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!

 

[alw413s]

I have been told the follow points are ways to spot a fake serial number in bags made after 1994, can you confirm these points are true?

• The first digit after No: Will be one letter out of A - M. This letter represents one of the 12 months the bag could be made in. Starting with A for January and ending with M for December.

• The next digit will be a number that represents the year the bag was made. If the bag was made in 1998 for example the digit would be 8 and if it’s 2008 it becomes the next two digits and would be 08.

• The last 4 digits represent the style number of the bag. So for example the Helen legacy bag would have the digits of 9953 as the last 4 of the serial number.

Appreciate if you can confirm this is all accurate.

 

[whateve]

I have been told the follow points are ways to spot a fake serial number in bags made after 1994, can you confirm these points are true?

• The first digit after No: Will be one letter out of A - M. This letter represents one of the 12 months the bag could be made in. Starting with A for January and ending with M for December.

• The next digit will be a number that represents the year the bag was made. If the bag was made in 1998 for example the digit would be 8 and if it’s 2008 it becomes the next two digits and would be 08.

• The last 4 digits represent the style number of the bag. So for example the Helen legacy bag would have the digits of 9953 as the last 4 of the serial number.

Appreciate if you can confirm this is all accurate.

It's true with exceptions. The letter I wasn't supposed to be used for the month code. Sometimes mistakes were made. Occasionally an I or an N were used. Occasionally the plant mixed up the digits of the prefix so the month code wasn't the first digit. Occasionally bags were made with mistakes in the style number. There were several bags made in 2004 that were supposed to have "04" as the year code but had just "4" instead.

Having this information correct doesn't mean the bag is authentic. There are many other things to consider.

 

[BeenBurned]

I have been told the follow points are ways to spot a fake serial number in bags made after 1994, can you confirm these points are true?

• The last 4 digits represent the style number of the bag. So for example the Helen legacy bag would have the digits of 9953 as the last 4 of the serial number.

Appreciate if you can confirm this is all accurate.

It's true with exceptions. The letter I wasn't supposed to be used for the month code. Sometimes mistakes were made. Occasionally an I or an N were used. Occasionally the plant mixed up the digits of the prefix so the month code wasn't the first digit. Occasionally bags were made with mistakes in the style number. There were several bags made in 2004 that were supposed to have "04" as the year code but had just "4" instead.

Having this information correct doesn't mean the bag is authentic. There are many other things to consider.

I don't know how old the authenticity guide you read is but what might have been accurate at the time may have changed.

Style numbers now have 5 digits and prior to having 4 digits, there were 3-digit style numbers. (One such example would be a Straw legacy bag, style 105.)


Also, from approximately 2014 through 2016-7, creeds changed completely with production/serial numbers changing to a letter/number combination that didn't have anything to do with the style number but instead, production/serial information was on a hidden tag within the bag with what would be the "month/year/plant-style number" information.

On those bags, the creed would have "RG", "SD," "DK" prefixes followed by a 5-digit number that was NOT a style number but sellers often list those bags as (for example) 20215. (To date, I've never figured out what those suffixes mean!)

Most authenticity guides and "how to spot a fake" blogs are outdated, incomplete and often, just plain wrong.

As @whateve said, a bag having "correct" information doesn't mean that the bag it's on is genuine. Until one becomes proficient in knowing what to look for, it's a good idea to verify authenticity.

 

[Hyacinth]

I have been told the follow points are ways to spot a fake serial number in bags made after 1994, can you confirm these points are true?

• The first digit after No: Will be one letter out of A - M. This letter represents one of the 12 months the bag could be made in. Starting with A for January and ending with M for December.

• The next digit will be a number that represents the year the bag was made. If the bag was made in 1998 for example the digit would be 8 and if it’s 2008 it becomes the next two digits and would be 08.

• The last 4 digits represent the style number of the bag. So for example the Helen legacy bag would have the digits of 9953 as the last 4 of the serial number.

Appreciate if you can confirm this is all accurate.

Don't believe all the "rules" you find on the web or in search engines. It seems to me that you have been told (by whom, BTW? A real live person or some seriously inaccurate and outdated" authenticity guide" on the internet?) some useless and inaccurate "rules".

Coach employees can and sometimes do make mistakes, and we've seen and posted about quite a few items with stamping mistakes where those serial prefixes got scrambled. It doesn't automatically mean that it's fake. A few even have had the wrong style number stamped in them. Any bags with what look like invalid serial numbers, unless the number has been verified here or is in the Daria48 Fake Coach Numbers List as"always fake", should ALWAYS be examined here by one of tPF's experienced authenticators. A few bags from one plant have 1-digit "4" year codes were actually made in 2004, as Whateve has already mentioned. Serial numbers by themselves do not prove any "Coach" is genuine, but a few invalid ones have been verified as always fake.

