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

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#47,869
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!
 
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#81,046
Redlipzz.06 said:
Hello lovely authenticators! Need an opinion on this one. Thrifted this one at vv yesterday and was so excited when I found it, it looks vintage. Lately, I found myself having an obsession with Coach purses probably I have 10 so far and this will be perfect addition to my collection. Any opinion would be greatly appreciated! Thank you so much
Item: Vintage Coach Bag Pelham (I guess?)
Where purchased or how obtained: thrifted at vv
Comments: I searched for it online and I can't seem to find a coach bag that has the same creed as this.



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It's an authentic Petite Pelham.

Don't waste your time taking pictures of zippers. The brand is irrelevant when it comes to authenticity.
 
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#81,049
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#81,052
Hello, helpful ones. Here is another shopgoodwill.com purchase. I believe it's a Vintage "Flatiron Flap" bag, style #4173. The creed photo here is not good, but I do see the last two digits are 73. Please and thank you for taking a look before I pay! :smile:
Item: Coach brown shoulder bag Pre-Owned
Listing number: 162478957
Seller and site where listed: shopgoodwill.com, Palmetto store
Link: https://shopgoodwill.com/item/162478957

4173 creed.jpg

4173.jpg

Flatiron Flap 4173 Catalog Pic.jpg
 
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#81,053
ConnieinSeattle said:
Hello, helpful ones. Here is another shopgoodwill.com purchase. I believe it's a Vintage "Flatiron Flap" bag, style #4173. The creed photo here is not good, but I do see the last two digits are 73. Please and thank you for taking a look before I pay! :smile:
Item: Coach brown shoulder bag Pre-Owned
Listing number: 162478957
Seller and site where listed: shopgoodwill.com, Palmetto store
Link: https://shopgoodwill.com/item/162478957

View attachment 5747170

View attachment 5747174
Click to expand...

Sorry, I'm really not comfortable authenticating it. The style has been faked, and the fakes were spotted because the serial number prefixes were wrong and showed invalid year codes. It almost looks from what little I can see that the first half of the serial number in this one has been rubbed or scratched out. There doesn't seem to be any good reason why GW couldn't get a good clear photo of the creed.

The stamping of the creed doesn't match the few genuine ones in my files. The questionable one has a noticeably wider border with much more open space around the creed stamp than the ones in my files.

Questionable Goodwill bag style 4174:
4174_QUESTIONABE-Flatiron_GW-a.jpg4174_QUESTIONABE-Flatiron_GW-b.jpg


Apparently genuine Flatirons with correct 1997 and 1998 year codes (the line was introduced in Fall 1997)
4174_Flatiron Zip-d.JPG

4173_poss Flatiron Flap-d.jpg

4173_dk brown-b.jpg



There are also quite a few Questionable Flatirons with creed and serial stamping problems, like these with wonky serial number fonts and too wide margins

around the creed like the questionable bag::

4177_FLATIRON BAG-QUEST-2.jpg


I THINK this is a C plant code:

4177_Flatiron Hobo_QUEST_ mizdazy-h1-lg.jpg


SO - too many questionable creeds but I'm more inclined to believe the ones with the 1997 and 1998 date codes although even a few of those are wonky too. For such a small line, there are a LOT of problems in the photos I'm seeing, and none of them showed photos of the stamping on the magnetic snap. Frankly, I'd PASS on that bag - DON'T buy any Flatiron style without creed, serial number and mag snap (if applicable) photos.

MORE OPINIONS ARE WELCOME
 
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#81,054
ConnieinSeattle said:
Hello, helpful ones. Here is another shopgoodwill.com purchase. I believe it's a Vintage "Flatiron Flap" bag, style #4173. The creed photo here is not good, but I do see the last two digits are 73. Please and thank you for taking a look before I pay! :smile:
Item: Coach brown shoulder bag Pre-Owned
Listing number: 162478957
Seller and site where listed: shopgoodwill.com, Palmetto store
Link: https://shopgoodwill.com/item/162478957

View attachment 5747170

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View attachment 5747185
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Hyacinth said:
Sorry, I'm really not comfortable authenticating it. The style has been faked, and the fakes were spotted because the serial number prefixes were wrong and showed invalid year codes. It almost looks from what little I can see that the first half of the serial number in this one has been rubbed or scratched out. There doesn't seem to be any good reason why GW couldn't get a good clear photo of the creed.

The stamping of the creed doesn't match the few genuine ones in my files. The questionable one has a noticeably wider border with much more open space around the creed stamp than the ones in my files.

Questionable Goodwill bag style 4174:
View attachment 5747197View attachment 5747198


Apparently genuine Flatirons with correct 1997 and 1998 year codes (the line was introduced in Fall 1997)
View attachment 5747217

View attachment 5747218

View attachment 5747224



There are also quite a few Questionable Flatirons with creed and serial stamping problems, like these with wonky serial number fonts and too wide margins

around the creed like the questionable bag::

View attachment 5747226


I THINK this is a C plant code:

View attachment 5747240


SO - too many questionable creeds but I'm more inclined to believe the ones with the 1997 and 1998 date codes although even a few of those are wonky too. For such a small line, there are a LOT of problems in the photos I'm seeing, and none of them showed photos of the stamping on the magnetic snap. Frankly, I'd PASS on that bag - DON'T buy any Flatiron style without creed, serial number and mag snap (if applicable) photos.

