Guide For Coach Product Grades and Markings

#47
katev said:
I’ve just shared some info about ways to recognize different types of Coach products in another post and several people have commented that it was very helpful; so I am going to expand on the information and post it here along with some pictures. I hope that it will help others in the future. Feel free to add your tips, comments, and corrections to help TPFers recognize and distinguish Coach products.

FP (boutique) and MFF Products:

Coach makes 2 main categories of products. The bags on their web site are sold on the Coach web site and at the boutiques and department stores like Macys and Nordstrom (along with a small number of online exclusives.) These are full price (FP) retail bags but you can sometimes find them on sale at the department stores or at the Coach boutiques during periodic Preferred Customer Events (PCE) sales, usually at 25% off or $100 off.

When a new line of FP bags comes out, the overstock FP bags are often discounted and sold at the outlets and also through Coach's online factory sale. These bags are called FP deletes here on TPF, but the staff at the outlets usually call them "transfer bags" because they were transferred from the boutique.

Finding a great FP delete boutique bag at the outlet for a deep discount is something that will make any Coachie happy! The suggested retail price shown on the tag is the actual price these bags sold for in the boutiques and department stores.

The second group of products that Coach makes is called Made For Factory (MFF) and they are sold directly from the outlet stores and during Coach’s Factory Online sales events. These are nice, well-made and attractive bags but they usually not quite as finely-made or detailed as the boutique bags. You can identify an MFF bag because the second set of numbers (the style number) on the creed patch inside the bag always begins with an F. Also, a similar grade of products can sometimes be found at discount stores like Marshalls and they will have an X on the creed patch.

Many of the bags you commonly see being carried in public areas are MFF bags from the outlets. The MSRP printed on the tags of these bags has been marked up and then immediately sold at a discount, so it seems like you are getting an even better deal at the outlet.

However, you may find a great deal on an MFF bag that has been discounted or moved into clearance (marked down and then another 50% off.) Some FP delete bags also go to clearance at the outlets and that's a wonderful thing!

The outlets used to have "coupon sales" but recently they've changed the price structure to include the coupon in the discounted price and they've the eliminated coupons.

The outlets are also a great place to find accessories, and smaller items, both MFF and FP deletes. These items usually don’t have a creed patch inside but you can tell the difference by looking at the cloth “Made in …” tag. The MFF items have a white dot on the tag and the FP deletes do not have a dot.

You can also find discounted FP delete key fobs at the outlets. They used to sell FP delete jewelry and watches but last year they started selling these exclusively online, in the boutiques, or during their online factory sales.

You will need an invitation to buy during the online factory sale but all you have to do is register for it (link below) and you will get an invitation for the next sales event. They sell both MFF and FP delete items during these sales, but mostly MFF. https://www.coachfactory.com/store/default/signuprequest/

In the next message I will post abbreviations and creed marking along with some pictures. Feel free to expand on the list!
Click to expand...
Hi Katev. Happy with the info!
I have bought a wristlet through CFO online. I just wondering about the wristlet's zipper. There are a few wristlet with YKK brand zipper but some not.
Anyone know about this matter?
 
#48
niya83 said:
Hi Katev. Happy with the info!
I have bought a wristlet through CFO online. I just wondering about the wristlet's zipper. There are a few wristlet with YKK brand zipper but some not.
Anyone know about this matter?
Click to expand...

Hyacinth has posted lots of info on zipppers. Many genuine Coach items have YKK zippers but a lot of them don't and some good fakes have YKK zippers. I have some vintage bags with Talon zippers and other Coach bags with different brands. The YKK may be a clue but it is not definitive and you cannot count on it to help you identify a bag or decide that it is genuine.
 
#49
katev said:
Hyacinth has posted lots of info on zipppers. Many genuine Coach items have YKK zippers but a lot of them don't and some good fakes have YKK zippers. I have some vintage bags with Talon zippers and other Coach bags with different brands. The YKK may be a clue but it is not definitive and you cannot count on it to help you identify a bag or decide that it is genuine.
Click to expand...

Thanks KATEV!
 