Fakes can have "accurate" serial numbers. Why does anyone still think that counterfeiters are not capable of copying a serial number correctly?

Style numbers do not always have four digits. Some have had only 3. And Coach started switching to 5-digit style numbers in 2006, which tells me that if your "source" implied or stated that Coach style numbers only had 4 digits, his or her advice and information is at least 18 years out of date. Starting back around 2014, Coach has changed details and formats for serial numbers every 3 or 4 years, none of which seem to make any sense at all.


There are probably other examples of why those "rules" are problematic. Coach changes details about things like creeds, style numbers and serial numbers frequently, and there is no "one size fits all" guide or "rule" that covers everything. To get much more accurate and up-to date information about what makes or doesn't make a real Coach, read and Save the Salearea Guides posted here in the Coach Shopping forum. Please read the entire thread to get background, updated and accurate information especially about vintage and classic Coaches. (Very recent styles from the last 10 or 15 years are not covered in detail).

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

Our two other authorized long-time authenticators have already covered other important examples.

 

[cheezecakey]

Removed because unable to publicly link URL and seller ID

 

[BeenBurned]

Item: Coach Revel Bag
Listing number: Purchased on Japanese Mercari but can't really publicly link URL because of strong defamation laws (even if it turns out fake)
Seller and site where listed:
Link:
Comments: preloved

There are no "strong defamation laws" prohibiting the posting of publicly available listings.

If the item is on Mercari (japanese or otherwise), we need that public link. Heck! If it wasn't public, you wouldn't have found it. We also need the seller ID.

ETA: I won't authenticate if I'm not able to see the listing, seller, site and history.

 

[cheezecakey]

There are no "strong defamation laws" prohibiting the posting of publicly available listings.

If the item is on Mercari (japanese or otherwise), we need that public link. Heck! If it wasn't public, you wouldn't have found it. We also need the seller ID.

If I post this this link publicly and the authenticators say the bag is fake, then I might get in trouble because it's like I am accusing the seller of selling fake goods (even if it is true) publicly. Unfortunate, but you need to be careful here in Japan.

You may notice if you go on Twitter, there are Japanese tweets by authenticators and Good Samaritans warning people of fake bags being sold on Japanese Mercari. However, most people make sure to hide the seller ID and don't directly post the links, only the screenshots for privacy reasons.

 

[BeenBurned]

If I post this this link publicly and the authenticators say the bag is fake, then I might get in trouble because it's like I am accusing the seller of selling fake goods (even if it is true) publicly. Unfortunate, but you need to be careful here in Japan.

You're wrong. If you post the link and "the authenticators say the bag is fake," you won't be in trouble because you didn't accuse anyone of anything.

If a seller lists a fake, they deserve to be called out. In fact, there are plenty off Japanese sellers of fakes who have been named here! And then their listings are posted, those that are fake are often reported and removed.

As I've understood, Japan (supposedly) has strict laws against the sale of counterfeit items and it's those sellers who are in the wrong, not a buyer who gets ripped off by them.

In fact, several years ago, I started a thread about the proliferation of close fakes of newer styles from Japanese sellers. And dozens of those sellers were named. But it's not just newer styles that Japanese sellers list. They have an abundance of fakes of vintage styles too.

If this is a bag you bought or are planning to buy and if you're afraid or unwilling to post Japanese listings, I recommend you buy from a seller in a country you are willing or able to post.

Otherwise, I won't help.

To show you an example of how many fakes have been posted by Japanese sellers and reported here on TPF, this is a search of just the Hall of Shame thread. Some are long time ebay sellers and many have had multiple fakes reported and removed.

Search results for query: japanese

forum.purseblog.com

 

[cheezecakey]

You're wrong. If you post the link and "the authenticators say the bag is fake," you won't be in trouble because you didn't accuse anyone of anything.

If a seller lists a fake, they deserve to be called out. In fact, there are plenty off Japanese sellers of fakes who have been named here! And then their listings are posted, those that are fake are often reported and removed.

As I've understood, Japan (supposedly) has strict laws against the sale of counterfeit items and it's those sellers who are in the wrong, not a buyer who gets ripped off by them.

