However they are is apparently how they were intended to be, Maybe Coach was still experimenting with serial numbers. Olympic items obviously don't follow the rules.
answers to AUTHENTICITY questions!!!
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However they are is apparently how they were intended to be, Maybe Coach was still experimenting with serial numbers. Olympic items obviously don't follow the rules.
I'm quite new to Coach and I'm amazed at the work that's done in this thread. Good job!
I've come across some Coach bags at secondhand outlets, but unfortunately unable to take a photo of the bag / the creed to send in for authentication. Can you roughly tell me which styles are the least counterfetied? My personal preference are the leather bags.
I've come across some Coach bags at secondhand outlets, but unfortunately unable to take a photo of the bag / the creed to send in for authentication. Can you roughly tell me which styles are the least counterfetied? My personal preference are the leather bags.
There are a LOT of counterfeited leather bags too. Usually the most popular styles are the ones that are most counterfeited, so any popular Signature styles (the Carly styles were a big favorite of counterfeiters) and leather styles like Willis, Station Bags, Taft Bags - almost all of them.
The best thing to do is buy from shops that allow you to return something you're not happy with. You can also read and print out the most often-used Fake Serial Numbers from here:
http://forum.purseblog.com/coach-sh...enticity-questions-94198-37.html#post18503288
and
http://forum.purseblog.com/coach-sh...enticity-questions-94198-37.html#post18503310
and
http://forum.purseblog.com/coach-sh...enticity-questions-94198-37.html#post18503401
and carefully read the Salearea Guides posted at Ebay:
http://search.reviews.ebay.com/members/salearea_W0QQcpnameZmembersQQprZsaleareaQQuqtZg
just have a question - I know that I have a red convertible clutch which I bought years ago - it was made in NYC and the serial number is 492 7544 and I don' know how to interpret it. It is in very good condition. The inside bit of the turnlock broke off, but I just cannibalized a bag that needs rehab and put it on last night. I thought the red bag was a good choice for the holiday. I am just curious about when the bag was made. Thank you.
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When the serial number is ALL numbers, that means it was made before those numbers had any meaning, each bag just had its own unique number. The only thing I can tell about its age is that it was probably made some time before 1990.
Please read the Salearea Guides about creeds and serial numbers posted here at Ebay for more information:
http://search.reviews.ebay.com/members/salearea_W0QQcpnameZmembersQQprZsaleareaQQuqtZg
Thanks for the tips, I Love Coach :giggles:(note: if there is something i missed, or that needs to be elaborated on, please correct me!)
Alright, I figured we could use a thread to condense our knowledge of how to determine a fake.
First, NO style is exempt from being faked. Please dont assume that, just because it is a new style, that it cannot be faked.
Second, as a generality, all-leather bags are not faked. They just are not cost efficient for the fakers. And you can usually tell real leather and the fake stuff when its on the entire bag (as opposed to trims, etc).
Now the little details for signature.
The signature cs are ALWAYS symmetrical. If there is a seam down the middle of the bag, each side is an exact mirror image of the other side. *there is a SMALL exception for the mini signature pieces, but that is only a small difference.
The symmetry is usually the most reliable way to determine a fake signature bag.
authentic:
fake:
The double cs should touch, making what looks like a broken infinity sign. (it ends up being, basically, every other set of cs).
authentic:
The cs have a little hook to them. If theyre all completely a curve, its fake. (this goes for mini signature as well).
The signature is NEVER crooked or slanting. (I think there was one exception to this, that I know of, where it was at an angle I think it was a holiday bag?)
If you are looking at a signature stripe piece, the part below the stripe should continue the part that was cut off above. (so if you take away the stripe, the two parts will fit together as a perfect c).
authentic: Coach - SIGNATURE STRIPE REVERSIBLE TOTE
Other stuff
Check coach.com or the drilldown for pictures of how the bags are supposed to look. Familiarize yourself with authentic bags.
Its difficult to tell in auctions, but the hardware is NOT cheap and light. It is substantial and has weight to it. The hardware is usually stamped, but that varies with each bag.
When looking at patchwork bags, there is NO variation. If there is supposed to be a pink patch by the handle, it is ALWAYS supposed to be there. They are not individual patchworks.
Hangtags match the leather on the bag (ie, no vachetta and a red hangtag). Just having a hangtag is NOT proof of authenticity. These are very easy to swipe and you can easily get replacements from coach.
authentic:
There are some bags that do not have leather hangtags, but are metal. These are NOT cheap feeling, either. It isnt enough to determine authenticity by just looking at a hangtag.
authentic:
The stitching is even and neat. Coach does NOT make sloppy bags with uneven stitching or send out sloppily made bags.
Dustbags come in two main looks. The outlet bag is white with red lettering, while the full-price one is brown with red lettering. Both say COACH est. 1941 and have a red drawstring. (It is notable that the outlet bags are much thinner than the ones you get at a full-price store). There are special edition dustbags out there for certain bags, but they do NOT look cheap.
authentic:
All BAGS have a serial number. Smaller items, like wristlets, do not. the creed is never crooked and the words are always spaced evenly.
authentic:
authentic:
Signature bags do NOT have signature linings.
Coach does indeed have outlets (bags purchased there will have factory tags- and, usually, the bullseye stamp on the creed or somewhere else). These are NOT seconds- they are the same quality as full-price stores. If a seller is claiming to sell seconds, or that they were purchased wholesale, it's a 99.9% chance they are fake.
Factory stores do sell bags that are occasionally a bit beat up (like floor models), but these are at a greater discount. As a whole, these are not available often.
The auction itself
If you are looking on ioffer, just assume it's fake. While there ARE authentic bags there, the fakes outnumber them BIG TIME!
