Lets get the legal stuff out of the way first.  Under the guise of "full disclosure" I will tell you that I do own & use some Orvis gear.  They make nice products and I have purchased some when the price was right.  I have an Orvis 9' 4wt that I love.  It was my goto rod on the Missouri until I was given a Winston.  I loved hooking up a nice 18" Missouri River trout on that rod.  It made for some great fishing.  I also really like their Super Strong tippet material.  It seems to be strong and not so slippery that knots untie themselves.  Even so...

I would say that Orvis is merrily skipping down the well worn path previously trod by REI, Patagonia, Black Diamond, North Face, Eddie Bauer, Banana Republic and many others.  Each one of these companies started out a place where hunters, fishermen, adventurers, outdoorsmen could go to find good gear at decent prices.  Now, they all seem to have fallen under the spell of the Gap's marketing department.  I just received the new Orvis "Gifts for Men" catalog.  They have some nice stuff and I wouldn't mind having some of it (assuming they drop their prices by 50% or more).   But, lets get real, who really needs The Worlds's Lightest, Smallest Remote Control Airplane for $375.  Plus, what does it have to do with hunting or fishing?  I'm surprised that I still receive their catalogs.  I would have figured that our household income would be too low for their target audience.  I would have to give up the sport if Orvis was the sole supplier of fishing gear.  I simply can't convince myself to pay their prices.

In my opinion, a person should cruise eBay and Sierra Trading Post long before buying gear from Orvis or any of those other big name outfits.  I like eBay for flies and leaders while I go to Sierra Trading Post for clothes, waders, and shoes.