MORE OPINIONS ARE WELCOME
Click to expand...

I believe the Goodwill bag is fake. But if they'll send a better creed photo, I'll look at it.

I've never seen a genuine Flatiron bag with striped lining. AFAIK, all bags of the style had/have lozenge lining like this one:
4174 flatiron 1997 lozenge lining.png


Here's another example of a fake with 1994 date code and striped lining.
agentjenmax fake coach J4H-4174 creed.jpeg
 
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#81,055
Hyacinth said:
Sorry, I'm really not comfortable authenticating it. The style has been faked, and the fakes were spotted because the serial number prefixes were wrong and showed invalid year codes. It almost looks from what little I can see that the first half of the serial number in this one has been rubbed or scratched out. There doesn't seem to be any good reason why GW couldn't get a good clear photo of the creed.

The stamping of the creed doesn't match the few genuine ones in my files. The questionable one has a noticeably wider border with much more open space around the creed stamp than the ones in my files.

Questionable Goodwill bag style 4174:
View attachment 5747197View attachment 5747198


Apparently genuine Flatirons with correct 1997 and 1998 year codes (the line was introduced in Fall 1997)
View attachment 5747217

View attachment 5747218

View attachment 5747224



There are also quite a few Questionable Flatirons with creed and serial stamping problems, like these with wonky serial number fonts and too wide margins

around the creed like the questionable bag::

View attachment 5747226


I THINK this is a C plant code:

View attachment 5747240


SO - too many questionable creeds but I'm more inclined to believe the ones with the 1997 and 1998 date codes although even a few of those are wonky too. For such a small line, there are a LOT of problems in the photos I'm seeing, and none of them showed photos of the stamping on the magnetic snap. Frankly, I'd PASS on that bag - DON'T buy any Flatiron style without creed, serial number and mag snap (if applicable) photos.

MORE OPINIONS ARE WELCOME
Click to expand...

Here' are examples of those QUESTIONABLE 1997 creeds:

wrong serial font, plant and lining:

4179_Poss-FAKE-Flatiron Sling-poss-bad-creed-f.jpg

wrong font, lining
1997_C-plant_PROB-FAKE-K7C-4179-Flatiron w wrong lining-a.jpg


YIKES.
 
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#81,057
BeenBurned said:
I believe the Goodwill bag is fake. But if they'll send a better creed photo, I'll look at it.

I've never seen a genuine Flatiron bag with striped lining. AFAIK, all bags of the style had/have lozenge lining like this one:
View attachment 5747277


Here's another example of a fake with 1994 date code and striped lining.
View attachment 5747278
Click to expand...

Note my added post with the 2 wonky C plant serial fonts.

Hardly any of the many examples in my files have a Lozenge lining.

The Flatiron line seems to have been another "let's use up the leftovers" line (or what I think of as one of the "fried rice" lines) like the Hudsons and a few others that Coach threw together to use up leftover materials and trim pieces from the Sonomas which had just been discontinued and that's probably why so many of the apparently genuine Flatirons use the Sonoma lining. The Lozenge lining IIRC was just being introduced around the same time so maybe if they (FINALLY!) ran out of the old Sonoma lining, they switched to the Lozenge?

The lining in the 1994 J4H example seems too light to be genuine Sonoma lining.

I have photos of Flatirons, real, fake and questionable, scattered among three different Coach photo folders. There are that many differences among those beasties, there may have been more counterfeits of that line made than genuine versions . But I'm always going to put the most weight into serial number details and fonts.
 
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#81,059
Redlipzz.06 said:
Hello lovely authenticators! Need an opinion on this one. Thrifted this one at vv yesterday and was so excited when I found it, it looks vintage. Lately, I found myself having an obsession with Coach purses probably I have 10 so far and this will be perfect addition to my collection. Any opinion would be greatly appreciated! Thank you so much
Item: Vintage Coach Bag Pelham (I guess?)
Where purchased or how obtained: thrifted at vv
Comments: I searched for it online and I can't seem to find a coach bag that has the same creed as this.



View attachment 5746833

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View attachment 5746842

View attachment 5746843
Click to expand...

There were literally tens of thousands of Coaches made in the mid to late 1990s with the same creed. Or did you mean "serial number"? Probably hundreds of those as well, all of them genuine Petite Pelham Zips made in Coach's "C" plant in August 1995 just like this one.

Read the Salearea Coach Guides posted here in this Coach Shopping Forum, and don't worry if some of the older links don't work any more:

SaleArea guides

Now that ebay is removing the guides they've been hosting for years, those who use those guides have been forced to either save them on their computers or print them. Tonight I found that the Salearea guides (including the Hyacinth/Salearea collaboration ones) have been saved to Salearea's...
forum.purseblog.com forum.purseblog.com
 
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