In fact, several years ago, I started a thread about the proliferation of close fakes of newer styles from Japanese sellers. And dozens of those sellers were named. But it's not just newer styles that Japanese sellers list. They have an abundance of fakes of vintage styles too.

If this is a bag you bought or are planning to buy and if you're afraid or unwilling to post Japanese listings, I recommend you buy from a seller in a country you are willing or able to post.

Otherwise, I won't help.

To show you an example of how many fakes have been posted by Japanese sellers and reported here on TPF, this is a search of just the Hall of Shame thread. Some are long time ebay sellers and many have had multiple fakes reported and removed.

Search results for query: japanese

forum.purseblog.com

But none of the postors who asked for help on the thread actually live in Japan, right? This is a country where you get in trouble if you write real bad reviews on Google Reviews about businesses. I lived here for 30+ years, it's not a country anime depicts.

Shame, but I can't risk it. Thanks for offering to help.

 

[BeenBurned]

But none of the postors who asked for help on the thread actually live in Japan, right? This is a country where you get in trouble if you write real bad reviews on Google Reviews about businesses. I lived here for 30+ years, it's not a country anime depicts.

Shame, but I can't risk it. Thanks for offering to help.

It doesn't matter where anyone lives and generally, none of us know where each other live unless the URL extension on listings shows another country.

Note that I am the one making this post and my opinion is that the bag is absolutely without a doubt fake.

@cheezecakey
Is this is the listing you purchased? The details in the pictures appear to match those that you'd previously posted (and removed):

Japan Mercari listing: https://jp.mercari.com/en/item/m89443995485
Seller misawa

Some of the original pictures posted by @cheezecakey :



Pictures from Mercari listing:


If this is the bag and listing you purchased, PLEASE return the fake for a refund.



And in case you're looking at another bag to buy, this one is also FAKE: (read the description of the name on the tag!)
seller Fudo

https://jp.mercari.com/en/item/m57263083396

 

[ConnieinSeattle]

It doesn't matter where anyone lives and generally, none of us know where each other live unless the URL extension on listings shows another country.

Note that I am the one making this post and my opinion is that the bag is absolutely without a doubt fake.

@cheezecakey
Is this is the listing you purchased? The details in the pictures appear to match those that you'd previously posted (and removed):

Japan Mercari listing: https://jp.mercari.com/en/item/m89443995485
Seller misawa

Some of the original pictures posted by @cheezecakey :
View attachment 5974744View attachment 5974745View attachment 5974746View attachment 5974747


Pictures from Mercari listing:
View attachment 5974750View attachment 5974749View attachment 5974751

If this is the bag and listing you purchased, PLEASE return the fake for a refund.



And in case you're looking at another bag to buy, this one is also FAKE: (read the description of the name on the tag!)
seller Fudo

https://jp.mercari.com/en/item/m57263083396

My unsolicited 2-cents! Cheezecakey, there are are private paid authentication services. For you to be comfortable, I think that's your best bet. This service here IS public, awesome, and no charge. Our amazing authenticators are sharing their time and expertise here because they love Coach.

 

[DoraLuz]

Happy Spring to all!
If someone may help authenticating this one I’d appreciate it, thank you!

FOR ITEMS LISTED ONLINE:
Item:Coach vintage
Listing number:
Seller and site where listed: eBay @SeasideBargains
Link:https://www.ebay.com/itm/2260191592...NZGfUOCTzO&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY
Comments:

 

[BeenBurned]

My unsolicited 2-cents! Cheezecakey, there are are private paid authentication services. For you to be comfortable, I think that's your best bet. This service here IS public, awesome, and no charge. Our amazing authenticators are sharing their time and expertise here because they love Coach.

This is a great suggestion however I have a caveat. With the proliferation of fakes coming out of Japan and the close replication, I'm not comfortable that there's a Coach authentication service (human or AI) who would get some of these right. Be very careful.

 

[BeenBurned]

Happy Spring to all!
If someone may help authenticating this one I’d appreciate it, thank you!

FOR ITEMS LISTED ONLINE:
Item:Coach vintage
Listing number:
Seller and site where listed: eBay @SeasideBargains
Link:https://www.ebay.com/itm/2260191592...NZGfUOCTzO&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY
Comments:

It's fine.

 

[PurseLvr24]

Here's a doozy...This one has a certificate of authenticity so it may be real? Seller is Alonso68 on Poshmark. They also have a bunch of other questionable vintage coach bags?

https://poshmark.com/listing/Coach-Vintage-9988-Leather-Saddle-Bag-65fe2c89b03f9ba977f39d1a