Leon Leonwood Bean, the eponymous founder of Maine-based outdoor outfitter L.L.Bean, is best known as the inventor of hardy New England style staples like the Maine Hunting Shoe (a.k.a. the Bean Boot), the Field Coat, and the Chamois Shirt. He’s also, as it happens, the creator of one of the most in-demand accessories of summer 2025: the Boat and Tote tote bag. Priced at just $39.95 for the Medium model (a custom monogram will run you another $8), and still made in Maine, the Boat and Tote is as practical as it is durable, and imbued with all of the handsome ruggedness of a sunset at Ogunquit Beach. For true connoisseurs of the genre, however, the famously crisp canvas of a new tote simply won’t do. If you’re one of the increasing number of folks chasing a Boat and Tote that looks like it’s been hanging in the mudroom of the family compound in Kennebunkport for a few decades, it’ll cost you a lot more.
“The price has skyrocketed recently,” observes Tommy Dorr, the owner of the bicoastal vintage showroom Mothfood, noting that the going flea market rate for a weathered Bean tote was $50 to $60 just a few years ago. A browse through the Boat and Tote listings on eBay today reveals dozens of finely-aged specimens priced anywhere from $150 to $900, with rarer leather versions listed for over $1,000.
Wooden Sleepers
Wooden Sleepers
When Westchester, NY’s Wooden Sleepers, a specialist in vintage Americana, dropped a collection of 24 well-worn Boat and Totes priced between $150 and $175 earlier this month, the bags sold out within two hours. “In vintage circles, they’ve been popular for a bit, but I was unsure how a more mainstream audience would respond,” says the shop’s owner Brian M. Davis. “I was pleasantly surprised to say the least.” (Davis’s collection of totes, it turns out, may have been something of a steal: one enterprising flipper is, at the time of writing, offering one of Wooden Sleepers’ bags on eBay for $250.)
The vintage Boat and Tote’s rise to it-bag status has been a long time in the making. First released in 1944 as “Bean’s Ice Carrier,” it was initially intended for hauling blocks of ice, as well as “wood, garden vegetables, fruit, etc.” Re-released in 1965 as the Boat and Tote, its sturdy canvas construction and capacious interior earned it a place as a go-to for books, beach gear, and groceries well beyond Leon Bean’s New England stomping grounds. While the Boat and Tote’s recent glow-up might come as a surprise to anyone who’s had one hanging in their hall closet for years, it mirrors the rise of grail pieces from Carhartt, Champion, and other classic American brands. “I’d compare it to a pair of vintage 501s,” says Davis. “Being in New York, and in the Northeast in general, I think we take it for granted because it’s so ubiquitous. But for someone in France or London or South Korea—all places I’ve shipped vintage Boat and Totes—it’s an icon of American style that is not readily available in their backyard.”
Wooden Sleepers
Wooden Sleepers
As with vintage 501s, and other pieces of classic workwear, the price of a vintage Boat and Tote can vary based on details like era, condition, and color, with the most worn-in models fetching top dollar. Aside from giving the bag an authentic old-money aesthetic, there’s a practical reason that buyers prize patina above all else, explains Alexander Widener, a longtime Boat and Tote enthusiast who owns a home decor shop in Wiscasset, Maine. “It takes 10 years of use for an L.L.Bean bag to get to that state, and you actually have to use it,” Widener says. “If you’re someone who didn’t grow up with a Boat and Tote in the back of your Volvo station wagon, you might be more than happy to spend $500 to get one that’s already been worn in.”
There’s no way to know exactly why after decades of humble ubiquity the pre-thrashed Boat and Tote is having its moment right now, but it’s not hard to appreciate its appeal. For one thing, the longevity of a 50-year-old paint-spattered canvas bag tends to speak for itself. “In my opinion it’s the state of new fashion and the quality of classics from iconic brands that you can still get for an affordable price,” offers Dorr, pointing to the Boat and Tote’s legendary durability. “People are really gravitating towards things that won’t go out of style and will have functionality for years to come.”
Wooden Sleepers
Wooden Sleepers
For another, it’s one of several recent trends—from Labubus to White Lotus-themed capsule collections—that provide a cheerful antidote to the increasingly bleak state of the country and the world. “The Boat and Tote symbolizes this freedom and joy and nostalgia of the small New England town,” Widener says. “And I think that’s why people are so obsessed with it right now. Because, in a world that’s so dark and gray, we’re all longing for a day at the beach.”
Whatever the reason (and fortunately for anyone who wants one) after 60 years in uninterrupted production and with untold thousands of Boat and Totes in circulation, there are more than enough to go around.
