A Decoy Corner Article by Bruce Urben, President
All photos courtesy Dale’s Decoy Den
The L.L. Bean Company (Freeport, Maine) is very well known to nearly every American, especially those born before 1960, due to its catalog mail order business. Sportsmen and women could order everything from fishing lures, flies, waders and boots or decoys from the comfort of their home and receive them by mail. The L.L.Bean company has been sending out catalogs for more than a century!
The company did not always sell decoys. One of Leon Bean’s employees (George Soule) went duck hunting with Leon in 1940 and was appalled at the crude decoys Leon was using to attract ducks. George felt he could do better and he carved Leon a rig of cork black ducks for his use. Leon Bean was so impressed with the decoy that he included them in his next catalog in 1941.
L.L.Bean sold some of the most beautiful oversized cork duck decoys, some of which were very similar to Herters. George Soule is credited with being the first commercial maker of oversized cork decoys. George’s decoys were a success and he opened his own shop; however, most of his decoys were sold to LL Bean or Abercrombie & Fitch for sale and distribution.
L.L. Bean decoys can be distinguished normally by a wood insert in the tail of the decoy. Bean’s stamp was also on the bottom of most decoys. While most Bean decoys were made of cork, Balsa bodies were produced during World War 2 when cork was in short supply because of its use in life jackets. Bean decoys had a carved wood head with a wood dowel that extended through the body where the anchor cord was attached (in fact this was patented by Soule in 1941). This allowed the head to be turned in different positions.
In the late 1950’s and early 1960’s the L.L. Bean Co. sold paper mache decoys. While L.L. Bean and George Soule were separate companies, they were closely linked by the cork and balsa decoys made by Soule.
In 1977, George Soule sold his decoy business (The Decoy Shop) to Hargy Heap. George died at the age of 84 in 1996. You can still order L.L. Bean decoys from their website, made of cork from the original patterns by George Soule, now manufactured by L.L. Bean!
Soule made hundreds of thousands of decoys for L.L. Bean in many different species, including geese and seagulls. Because almost all Bean decoys are cork, there historically has not been as great of a demand for these decoys by collectors; however, demand is increasing as early decoys are becoming harder to locate.
Warman’s Duck Decoys (Russell Lewis, 2006), values L.L. Bean decoys between $150 and $250, with some unusual species at a premium. Old L.L. Bean decoys are still being found at flea markets, auctions and garage sales and many are still being used for their intended purpose on the water!
As always, consult with a reputable decoy collector or dealer to identify your LL Bean decoys and value based on condition. If you are fortunate to have a Soule, L.L. Bean Decoy, display it proudly as one of the first cork decoys manufactured.