Authenticate This COACH - **see first post for format**

[Vlad]

IMPORTANT READ-ME

Please post authenticity questions related to COACH in this thread. No PMs please.
For further information, please refer to the first post on page 1 of this thread.

Please follow the following requests:

• Before you submit a request for authentication, please search this thread to make sure that the item has not previously been authenticated by searching the seller ID and/or item number. This is not a thread to ask general questions about COACH, please refer to our main Coach forum for such information.
• Note that authenticators have the right to refuse any requests. This is a free service, but it is imperative that you help our authenticators by using the following format:
• FOR ITEMS LISTED ONLINE:
  Item:
  Listing number:
  Seller and site where listed
  Link:
  Comments:
  
  
• FOR ITEMS NOT LISTED ONLINE:
  Item:
  Where purchased or how obtained
  Comments:

BASIC PICTURES REQUIRED (but more may be requested): If necessary pictures are in the listing, it's not necessary to upload and duplicate them.

• Front of item
• Back of item
• Full clear and legible creed text and serial number
• Made in tags (when available)
• Measurements
• For bags with turnlock closures, show pictures of back of female side of turnlock
• For bags with magnetic snaps, show pictures of the male part of the snap so that the numbers and letters on it can be read
• If applicable, search interior of bag and/or pockets for small white tag with production information and include a picture of that.

Thank you and be safe!

 

[BeenBurned]

Hello. Sorry to interrupt your thread. I am attempting to post an Coach authentication question but can not for the life of me determine how to post my question in this "Authenticate This" Coach forum. Thank you!

Just as you made this post, you would type the question. (See post 1, page 1 for the posting format and info we need.)

If there's no listing and you need to upload pictures to the post, click on the "Upload a File" button (bottom right below the text box) and search for the pictures in your computer. Once pics are uploaded, click on either thumbnail or full image for the size of the image you're posting.




Then click post reply.

 

[ElleMa]

Just as you made this post, you would type the question. (See post 1, page 1 for the posting format and info we need.)

If there's no listing and you need to upload pictures to the post, click on the "Upload a File" button (bottom right below the text box) and search for the pictures in your computer. Once pics are uploaded, click on either thumbnail or full image for the size of the image you're posting.
View attachment 4401323

View attachment 4401325

Then click post reply.

Thank you! I appreciate your help.

I recently picked up what appears to be two Coach wristlets from a local thrift store, but wonder if they may be fakes. Only one has a serial number: No C0849-41637, but both zippers appear to be twice stamped with YKK. The server is not accepting all of my photos, but I will continued trying. Thank joy? post them. Thank you!

 

[ElleMa]

Finally able to upload the remaining photos.

 

[catthecurious]

I just want to point out that the Willis is definitely genuine but not vintage. It's one of the 2004 Willises from Costa Rica made during the plant's last days of operation when Coach hadn't bothered to upgrade the plant's serial number stamp to make room for the extra "0" now required to show the year code as "04". Note that the creed wording is for the more recent Millenial creed rather than the original 1994 one.

Also, in 1994, weren't Coach bags - Willis included - always made with metal zippers?

 

[BeenBurned]

Thank you! I appreciate your help.

I recently picked up what appears to be two Coach wristlets from a local thrift store, but wonder if they may be fakes. Only one has a serial number: No C0849-41637, but both zippers appear to be twice stamped with YKK. The server is not accepting all of my photos, but I will continued trying. Thank joy?View attachment 4401383 View attachment 4401394 post them. Thank you!View attachment 4401383

Finally able to upload the remaining photos.

Both are authentic.

Coach's smaller items (wristlets among them) may or may not have creeds and those with creeds may or may not have serial numbers.

Zipper brand has nothing to do with authenticity in spite of what you may have read online.

Nice finds. And welcome to TPF!

 

[ElleMa]

Just as you made this post, you would type the question. (See post 1, page 1 for the posting format and info we need.)

If there's no listing and you need to upload pictures to the post, click on the "Upload a File" button (bottom right below the text box) and search for the pictures in your computer. Once pics are uploaded, click on either thumbnail or full image for the size of the image you're posting.
View attachment 4401323

View attachment 4401325

Then click post reply.

Thank you! I appreciate your help.

I recently picked up what appears to be two Coach wristlets from a local thrift store, but wonder if they may be fakes. Only one has a serial number: No C0849-41637, but both zippers appear to be twice stamped with YKK. The server is not accepting all of my photos, but I will continued trying. Thank joy?View attachment 4401383 View attachment 4401394 post them. Thank you!View attachment 4401383

 

[ElleMa]

Both are authentic.

Coach's smaller items (wristlets among them) may or may not have creeds and those with creeds may or may not have serial numbers.

Zipper brand has nothing to do with authenticity in spite of what you may have read online.

Nice finds. And welcome to TPF!

Thank you!

 

[meowuff]

This is my first post so I hope I did this correctly! I would like to request that someone please authenticate this current eBay listing. Thanks!

Item: SUPER RARE COACH 9727 WILLIS POST POUCH RED LEATHER BAG PURSE
Listing number: 303110719925
Seller: bigwilliejam
Link: https://www.ebay.com/itm/SUPER-RARE-COACH-9727-WILLIS-POST-POUCH-RED-LEATHER-BAG-PURSE/303110719925
Comments: I could not find any style info on 9727 and (to me) it looks like a 9927. Plus, I’m always leery of “Super Rare” descriptions.

