AUTHENTICATE This COACH

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#8,147
missjay7 said:
Thanks your help before, Hyacinth. I read the guides you wrote for salearena, so I'm trying to shop a bit more critically.

Item: A discontinued legacy messenger (not sure of the exact name for this style)
Listing number: N/A
Seller: N/A
Link: http://imgur.com/i5vNT and http://imgur.com/7fEUp
Comments:

Item: Coach station bag
Listing number: 75684700
Seller: boxofhollyhocks
Link: http://www.etsy.com/listing/75684700/final-sale-vintage-coach-station-satchel and the seller sent me a photo of the creed: http://imgur.com/JDZkF
Comments: I'm not so sure with station bags. I've seen so much variation in them, which makes me question authenticity. This one's strap isn't adjustable, but I've seen some that have the adjustable buckle. Is it just the more recent models that have the adjustable strap? This one seems to have a shorter strap, whereas I've seen some with longer straps.
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1- ok, Legacy Turnlock Companion Flap from 2001

2- I would not recommend this bag. Not because of the strap since straps are easily replaced or modified by the owners, or because Coach has sometimes changed strap details during production, but because there shouldn't be any bags using "A" as a plant code. "A" was the original NYC plant and was shut down as an active production facility and converted to Coach's corporate offices before Coach modified their serial numbers to include plant codes. While it's very slightly possible that Coach may have kept a small production room open for things like samples and pilot bags, without knowing that they did I have to assume that the A code indicates a questionable bag - the Station Bag had been around since Noah's Flood and I doubt if any would have to have been made by a sample maker.
 
#8,148
Hyacinth said:
It's probably ok but that J8Y- prefix has been found on well-made fakes too and always makes me nervous.
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hello!

i bought this bag, but when i received it, it looks very suspicious.

https://picasaweb.google.com/Luzette626/PatriciaSLegacyBag#

please look at the photos on the link. The stiching on the bottom of the bag is horrible and the straps looks layered. Also the inside of the bag, the leather by the seems are white? is this normal for a vintage bag? it seem to me that the whole bag would be the same color inside all the way through the stitching but it's not. Also stitching on the inside of the bag on the bottom looks really thick compared to the other coach bags ive seen. Can someone pls let me know what they think? thanks!
 
#8,152
Hyacinth said:
You'd have to ask the seller for a creed photo from that exact bag, there's no reason they can't supply one

The creed patch in the listing indicates made in 2002 but the one in the bag may have a different year code. It was called a Hamptons Leather Carryall.
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I'm waiting for a response from seller, but someone mentioned the flash probably just discolored the fabric...
 
#8,154
Item:multifunction tote briefcase diaper laptop bag
Listing number: 360440688514
Seller: abawinful
Link:http://www.ebay.com/itm/COACH-MULTIFUNCTION-TOTE-BRIEFCASE-DIAPER-LAPTOP-BAG-/360440688514?pt=US_CSA_WH_Handbags&hash=item53ebf06f82#ht_8706wt_1192
Comments: i just don't know...

Item: duffle carryon bag
Listing number: 360440636249
Seller: abawinful
Link: http://www.ebay.com/itm/COACH-CABIN-LUGGAGE-TRAVEL-DUFFLE-GYM-CARRYON-BAG-/360440636249?pt=US_CSA_WH_Handbags&hash=item53ebefa359#ht_9684wt_1192
Comments: love to get this for my husband when we travel, help authenticate, name, info?

Item: huge coach briefcase laptop tote diaper travel carryall shopper bag
Listing number: 360438714413
Seller: abawinful
Link: http://www.ebay.com/itm/HUGE-COACH-BRIEFCASE-LAPTOP-TOTE-DIAPER-TRAVEL-CARRYALL-SHOPPER-BAGUSA-/360438714413?pt=US_CSA_WH_Handbags&hash=item53ebd2502d#ht_8559wt_1192
Comments: penny for your thoughts...
 
#8,155
#8,156
Porgiecutesie said:
Item:multifunction tote briefcase diaper laptop bag
Listing number: 360440688514
Seller: abawinful
Link:http://www.ebay.com/itm/COACH-MULTI...H_Handbags&hash=item53ebf06f82#ht_8706wt_1192
Comments: i just don't know...