#52
katev said:
Dustbags:

The boutique and FP delete bags usually come with a cloth drawstring dustbag inside (also called a sleeper bag) to be used for storage. The MFF bags never come with a dustbag, but you can't go by the presence or absence of a dustbag alone.

Sometimes you will find a FP delete bag at the outlet without the dustbag because somebody returned it without one. The best way to different the various products is to learn to read the creed patch or tags inside the item, see posts above.

The colors and materials that coach uses for dustags have changed several times over the years. Currently they are including silky white or cream bags with brown lettering and drawstrings, or silky brown bags with cream lettering and strings. Older coach bags dustbags were often made of brown linen with red strings and lettering.

The outlet stores frequently offer small, thin white cotton dustbags with brown string and lettering for fobs and other small items. They do not provide any dustbags for MFF purses.

My next post will just be final comments about buying online and from non-Coach vendors.
Click to expand...

I wanted to clarify something- MOST outlets will not include dustbags in FP delete bags. They have been told to remove them and they discard them. It is becoming more and more rare to find them. If you do it is because someone missed it or that particular outlet is doing things different than the majority. I have been going to various outlets in various states for years and have found this to be true.
 
#53
katev said:
I’ve just shared some info about ways to recognize different types of Coach products in another post and several people have commented that it was very helpful; so I am going to expand on the information and post it here along with some pictures. I hope that it will help others in the future. Feel free to add your tips, comments, and corrections to help TPFers recognize and distinguish Coach products.

FP (boutique) and MFF Products:

Coach makes 2 main categories of products. The bags on their web site are sold on the Coach web site and at the boutiques and department stores like Macys and Nordstrom (along with a small number of online exclusives.) These are full price (FP) retail bags but you can sometimes find them on sale at the department stores or at the Coach boutiques during periodic Preferred Customer Events (PCE) sales, usually at 25% off or $100 off.

When a new line of FP bags comes out, the overstock FP bags are often discounted and sold at the outlets and also through Coach's online factory sale. These bags are called FP deletes here on TPF, but the staff at the outlets usually call them "transfer bags" because they were transferred from the boutique.

Finding a great FP delete boutique bag at the outlet for a deep discount is something that will make any Coachie happy! The suggested retail price shown on the tag is the actual price these bags sold for in the boutiques and department stores.

The second group of products that Coach makes is called Made For Factory (MFF) and they are sold directly from the outlet stores and during Coach’s Factory Online sales events. These are nice, well-made and attractive bags but they usually not quite as finely-made or detailed as the boutique bags. You can identify an MFF bag because the second set of numbers (the style number) on the creed patch inside the bag always begins with an F. Also, a similar grade of products can sometimes be found at discount stores like Marshalls and they will have an X on the creed patch.

Many of the bags you commonly see being carried in public areas are MFF bags from the outlets. The MSRP printed on the tags of these bags has been marked up and then immediately sold at a discount, so it seems like you are getting an even better deal at the outlet.

However, you may find a great deal on an MFF bag that has been discounted or moved into clearance (marked down and then another 50% off.) Some FP delete bags also go to clearance at the outlets and that's a wonderful thing!

The outlets used to have "coupon sales" but recently they've changed the price structure to include the coupon in the discounted price and they've the eliminated coupons.

The outlets are also a great place to find accessories, and smaller items, both MFF and FP deletes. These items usually don’t have a creed patch inside but you can tell the difference by looking at the cloth “Made in …” tag. The MFF items have a white dot on the tag and the FP deletes do not have a dot.

You can also find discounted FP delete key fobs at the outlets. They used to sell FP delete jewelry and watches but last year they started selling these exclusively online, in the boutiques, or during their online factory sales.

You will need an invitation to buy during the online factory sale but all you have to do is register for it (link below) and you will get an invitation for the next sales event. They sell both MFF and FP delete items during these sales, but mostly MFF. https://www.coachfactory.com/store/default/signuprequest/

In the next message I will post abbreviations and creed marking along with some pictures. Feel free to expand on the list!
Click to expand...

The outlets do still have coupon sales. The current coupon that has been there for quite awhile is for 30% off all items, whether it is on clearance or not. They hand these coupons out at the door.

