-2 should have enough info. The only thing I will add now is that Eddie Bauer had their one-piece back non-insulated A-2s made in the same factory. I have one and it is identical in every way except for the brand label. My Eddie Bauer A-2 has a date tag in the right handwarmer pocket just like the L.L. Bean A-2. The vintage L.L. Bean is not an exact replica of a WWII A-2, but it's way closer than the numerous mall store bomber jackets. I own other brands of A-2s, but the L.L. Bean is the most functional, comfortable, and the thinsulate liner allows me to wear it in the cooler fall, winter, and early spring weather here.
__________________________________________________________
Tom

 

[Doctor Damage]

Interesting to learn that Eddie Bauer had some jackets at the same time. Maybe the "internet" hasn't overvalued these yet?

 

[NABodie]

Good prices are there to be had. I just picked an early one with one piece back, scovill zipper, and thinsulated up for $50 shipped off the bay. Leather is plenty wrinkly but really no wear to speak of, maybe a wee bit dry but a little Picards or lexol will fix that and it'll be good as new. No right pocket tag in it so I can to check the date but it has the OP's fist listed tag on the liner.

 

[warbird]

Resurrecting an old thread, but I recently bought one of these jackets and must say it has become my go to jacket. It's my first LLB A2 style jacket and I find it well made, the fit is good and the goat is solid quality. I don't know how old this one, but it is an XL, so not exact size, 3 piece back, made in USA. It is somewhat roomy, which I like because I like to layer under my jackets as it gets colder. I got this one for $70 on ebay.

 

[Juanito]

View attachment 11544

This Golden Bear advertising page from the LL Bean catalog shows jackets in the S-M-L-XL sizes; I don't think it's 1978 (as claimed "circa 1978") since the older jackets were numerically sized (42, 44, 46, etc). Unless of course they changed to the lettered, generic sizes from 1978 onwards?

That's way newer than 1978. I poured over the L.L. Bean catalog since I was about 10 years old in 1976 as mail order was about the only thing available to me where I grew up. The L.L. Bean A-2 was the first "A-2" I ever purchased and that was in 1987 when I was college. I distinctly remember paying $199 (shipping included) for the Thinsulate version (a $20 premium over the non-insulated version) and it was in a numbered size, all made in the USA and had a one piece back, brass zipper. Although, it was far from historically correct (mainly the pockets with double seams and handwarmers) it was about the best I could find and was truly a fantastic, very high quality jacket--in fact I wish I still had it from a utility standpoint. I gave it up when I discovered Avirex and bought one of their MacArthur horsehide A-2's for $355 in 1989.

It was all downhill from there with an Eastman horsehide A-2 in 1990, then a LW Dubow, and then...

 

[Siggmund]

My go-to jacket is an LLB, single piece back, no date tag, but it has Schovill zip. I traded my 44L for my friend's 46L and we were both happier for it. He said he got his for $10 at Goodwill on San Juan Is., WA. I paid retail for the 44L - about $200, as I recall, in the mid-'90's. It's tough, not flimsy and is getting that well-worn look, especially on the shoulders. The only bad part is the back of the collar starting to crack and feel icky. I also had an LLB G1 for many years: garage sale - $125 but when I had the knits replaced some years later they sewed them into "fresh" leather above the old attachment line and it shortened the jacket too much so I gave it to my son who is a little shorter than I am.