Look at the price. Is it a BIN for less than $100 on a brand new bag? Chances are its fake (or someone is pretty desperate for money, but thats doubtful!)
Is it a one day only auction? Chances are its a fake.
How is the sellers feedback? Do they have negatives for selling fakes?
How are the pictures? If they are blurry, not detailed, or stock pictures, be cautious. Ask the seller for additional, clear pictures- if they do not respond, its best to stay away.
Are there large quantities of the bag/wallet/key fob available? Coach (full-price and factory) usually limit quantities- so the chance of a seller having 40 of the same bag is pretty unlikely.
As always, if you are not sure, PLEASE post in our AUTHENTICATE THIS! sticky at the top of the page. Better to be safe than sorry!!!
I have some general questions regarding coach bags, and I'm hoping this is the right place to post. I have been reading the guides, but have not been able to find the answers to these questions. Have you seen fake bags with the bulls eye? I came across a bag, an old bag on etsy, this style :http://www.etsy.com/listing/1023246...=0&ga_max=0&ga_page=11&ga_search_type=vintage ( I can no longer find the listing, must have sold) and it had a bulls eye?!? I thought bulls eyes were for sent to factory, I'm assuming they didn't have factory stores back then!
Also, did Coach ever stamp bags Made in the U.S.A. instead of made in the United States? Thanks for the help, just trying to learn and be smart as I buy bags.
Also, did Coach ever stamp bags Made in the U.S.A. instead of made in the United States? Thanks for the help, just trying to learn and be smart as I buy bags.
Just because a purse has a bullseye doesn't mean it can't be fake. Counterfeiters might use the bullseye to make their purse look authentic. I have a 1997 bag that has a bullseye. I don't know when they started doing that. I have seen Made in the USA instead of Made in the United States on authentic bags. I think this is mentioned in the Salearea guides. In that Etsy listing, the seller shows a 6 digit serial number, which is wrong.
Thanks for the help. I have already reported this seller once before to etsy. They have this bag double listed as well under another seller name, and I caught that a couple of weeks ago and reported it. They used the exact same pictures, with the exact same pen holding the bag open! I had emailed them for a picture of the creed patch when I very first found the bag and they put me off.
-9363 style numbers have started to show up on fakes, usually some kind of Signature, Sig Optic or Sig Tie-Dye fabric. On some the creed patch looks a bit "off" but on others it might look very accurate. The full serial number usually is F04U-9363 but the thing to remember is that any genuine bag with this style and/or serial number should only be a standard Signature C fabric in a Soft East-West Duffle style. Check Ebay for the genuine version, there are usually several listed for sale. A photo of the GENUINE style 9363 is below:
Attachments
Please keep in mind that except for commonly-used fake serial numbers like NT-4903, NEVER base a Fake Item report on a serial or style number that a seller POSTS in their description. Thousands of sellers make mistakes posting numbers! At least 10 percent of Coach listings I've looked at where the seller quotes the number in the description and I check it against the creed photo, it's WRONG.
Don't EVER report an item based just on a typed serial number unless you confirm that the number is exactly the same as the one on the creed photo. If there's no creed photo, DON'T REPORT!
PORTER4, WHY did you report that bag to Etsy? I'm not understanding your reasons. Did you actually SEE a creed photo showing only 6 numbers? And where is the creed photo? The bag looks completely genuine to me.
Coach HAS used Bullseyes for at least 20 years, they HAVE marked bags as Made In both "the United States" and "USA". If you've reported sellers just for having bags with those markings, or for a serial number written in the description but NOT verified by actually checking the creed photo, you may have made some very serious mistakes.
From now on please DO NOT report any Coach fakes without confirming them at the Authenticate This Coach thread first, no matter what site they're listed on.
I didn't report based on any numbers or if the bag is genuine or not. I am not an expert on this at all. What I did see is that someone is swiping pictures from someone else to use in their listing. This happened twice with these exact same pictures. When I contacted etsy I didn't bring anything up about authenticity, only said I was seeing the same pictures, with the exact same red and black pen used to prop the bag open.
I guess reporting the seller is the wrong term, I apologize. I saw this bag, emailed the seller for a creed picture and they said they couldn't get one to me for awhile. I left the bag alone at that point. Then, I saw the exact same pictures pop up another a seller, a new seller with no feedback and the bag listed for $5. That seemed strange, so I reported to etsy that it appeared the same exact pictures were being used for the two listings and was that okay. Now, I find another listing, another new seller, no feedback with a listing with the SAME pictures. I don't know who is in the wrong, nor did I try to make any accusations to etsy about it. I just let them know that the same pictures were popping up again on another listing. That is three listings, three different sellers, all with the using the same pictures. Is it wrong to notify etsy on this?
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The problem with reporting what may be stolen pictures is that only the actual owner of the pictures is allowed to report the theft. At least that's Ebay's rule and I'm sure other sites do the same. It's the same with any trademarked or copyrighted item. Even fake handbags and other items are technically reported to Ebay not by the member who reports the fake, but by the VeRO (Verified Rights Owner) member who represents the company whose trademark or copyright has been violated. Supposedly Coach's VeRO rep has to approve or deny every report of a fake Coach product that's sent to Ebay.
With photos that appear to be stolen you have to carefully study the history of both listings to figure out who the actual owner of the photos is, and then contact the owner and give them the information about the other listing. There are going to be times when a second seller may actually be using those photos with the first seller's permission - that's why only the photo owner can decide whether or not there was photo theft involved and if it should be reported. And of course there's always the possibility that the seller owns both accounts. Some sites allow that and maybe some don't. Frankly, as long as there's no evidence of fraud or illegal activity I don't see a problem although many resellers run at least two separate accounts so their buyers can't find out what the seller actually paid for the items they're reselling.
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