answers to AUTHENTICITY questions!!!

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#1,291
sealyham said:
I have read several articles on the subject of "washing" and conditioning older bags and would like to try the process. Is there a forum on this site for re-storing older Coach bags? Would like to see before and after pics. As all my Coach bags are in pretty much perfect condition, I have never done anything but conditioned them. I own no modern Coach as prefer the older leather. My modern bags of preference are Bottega Veneta, & Burberry for the plaid. One more question regarding authenticity. Can you assume if a bg has small double circle indentation on the creed patch or near it that the bag is a outlet bag? Also I have seen bags with an FS mark. Would this be Factory Store?
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Yes there is a forum for rehabbing! We have the rehab club here: http://forum.purseblog.com/coach-clubhouse/coach-rehab-and-rescue-club-833400.html
with all sorts of pointers and lots of before and after pictures. Most of us love the process and become addicted to rehabbing. There is also a good blog here: http://www.sacsmagnifiques.com/

If a bag has the double circle target symbol stamped into the leather, it usually means it was a full priced item that was sold at the outlet. Newer made for outlet bags will have an F for the first digit of the style number. Some made for outlet accessories will have the target symbol or a dot on the "made in.." cloth tag. FS stamped on a bag means final sale, usually used when a bag was sold with a defect.
 
#1,292
sealyham said:
I have read several articles on the subject of "washing" and conditioning older bags and would like to try the process. Is there a forum on this site for re-storing older Coach bags? Would like to see before and after pics. As all my Coach bags are in pretty much perfect condition, I have never done anything but conditioned them. I own no modern Coach as prefer the older leather. My modern bags of preference are Bottega Veneta, & Burberry for the plaid. One more question regarding authenticity. Can you assume if a bg has small double circle indentation on the creed patch or near it that the bag is a outlet bag? Also I have seen bags with an FS mark. Would this be Factory Store?
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Coach Rehab and Rescue Club
 
#1,293
sealyham said:
I have read several articles on the subject of "washing" and conditioning older bags and would like to try the process. Is there a forum on this site for re-storing older Coach bags? Would like to see before and after pics. As all my Coach bags are in pretty much perfect condition, I have never done anything but conditioned them. I own no modern Coach as prefer the older leather. My modern bags of preference are Bottega Veneta, & Burberry for the plaid. One more question regarding authenticity. Can you assume if a bg has small double circle indentation on the creed patch or near it that the bag is a outlet bag? Also I have seen bags with an FS mark. Would this be Factory Store?
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Regarding your question about the outlet circle or "bullseye" - no, having one doesn't prove the bag is genuine. We've seen several verified fakes with those outlet bullets although they're found much more often in genuine bags.

Keep in mind that fakes manufacturers can make or duplicate ANYTHING the original manufacturer can, especially something as simple as a leather stamp. I've posted it many times - "Anything a maker can make, a faker can fake".

There's also the chance that fakes distributors "laundered" fakes by taking the better quality ones to a Coach store or outlet during busy seasons like the Christmas holidays when store personnel don't check bags over very carefully and are more likely to give refunds without price tags or receipts. The fake would have been sent to the outlets, stamped with the bullseye and put "back" on the shelves,
 
#1,294
M04K-1741 - Fake Numbers List Update

M04K-1741 is showing up lately in purses and swingpacks. That number, and also just the style number -1741 regardless of what the first part of the serial number is, are ALWAYS fake any time they're in a purse. Style -1741 belongs ONLY to a Signature C Photo Keychain shown below, never a bag of any kind.
 

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#1,295
Hyacinth said:
Regarding your question about the outlet circle or "bullseye" - no, having one doesn't prove the bag is genuine. We've seen several verified fakes with those outlet bullets although they're found much more often in genuine bags.

Keep in mind that fakes manufacturers can make or duplicate ANYTHING the original manufacturer can, especially something as simple as a leather stamp. I've posted it many times - "Anything a maker can make, a faker can fake".

There's also the chance that fakes distributors "laundered" fakes by taking the better quality ones to a Coach store or outlet during busy seasons like the Christmas holidays when store personnel don't check bags over very carefully and are more likely to give refunds without price tags or receipts. The fake would have been sent to the outlets, stamped with the bullseye and put "back" on the shelves,
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Thank you for the information. I have recently seen a bag on ebay, vintage 90's, where the numbers and letters in the creed and date are raised instead of indented. Is this a fake?
 
#1,297
I've been seeing several patchwork bags that are close fakes. The front views are fairly close and easy to mistake as authentic although there are other problems with stitching, hardware, creeds, serial numbers, fonts and linings.

If looking for patchwork Carly bags in either khaki or indigo, style 10814, buyers should have them looked at by an expert.

The following pictures show side by side comps of fake vs authentic front in both colors and side by side comps of creeds.
 

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#1,298
Hi! I am looking at a bag that appears to be a City Bag, dimensions and characteistics are alike, but it has a contrast piping, black with tan and the creed number is the xxx-xxxx all number variety. Did they make the city bag in this time frame? Or is it an earlier vetsion with a different style number? Thanks.
 
#1,299
sealyham said:
Hi! I am looking at a bag that appears to be a City Bag, dimensions and characteistics are alike, but it has a contrast piping, black with tan and the creed number is the xxx-xxxx all number variety. Did they make the city bag in this time frame? Or is it an earlier vetsion with a different style number? Thanks.
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Yes, they did. I think they started making city bags in 1987, so it is possible to find one with a NYC creed. The bags with the contrast piping are called spectators and have a different style number. I think they started making these around 1989 so they will have a "United States" creed.
 
#1,300
I've posted this in the past but with this type of Coach exception, it doesn't hurt to repost.

I just found a current listing and it jogged my memory.

As we've repeated over and over, there are exceptions to nearly every Coach "rule," and this is one of the exceptions to the centered/matched pattern rule.

Style number 10483 has the pattern perfectly matched and centered on the front of the bag but the back is unmatched and clearly no attempt was made to try to match it.

This is the UNMATCHED side of an AUTHENTIC bag:
$_57.JPG



Since the seller's listing doesn't show the front/opposite side, I'm copying the image from a post I made in 2011 which shows the matched side of the bag.

10483frontmatched-centered1-3.jpg


http://forum.purseblog.com/coach-shopping/authenticate-this-coach-577470-1063.html#post19175997
 
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