There was a short period of time where they stopped the coupons, but they have been giving them out again for awhile now :smile:
 
#54
paula3boys said:
I wanted to clarify something- MOST outlets will not include dustbags in FP delete bags. They have been told to remove them and they discard them. It is becoming more and more rare to find them. If you do it is because someone missed it or that particular outlet is doing things different than the majority. I have been going to various outlets in various states for years and have found this to be true.
Click to expand...

I have to disagree. I have had many, many, many bags from the outlet and I would say 95% have come with the dustbags, and I have had them shipped from all over the country including FL, PA, NY, GA, CA, NC & WI. It would appear some store do not include the dust bags, but I have never had a problem with dust bags in FP deletes. On the odd occasion it has been missing I have been able to get a replacement from my outlet (I'm biased but I do think they are one of the best in the country!)
 
#55
tannedsilk said:
I have to disagree. I have had many, many, many bags from the outlet and I would say 95% have come with the dustbags, and I have had them shipped from all over the country including FL, PA, NY, GA, CA, NC & WI. It would appear some store do not include the dust bags, but I have never had a problem with dust bags in FP deletes. On the odd occasion it has been missing I have been able to get a replacement from my outlet (I'm biased but I do think they are one of the best in the country!)
Click to expand...

I agree
 
#56
paula3boys said:
The outlets do still have coupon sales. The current coupon that has been there for quite awhile is for 30% off all items, whether it is on clearance or not. They hand these coupons out at the door.

There was a short period of time where they stopped the coupons, but they have been giving them out again for awhile now :smile:
Click to expand...

I know and I'm glad! At the that I posted this they had discounted outlet coupons for several months, but their profit-margin suffered and so they started offering coupons again! :biggrin:
 
#57
tannedsilk said:
I have to disagree. I have had many, many, many bags from the outlet and I would say 95% have come with the dustbags, and I have had them shipped from all over the country including FL, PA, NY, GA, CA, NC & WI. It would appear some store do not include the dust bags, but I have never had a problem with dust bags in FP deletes. On the odd occasion it has been missing I have been able to get a replacement from my outlet (I'm biased but I do think they are one of the best in the country!)
Click to expand...

crazyforcoach09 said:
I agree
Click to expand...

That's been my experience too, but I think it depends on the outlet. Almost all of the FP delete outlet bags that I have purchased came with dustbags. When the dustbag is missing I've had mixed experiences with the SAs, so will try and find them for you and others just say "we don't have any extras".
 
#58
I opened up my ashley carryall today in purple patent. I do have a question for those in the know. I bought it in the online outlet store in their recent sale. The creed patch does not have an F in the beginning of the second letters. the creed is E1269-21043E Was this an MFF or FP. I don't care either way as I love it, just trying to get the lingo down :smile: Does the e on the end mean anything? Thanks in advance!
 
#59
wtblvr said:
I opened up my ashley carryall today in purple patent. I do have a question for those in the know. I bought it in the online outlet store in their recent sale. The creed patch does not have an F in the beginning of the second letters. the creed is E1269-21043E Was this an MFF or FP. I don't care either way as I love it, just trying to get the lingo down :smile: Does the e on the end mean anything? Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...

The e on the end of your serial number is a new one for me too! I have heard of using extra letters like p to indicate "pilot bag" for a text bag. I think that you should post this question in the main forum to try and get more opinions. Congrats on your new bag!
 
#60
wtblvr said:
I opened up my ashley carryall today in purple patent. I do have a question for those in the know. I bought it in the online outlet store in their recent sale. The creed patch does not have an F in the beginning of the second letters. the creed is E1269-21043E Was this an MFF or FP. I don't care either way as I love it, just trying to get the lingo down :smile: Does the e on the end mean anything? Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...

katev said:
The e on the end of your serial number is a new one for me too! I have heard of using extra letters like p to indicate "pilot bag" for a text bag. I think that you should post this question in the main forum to try and get more opinions. Congrats on your new bag!
Click to expand...

I recently bought a Poppy glam at the outlet that has the E too. I asked the store manager what it meant and she didn't know. From what I've seen of the bags that have it, I suspect that they are FP styles that are either made for factory or that they decided to send directly to the factory stores before they left the factory. I wish I knew what word the E stood for.
 
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