Agreed. The end of season sale is a staple with most designer brands--Bottega Veneta_, Burberry_, Fendi_, Givenchy_, Prada_, Proenza Schouler_, Saint Laurent_, etc. I never buy seasonal colors or designs from any designer brand unless I love, love, love it and can't live without it. Seasonal items go on sale.
I like that Coach_if finally following a similar strategy for the 1941 line, it's given me some confidence in purchases.
Looking over the 1941 line, I would say that the only items that are unlikely to go to sale (unless there is a significant design change) are the permanent collection styles and colors--Rogue, Rogue 25, Saddle 23, Dinky (regular size), and Duffle in the regular glove tanned leather in black, chalk, saddle, bordeaux and tea rose in black or chalk. Any other color or incarnation (whipstitch, exotic, hair calk, link, etc.) will go on sale unless the item is so hot it sells out.
All of the new runway styles (Bandit for instance) or anything with embellishments (exotic, hair calf, fringe, studs, links, dinosaurs, NASA, etc.) will go on sale unless they sell out, which based on history doesn't seem to happen very often. And, of course, anything that doesn't sell out during the end of season sale will go to the outlet. It's inevitable.
On the topic of the sale, I'm on a serious ban (including a major bag re-homing project!) so i am looking but probably not going to buy anything from the 1941 line...but I may pick up something like a scarf or a bracelet.