Proof that a 50 yr old lady can still be beautiful! Rehab reveal!

[katev]

I've always wanted to add an early Coach Bonnie Cashin designed bag to my vintage collection, but I never had any luck finding one. I would occassinally search ebay or bonz but most of the bags proclaimed to be "Cashin Bags" were older style bags made in the late 1970s and 1980s, after Bonnie left Coach.

For those that don't know, Bonnie Cashin was the renowned, award-winning fashion designer that launched the Women's Accessories Division for Coach in the early 1960s. Before Bonnie, Coach was a small company that just made wallets and belts and other leather goods for men!

The few actual Cashin bags offered online were usually quite expensive or in bad shape (or both!) Eventually I did win and rehab a red "Cashin for Meyers" bag that she designed after she left Coach, but I always hoped that I would find a genuine Cashin Coach bag at one of my local the thrift stores. But it never happened - until just recently!

Here's a pic to give you a hint, but this is a hard one!

I don't even know if the very early Coach bags came with a dustbag, but I figured that this pretty lady deserves the full reveal treatment!

Any ideas? The TPFers that frequent the Authentication and Rehab threads already know what I found - but no fair telling!

I will tell you how I found her and finish the reveal in the next message!

 

[GirlyQ]

Can't wait to see her!

 

[Weekend shopper]

Wow! Looking forward to this rehab reveal

 

[katev]

Recently I stopped at the Salvation Army Thrift Store and checked out the "expensive bags" that they keep under protective custody behind a counter in the front of the store. Anything labeled “Coach” is always marked up, even the fakes and the bags in really bad condition! Including the fake bags in really bad shape!

I was interested in a white pebbled leather satchel that looked good but the leather “didn’t feel quite right!” SI pulled out my print-out of Hyacinth’s excellent information on fakes and found the number listed! I said a silent “thank you” to Hyacinth and TPF and gave the bag back to the SA and then headed to the back of the store where they keep the cheap, plastic bags. I have occasionally gotten lucky there, it’s where I found my Italian Coach Gracie for only $2!

I didn’t see much of interest until my eye was caught by a small tan bag with an outside kisslock compartment. I thought “could that really be what I think it is?” I snapped open the kisslock and saw the original Mexican Stripe Cotton lining of the early Coach bags! I peaked inside the bag and found more of the beautiful lining!

I was thrilled, but then I stopped in confusion because this bag wasn’t willing to give up her identity quite that easily. I will tell you about figuring out just what she was in the next message.

But I won’t tease anymore! I hope you won’t be disappointed after the big build-up because this is a rather small and demure bag, but let me introduce you to an original “Small Shopper” in British Tan designed for Coach by Bonnie Cashin in the early 1960s!

These pics were taken "After Rehab" I will show you some before pics in a little while.

 

[aagh]

Wow.....im sooo happy for u..congrats!!

 

[whateve]

I love it! She is gorgeous!

 

[ledobe]

Beautiful. I've had my eye open for something like this too, but I'd settle for a newer kisslock if I find the right one.

Can't wait to see the "befores"!

 

[ppppeanut]

Awww gorgeous!!

 

[katev]

When I saw the stripped lining I was sure that it was an early Coach bag but I was surprised to see a cloth “Saks Fifth Avenue” tag inside and absolutely nothing to indicate that the bag was made by Coach. I knew that the early, lined bags didn’t have a creed patch and number, most just had simple metal tags that said COACH.

I wondered if Bonnie Cashin had designed similar bags for Saks? Or was this a “designer-inspired ripoff” made by Saks? But all my instincts were telling me that this was a genuine Coach bag! The color and the feel of the leather were right; and the lining looked just like I remembered from the pictures. Even the little metal feet on the bottom of the bag looked correct, I was disappointed and confused!

I checked the price tag and the bag was marked only $2.06! I decided that it was darn cute for $2 bucks and that I would buy it and ask DemRam and Hyacinth to help me figure it out.

As I was walking to my car with my purchase, it occurred to me that I should check to see if Coach tag had fallen off and been placed inside the interior slip pocket. A long-shot I know, but I have found the missing hangtags for thrift store bags inside of the pockets!

As soon as I got in the car I peeked into the pocket, I didn’t find a Coach tag but I did see something strange. There were 2 small metal tabs secured to the fabric! My heart skipped a beat when I realized that there must be something underneath the Saks label. I tried to gently lift the cloth tag but it came right off and there in front of me was a little metal Coach tag looking exactly like the pictures!

I actually shouted “I’ve got one!” out loud and did a rather restricted version of the HappyDance inside my car! I must have looked deranged!

As soon as I got home I posted pics for authentication and DemRam told me that she was a genuine early Coach bag designed by Bonnie Cashin. She even directed me to a photo of my bag in black on the Bonnie Cashin Foundation web site! Then Jessi told me that we are bag twins and that the bag is named the Small Shopper!

Below are some more After pics and a screenshot of the photo from the BCF website. Next I will post Before pics and talk about the rehab.

 

[Green eyed girl_00]

My gosh you have the best luck finding these classics!! I think this is an adorable bag and great condition for it's age. And $2!! Congrats and hang on to this beauty forever.

 

[katev]

Here are some Before photos. The bag was in very good shape for her age but she was dirtier than it appears in the pictures and the metal was quite tarnished. T bag also had some scuffs and scrapes and a musty odor and she was a little misshapen.

I felt sure that I could fix those issues but she had one serious condition problem that would have to be fixed before I could hope to rehabilitate her. I will post pics of that next.

You will also see the original Saks tag in some of these photos.

 

[KatK]

Awesome find Katev!!!

 

[wahmnow]

Now that's a bag--man can the older style bags stand the test of time! It looks wonderful.

 

[katev]

Here are some more before pics; right in the front center of the bag, just below the kisslock, the leather and lining had slipped out of the frame, see below.

I thought about trying to fix it myself but I was afraid of damaging the bag and decided to take it to a cobbler for an opinion. He told me that he might be able to fix it but there was “a chance that the frame would be bent or damaged during the process!”

He said that “when Coach first made this bag they had a special tool exactly the right size and shape to clamp the leather and lining tightly inside the frame; but nobody else has that tool, unless Coach still has it!”

He told me that "thin, flimsy, metal frames are more likely to be damaged" but that “this is strong metal so it should be okay, but no guarantees!”

I left the bag with him for repair, what choice did I have? I had to wait a week to get it back but I refrained from calling the poor man up and pestering him with questions like “Did she survive? Is she okay?!”

I will show you pics after the Cobbler’s repair, next.

 

[katev]

When I picked her up at the shoe repair store I was so relieved (and grateful!) to see that she was whole again and undamaged. He did a really nice job but I don’t know how much it cost. I had also dropped off several prs of shoes and a wallet for repair and I forgot to ask the specific cost of the Coach repair.

I’m guessing that the price was somewhere between $5 and $10 so my total investment in the bag is around $12.

Here are some pics taken after the Cobbler’s repair so the only thing left to do was to clean her up!

There were some scary moments during the rehab but I will show photos of that next.