 

[Hyacinth]

Hello. Sorry to interrupt your thread. I am attempting to post an Coach authentication question but can not for the life of me determine how to post my question in this "Authenticate This" Coach forum. Thank you!

The same way you just posted THS question. Post in the Reply box at the end of this thread.

 

[Ava_13579]

Hello, Authenticators! = )

When you get a chance, I'd appreciate if you could please see this Pocket Purse.
(This is an auction that I won.)

Item: “Brown Coach Purse”
Listing number: 65828192
Seller: Goodwill-Easter Seals MN
Link: https://www.shopgoodwill.com/Item/65828192

Comments:
I've attached an image that shows the creed. (The listing doesn't include this image.)

The auction was last weekend, but I received the creed photo today.

First off, I'd like to say that I'm very inexperienced with vintage Coach. But I'll admit that the creed photo looked a little odd to me. (Mostly because it looks different than my only other C Plant bag, which is from 1998. And partially because the inside of this bag looks pretty ratty, but I haven't seen enough vintage Coach bags to be able to tell whether this is unusual.) So, what do I know!

I'd really appreciate if you could take a look and let me know your thoughts.

 

[Hyacinth]

Hello, Authenticators! =View attachment 4401708 )

When you get a chance, I'd appreciate if you could please see this Pocket Purse.
(This is an auction that I won.)

Item: “Brown Coach Purse”
Listing number: 65828192
Seller: Goodwill-Easter Seals MN
Link: https://www.shopgoodwill.com/Item/65828192

Comments:
I've attached an image that shows the creed. (The listing doesn't include this image.)

The auction was last weekend, but I received the creed photo today.

First off, I'd like to say that I'm very inexperienced with vintage Coach. But I'll admit that the creed photo looked a little odd to me. (Mostly because it looks different than my only other C Plant bag, which is from 1998. And partially because the inside of this bag looks pretty ratty, but I haven't seen enough vintage Coach bags to be able to tell whether this is unusual.) So, what do I know!

I'd really appreciate if you could take a look and let me know your thoughts.

I'm not comfortable with it either. The mid-1990s C plants had a pretty distinctive look with an extra-long dash between the two halves and a very short underline under the "o" in "No". The one in your photo doesn't show the same details.

Here's an example of a genuine one from the C plant in 1997, click on the thumbnail:


and another


The serial number font is also wrong, you can especially notice it in the numbers. Yours is not genuine.

The style number isn't right either, if it says 9790, that's a City Bag. If it's 9799, that number isn't even in my files. A genuine Pocket Purse made in or after 1994 would have a style number of 9755.

Get your money back

 

[Hyacinth]

This is my first post so I hope I did this correctly! I would like to request that someone please authenticate this current eBay listing. Thanks!

Item: SUPER RARE COACH 9727 WILLIS POST POUCH RED LEATHER BAG PURSE
Listing number: 303110719925
Seller: bigwilliejam
Link: https://www.ebay.com/itm/SUPER-RARE-COACH-9727-WILLIS-POST-POUCH-RED-LEATHER-BAG-PURSE/303110719925
Comments: I could not find any style info on 9727 and (to me) it looks like a 9927. Plus, I’m always leery of “Super Rare” descriptions.

First of all, it's NOT "super rare". Willises are very easy to find on Ebay, both real and fake. This is one of the real ones. The red color may be hardER to find, but Super Rare it ain't. As for the style number, someone at the plant's stamping machine goofed. The correct number should be -9927 as you already found from your searching. Having the wrong style number in the serial number doesn't make it rare, it just makes it harder to sell. There was no need for the seller to come up with some wild fancy about it being some top-secret unknown Willis Post Pouch style. Sometimes the simplest explanation is the most accurate. Coach plants and plant employees DID sometimes make mistakes, anyone who thinks otherwise is living in a dream world.

Just a piece of advice - I wouldn't advise buying any Coach for resale if it has a mistake in the serial number, someone you might try to sell it to would probably question its authenticity because of the number, just like you did. If you plan on keeping it forever, that's a different situation.

 

[Hyacinth]

Also, in 1994, weren't Coach bags - Willis included - always made with metal zippers?

Nope. The Lightweight/Soho bags started using nylon zippers as early as the late 1980s in an effort to reduce weight. Many other styles gradually switched over in the 1990s.

ETA - I also have a 1992 or 1993 Sheridan with nylon zippers both inside AND outside.

 

[Hyacinth]

Thank you! I guessed that it was vintage by the appearance of the box and the tissue paper but I was wondering the approximate age of the item - but circa 1990 feels right. I am looking forward to receiving it!

Maybe they were made in different years and in different countries and they used unique style numbers for each country?

I've never seen that happen with other items though. It's possible that one version was meant for the outlets but since Coach had only just opened the first of their outlet stores around that time, that seems a little too far-seeing for Coach.

Just add it to the "Right Hand Not Knowing What The Left Hand Is Doing" category.

 

[Hyacinth]

Yes, there are lots of fakes at the flea market too. There are a couple vendors who have tables full of obvious fake Michael Kors, Louis Vuitton, and Gucci. Other tables are just regular people selling things like a yard sale. I have found plenty of used authentic Coach there. I was very surprised this past weekend to find that Rogue! The seller had about 10 or so brand new current bags, both retail and outlet.

Flea markets can be a selling ground for retail theft items, especially when someone has multiples of the same style. "Smash and Grab" theft rings can also use flea markets to dump their stolen items without attracting police attention.