This is the only one I could find from that time period. Not sure if it's helpful.
http://cgi.ebay.com/COACH-Vintage-B...034?pt=US_CSA_WH_Handbags&hash=item19c6c03a6a
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This is the only one I could find from that time period. Not sure if it's helpful.
http://cgi.ebay.com/COACH-Vintage-B...034?pt=US_CSA_WH_Handbags&hash=item19c6c03a6a
You're welcome! I pasted the link to the auction.
Somewhere in the back of my very old brain I recall seeing a similar bag. Unfortunately I can't remember the details of why it was made or what the occasion was.
It certainly looks good and it does have the old Coach black and white metal plaque that Coach used before "creeds".
I hope someone has some information for you.
Listing #: 320722293944
Seller: theodora_matthews
Link: http://cgi.ebay.com/320722293944?ru...93944&_sacat=See-All-Categories&_fvi=1&_rdc=1
That's the third Coach I've seen with what looks like either the Presidential Seal or the Great Seal of the US - it's hard to tell which. There was a listing that just ended with only one bad photo and no description:
http://cgi.ebay.com/VINTAGE-COACH-H...143?pt=US_CSA_WH_Handbags&hash=item43a809720f
and about a year ago there was a red bag in a different style that the description said was supposedly made for White House staffers during the Reagan administration. Here's the original discussion:
http://forum.purseblog.com/coach/red-coach-reagan-years-bag-588118.html
Pictures of the "Reagan" bag are below. The older square-shape bags are probably too old to be from the Reagan administration which began in 1981 since Coach had already begun using the stamped creeds by that time. The date would fit the Carter administration though, or possibly the Ford presidency. I don't have any solid information on any of them and didn't save the description of the red one shown below, sorry, but the details of the "Reagan Years" creed stamp fits perfectly with the dates of his presidency.
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Those are so cool!!! I'm not american but now I kind of want one of those red ones LOL!
Thank you so much Hyacinth! I am completley in love w/ this bag!
Just to clarify do you think the bag that I want is from the Carter or Ford administration? Cause it looks like it came from that era. Thank you for all of your help! You're one cool knowledgeble lady! Originally Posted by katev 
Item: Small Navy Hobo D8J-9027
Seller: Savers Thrift Store $2
Dimensions: 10 wide by 6 high by 2.25 deep
Photos: http://s1226.photobucket.com/albums/...20Navy%20Hobo/
Comments: When I saw this bag I thought it might be a fake, but I bought it anyway because it was only $2. I figured that, if it is a fake, at least I can get it out of circulation before someone buys it believing it to be genuine.
My concerns are with the piping and stitching. There seems to me too much excess leather left over along the stitched edges of the piping. Also, I think that the stitching looks uneven and sloppy at the points where the ends of the piping come together.
But I am no expert so I would appreciate your opinions. Let me know if you need more pictures and thanks in advance for your help!
Originally Posted by Hyacinth If there is a company name or patent number stamped into one of the magnetic snaps, can you possibly get a photo of it?
Ergos were faked quite a bit. That excess leather bothers me too, also the way the serial number is stamped and the "J" plant code which should be for one of the early Chinese plants. And it looks like the 2 halves of the serial number were stamped from a single stamp that didn't have any way to change any digits, unlike the earlier stamping mechanisms.
But I don't own any Ergos for comparison. Maybe someone who does or who has pics of a Mini Satchel from early to mid-1998 can take a look.
It's very helpful - there's an obvious difference in the quality of the finishing, but we have to try and figure out if that's because the navy blue bag is a fake, or maybe because it was an early production bag from a new plant - that J code I mentioned before which may have actually been a new Chinese plant (I've suspected for a long time that Coach disguised the actual locations where some of their bags were being made in the mid to late 1990s by using the correct triple-secret plant code in the serial number but stamping "... in the United States..." in the creed statement.) Or maybe a new plant in an unknown location that was later closed and the code given to the Chinese plant? (There are a LOT of unanswered questions about Coach plant codes I'd LOVE to ask!)
If Katev can get a photo of the other half of the magnetic snap there's a really good pic of the same piece in the tan 9027 listing we can compare it to, and the tan one's definitely genuine.
Item: Small Navy Hobo D8J-9027Seller: Savers Thrift Store $2
Dimensions: 10 wide by 6 high by 2.25 deep
Photos: http://s1226.photobucket.com/albums/...20Navy%20Hobo/
Comments: When I saw this bag I thought it might be a fake, but I bought it anyway because it was only $2. I figured that, if it is a fake, at least I can get it out of circulation before someone buys it believing it to be genuine.
My concerns are with the piping and stitching. There seems to me too much excess leather left over along the stitched edges of the piping. Also, I think that the stitching looks uneven and sloppy at the points where the ends of the piping come together.
But I am no expert so I would appreciate your opinions. Let me know if you need more pictures and thanks in advance for your help!
Originally Posted by Hyacinth
If there is a company name or patent number stamped into one of the magnetic snaps, can you possibly get a photo of it?Ergos were faked quite a bit. That excess leather bothers me too, also the way the serial number is stamped and the "J" plant code which should be for one of the early Chinese plants. And it looks like the 2 halves of the serial number were stamped from a single stamp that didn't have any way to change any digits, unlike the earlier stamping mechanisms.