Item: duffle carryon bag
Listing number: 360440636249
Seller: abawinful
Link: http://www.ebay.com/itm/COACH-CABIN...H_Handbags&hash=item53ebefa359#ht_9684wt_1192
Comments: love to get this for my husband when we travel, help authenticate, name, info?

Item: huge coach briefcase laptop tote diaper travel carryall shopper bag
Listing number: 360438714413
Seller: abawinful
Link: http://www.ebay.com/itm/HUGE-COACH-...H_Handbags&hash=item53ebd2502d#ht_8559wt_1192
Comments: penny for your thoughts...
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We don't recommend that seller. She was known in the past to sell fakes even after being told publicly at Ebay's forums that her items were fake and why.

Her public records of Negative and Neutral Feedback at TOOLHAUS.ORG will explain even better than I can:
http://toolhaus.org/cgi-bin/negs?User=abawinful&Dirn=Received+by&ref=home

I don't know whether or not she's changed her ways and become more careful since her recent Feedback has improved but I can't give any kind of recommendation, although there don't seem to be any problems with the three bags you asked about.

The unusual serial number in the third bag probably means it was a sample and Sample bags are almost impossible to authenticate. We don't know what style they're supposed to be, or if there were any changes between samples and production, or if they even made it into production at all. It's probably genuine since AFAIK the counterfeiters didn't fake sample bags.
 
#8,157
#8,159
lpst626 said:
hello!

i bought this bag, but when i received it, it looks very suspicious.

https://picasaweb.google.com/Luzette626/PatriciaSLegacyBag#

please look at the photos on the link. The stiching on the bottom of the bag is horrible and the straps looks layered. Also the inside of the bag, the leather by the seems are white? is this normal for a vintage bag? it seem to me that the whole bag would be the same color inside all the way through the stitching but it's not. Also stitching on the inside of the bag on the bottom looks really thick compared to the other coach bags ive seen. Can someone pls let me know what they think? thanks!
Click to expand...

The stitching on the bottom looks bad, but I'm thinking the bottom was repaired or re-stitched. I don't think that even counterfeiters would do such a sloppy job of it.

The nearest Pat's Legacy I have to yours is from 1995 but the basic details should be the same. Here's a comparison of your photos to my bag, photo by photo:
1- bottom has apparently been restitched on one side, and NOT by Coach
2- light color underneath is normal
3- same as #2
4- the edges of Coach's leather pieces usually are undyed and look off-white. That's normal on almost all older leather Coaches, if you check listings where close-ups are shown of the inside and seams you'll see the same off-white coloring. The underside of my bag's pocket has the light color just at the 2 ends of the seam where the pieces are sewn together so I'm not sure if the white color all the way across on yours is a problem or not - I don't think so.
5- the strap edgings will almost always overlap where the ends are joined, and sometimes the edges will consist of more than one piece of leather, that's normal. If only a single piece of leather were to be used for that strap's edging it would have to be over 100 inches long, which would be almost impossible to find on most hides. Strap edges especially on such a long strap are almost never a single piece.
6- no problems that I can see
7- the slot cut for the buckle tongue so it could move back & forth is longer than usual, and the cut isn't as well-finished at the closed end as it should be - on mine it's more rounded and doesn't extend almost to the rivet reinforcing the buckle mounting.
8- if the white edge of the leather is on the inside edge in the vertical seam running down the side of the bag, that's ok
9- strap edging overlaps - sloppy but not neccessarily fake. However the buckle holes are smaller than the ones on mine.
10- it may be the angle or a matter of perspective but it looks as if the creed stamp isn't centered on the pocket. Hard to tell since I'd have to see a straight-on shot showing both edges of the pocket. But older Coaches weren't perfect and creed sometimes were off-center, and so were serial numbers.
11- slight difference in the grommet hardware for the buckle holes but that could be perfectly normal, Coach bought hardware from any number of outside suppliers. Yours looks as if there are 11 or 12 "teeth" on the back of the grommet, mine has 8.

There's no solid evidence pointing to it being fake. Most of the things you're concerned about are normal Coach production details. The slightly smaller buckle holes and difference mentioned in #7 could just be a difference due to different years, production methods and plants. It's not solid proof of a fake bag.

The only problem is the apparent repair at the bottom. It may not be noticeable right away but it's not mentioned in the listing or shown in the photos. I personally wouldn't call a rather sloppy repair " minor signs of use" but that's something you may want to take up with the seller.
 
#8,160
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