**WARNING** A little lengthy - I apologize in advance!
hi Ladies. I'm back & I hope you will help me make a final decision. I posted earlier this week about an older style Sienna bag that I won on
eBay (
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...2381&rd=1&rd=1)
I know that there's been a lot of back & forth about whether or not this bag is authentic or not. The majority seem to think it is authentic (including ChristiD who maintains a Kooba page on
eBay), if for no other reason than these older bags w/fabric lining just weren't faked as much, and certainly not as well, as today's counterfeit styles are.
I spoke with the seller, who has been very kind during my whole "dilemma." She had originally told me that this had been a Xmas gift from her husband, but that she had bought herself another one, and decided to sell this one on
eBay. I questioned which Xmas becuz if this bag is authentic, it is an older style that couldn't have been bought brand new for at least 2 yrs now. I spoke w/her again yesterday and she says that she spoke to her husband a little bit more about this - this is what she told me happened: Her husband admitted to her (embarrassed) that he bought the bag on ebay & gave it to her for Xmas. In the meantime, she had already bought herself a new one (w/suede lining). She kept both bags for a while (it was a gift from her husband after all), but decided that she really wanted the one w/suede lining & decided to sell this one on ebay. As she told me this, I genuinely believe her & it doesn't seem like she's making it up (she almost seemed too embarrassed to tell me all this even though I told her it really helps). She swears that the bag is authentic, and that's it's almost exactly like her other one, but if I'm really not happy w/it, she will take it back and give me back my money.
The thing is, if the bag is authentic, I really want to keep it. I don't want to return an authentic bag becuz I'm paranoid, but I also don't want to keep (and potentially carry) a fake bag.
Here's what I know for sure and why I'm leaning towards authentic: One of the original colors of Sienna bags was Luggage (it was the original color I wanted) - this is the color of the bag according to the hang tag and the Kitson sticker inside the pocket, Kooba was embossed on the end of the bag (now replaced w/a metal plate) as it is on this bag, the original bags were lined with brown fabric w/Kooba's original signature lining just like this bag, the zipper pull inside is leather, consistent w/earlier bags. There is also a Made in China tag inside the bag (which I missed upon initial inspection) - it is a folded tag along the seam near the bottom of the bag w/a greenish-yellowish print. Inside the pocket is a white square with a 4-digit code, similar to what you'd find inside a new bag (an inspection code?). I also see that the snap is correctly stamped with the numbers/letters that are commonly found on Kooba/Sienna bags.
The two things that "bother" me about this bag are (1) the leather. I've been told (by some) that the leather on this bag looks correct - it's distressed and has some "scuffing" consistent with authentic bags. I also find that the ends of the handles curl up, also consistent w/authentic bags. It's just that the leather didn't WOW! me when I first opened it, and it doesn't have that "yummy" new leather smell. Granted, if the bag is 2 yrs old, that could explain that - as well as where the bag may have been stored. There's nothing wrong with it, it just isn't as great as I imagined it to be after hearing so many raves about it. Could be that the earlier bags weren't as nice as today's bags - opposite of what I initially believed (I thought as is true w/many designers, the earlier bags would be some of the best, setting off the popularity).
The other thing that bothers me is the inner zipper. I know these older bags had leather zipper pulls, but I am surprised at the lack of quality of the actual zipper. it's just a simple gold ring, very thin, with no print (brand) printed anywhere. If the bag is authentic, I'm just surprised that they would use such an inexpensive zipper on a $500+ bag.
That's it really - everything else is spot on perfect, which is why I tend to think it could be authentic. The fake bags weren't so mirror-image in the beginning, and if this is fake, it would have had to been made at least 2 yrs ago (why would anyone make a fake bag nowadays w/fabric lining???). I can't find anything else "wrong" with this bag. The stitching is even & nearly perfect, the lining sewn properly, nothing looks like it is poorly done (as early fakes appeared), and the bag is a good weight on my shoulder, and doesn't feel "cheap." Again, it just didn't WOW! me and it could just be that my expectations were higher considering all the raves I've heard about Kooba bags.
I promise I won't bug any of you again about this bag, if you would so kindly take in consideration all that I've said, and give me your honest opinions. As I said earlier, I don't return an authentic bag - it wouldn't be fair to the seller, and I really would like to use this bag, it's just that IF the bag is a fake, I definitely DON'T want to me caught wearing and/or using it - even if no one else could tell!
here are some pics that might help (I'm sorry, but I cannot get a better pic of the zipper. I must have taken at least 20 of them, and this is the best that can get)
Re: Authenticate This Kooba!