But I don't own any Ergos for comparison. Maybe someone who does or who has pics of a Mini Satchel from early to mid-1998 can take a look.
This is the only one I could find from that time period. Not sure if it's helpful.
http://cgi.ebay.com/COACH-Vintage-B...034?pt=US_CSA_WH_Handbags&hash=item19c6c03a6a
It's very helpful - there's an obvious difference in the quality of the finishing, but we have to try and figure out if that's because the navy blue bag is a fake, or maybe because it was an early production bag from a new plant - that J code I mentioned before which may have actually been a new Chinese plant (I've suspected for a long time that Coach disguised the actual locations where some of their bags were being made in the mid to late 1990s by using the correct triple-secret plant code in the serial number but stamping "... in the United States..." in the creed statement.) Or maybe a new plant in an unknown location that was later closed and the code given to the Chinese plant? (There are a LOT of unanswered questions about Coach plant codes I'd LOVE to ask!)
If Katev can get a photo of the other half of the magnetic snap there's a really good pic of the same piece in the tan 9027 listing we can compare it to, and the tan one's definitely genuine.
Ah, The City Willis! AFAIK, I haven't seen any fakes of that style, but that doesn't mean they weren't made. Plenty of very limited or one-off fakes were made in Korea by copying an existing bag or just making a bag "to order" just like you can get a suit made in a day in Hong Kong or a Hawaiian dress in a day at dozens of small shops in Honolulu. ANY classic Coach style was probably faked although the ones made after 1990 were much more likely to be ripped off than the older ones.
I wonder if the imprint on the bag in question could be the Great Seal of the United States AND made for the US Bicentennial?
Listing #: 320722293944
Seller: theodora_matthews
Link: http://cgi.ebay.com/320722293944?ru=...fvi%3D1&_rdc=1
The small black and white plaque on that bag would be consistent with the "mark" Coach might have used in the mid 1970'S.
Imprint on bag in question.
Great Seal of the U.S.
Just a thought!
Originally Posted by katev
Seller: Savers Thrift Store $2
Dimensions: 10 wide by 6 high by 2.25 deep
Photos: http://s1226.photobucket.com/albums/...20Navy%20Hobo/
Comments: When I saw this bag I thought it might be a fake, but I bought it anyway because it was only $2. I figured that, if it is a fake, at least I can get it out of circulation before someone buys it believing it to be genuine.
My concerns are with the piping and stitching. There seems to me too much excess leather left over along the stitched edges of the piping. Also, I think that the stitching looks uneven and sloppy at the points where the ends of the piping come together.
But I am no expert so I would appreciate your opinions. Let me know if you need more pictures and thanks in advance for your help!
Originally Posted by Hyacinth
Ergos were faked quite a bit. That excess leather bothers me too, also the way the serial number is stamped and the "J" plant code which should be for one of the early Chinese plants. And it looks like the 2 halves of the serial number were stamped from a single stamp that didn't have any way to change any digits, unlike the earlier stamping mechanisms.
But I don't own any Ergos for comparison. Maybe someone who does or who has pics of a Mini Satchel from early to mid-1998 can take a look.
It's very helpful - there's an obvious difference in the quality of the finishing, but we have to try and figure out if that's because the navy blue bag is a fake, or maybe because it was an early production bag from a new plant - that J code I mentioned before which may have actually been a new Chinese plant (I've suspected for a long time that Coach disguised the actual locations where some of their bags were being made in the mid to late 1990s by using the correct triple-secret plant code in the serial number but stamping "... in the United States..." in the creed statement.) Or maybe a new plant in an unknown location that was later closed and the code given to the Chinese plant? (There are a LOT of unanswered questions about Coach plant codes I'd LOVE to ask!)
If Katev can get a photo of the other half of the magnetic snap there's a really good pic of the same piece in the tan 9027 listing we can compare it to, and the tan one's definitely genuine.
I've added 12 more photos of the navy mini-hobo, including several shots of the magnetic clasp. I do not see any markings on the clasp. I do see a major difference between this bag and the tan hobo on ebay. The male portion of the clasp is attached to a single piece of leather with the mechanism visible on the back, unlike the tan hobo, that is encased between 2 pieces of stitched leather.
I also took some more pics of the creed and I tried to get some photos of the inside construction of the bag - but it is difficult because it is so small.
Thanks again for your help and let me know if you need more photos.
http://s1226.photobucket.com/albums/ee413/katev2/Small Navy Hobo/
I think that's the bit that pretty much proves the navy one isn't genuine. From your original pics it didn't seem as if there was that extra piece of leather under the other half of the snap but the picture proves it.
It seems too like all magnetic snaps used by Coach will have a brand name and patent number stamped in them. There are 2 different companies that I remember - Romag or Comag maybe? And another one with no name but just a trademark symbol and patent numbers (looks like 2 "R"s back to back, maybe it's a trademark for Romag?). Snaps with no names or valid patent numbers are major red flags.
Sorry, Katev, it looks like you find wasn't a Woo-Hoo! after all. But considering the size of the bag, maybe there's a little girl in the family who can use it when she plays Dress-Up?
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