AUTHENTICATE this COACH

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#8,221
Originally Posted by katev
Item: Coach Willis
Listing number: 3665323873
Seller: Craigslist
Link: http://chicago.craigslist.org/chc/clo/3665323873.html

Comments: I spotted this white willis on craigslist and it looks pretty good to me although the vendor says it is not genuine. I asked her to send pics of the creed and she sent these terrible pics and said they were the best she could get.

I can see that they have xxxx-xxx serial number configuration and I noticed some rather odd spacing in the wording - but I think I've seen that before? (But maybe I saw it on a fake?!)

The funny thing is that this bag is from the same CL vendor that sold the red Madison Bristol Dome bag to me recently. She also said that one was not genuine but it was authentic! I am tempted to go and check this one out but first I wanted to ask your opinion, whether I should even bother to go look at it? Also, do you know if the willis actually ever came in white? Thanks for your help!
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Originally Posted by BeenBurned
It's fake. The serial number, 0974-534 is on Hyacinth's list - scroll about 1/2 way down the post:
answers to AUTHENTICITY questions!!!
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Originally Posted by katev
Thanks, I wasn't sure of the numbers. I asked the seller to send me the numbers but I haven't received them yet. Oh well! Thanks!
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katev said:
I heard back from the CL seller. It says "Made in the USA" and the number is 0974-534 and Hyacinth's list says that number may be a fake and needs to be looked at by a vintage expert. The seller dropped her price and sent a couple of more pictures.

I keep wanting it to be genuine, a white willis would be pretty cool! Oh well!
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Although Hyacinth (and possibly DemRam) will respond, the fact that Hyacinth's post states that the same "random" serial number has shown up on at least 2 fake Willis bags as well as other styles is a huge (and IMO obvious) red flag. Random and unique serial numbers - by definition - should never be on more than one bag!

I defer to others since this isn't my area of expertise (and I suppose I could keep my mouth shut) but in this case, it's pretty obvious to me.

I know you want the bag and I'm trying to save your hard-earned money.

From the post on Hyacinth's fake list:
0974-534 - has shown up on at least 2 counterfeit Willis Bags and fakes of other classic leather styles. Any creed stamp with this number is probably fake and needs to be looked at very closely by an expert on older Coaches
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#8,222
katev said:
I heard back from the CL seller. It says "Made in the USA" and the number is 0974-534 and Hyacinth's list says that number may be a fake and needs to be looked at by a vintage expert. The seller dropped her price and sent a couple of more pictures.

I keep wanting it to be genuine, a white willis would be pretty cool! Oh well!
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If you look at the Willis you already own, you will notice that there is a raised area of padding on the tab above the turnlock. This purse seems to be missing that. I think it is fake.
 
#8,223
BeenBurned said:
Although Hyacinth (and possibly DemRam) will respond, the fact that Hyacinth's post states that the same "random" serial number has shown up on at least 2 fake Willis bags as well as other styles is a huge (and IMO obvious) red flag. Random and unique serial numbers - by definition - should never be on more than one bag!

I defer to others since this isn't my area of expertise (and I suppose I could keep my mouth shut) but in this case, it's pretty obvious to me.

I know you want the bag and I'm trying to save your hard-earned money.

From the post on Hyacinth's fake list:
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Oh I don't doubt you and I really appreciate your opinion and information. I was just following the instructions on Hyacinth's list and wistfully hoping that it was somehow genuine. Especially since the CL seller told me the previous bag I bought from her was a fake and it was actually genuine and rare. Thank you for saving me from wasting my time, money and efforts!
 
#8,224
katev said:
I heard back from the CL seller. It says "Made in the USA" and the number is 0974-534 and Hyacinth's list says that number may be a fake and needs to be looked at by a vintage expert. The seller dropped her price and sent a couple of more pictures.

I keep wanting it to be genuine, a white willis would be pretty cool! Oh well!
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It's still fake. The turnlock's in the wrong position, there's no "pillow" on the leather turnlock tab, the way the leather is cut around the inside pocket zipper is a MESS - the edges are completely raw & unfinished! The numbers in the serial are too big, the serial font is wrong, and early leather bags should NEVER have "puffy" creeds. The "Made in USA" is barely visible because it's squeeezed into a space that's half the size it should be. There are two strange impressions in the leather at the upper corners of the creed stamp that shouldn't be there.

Compare all those details to this genuine listing by Salearea:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/COACH-1994-...D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

Let me explain why I say "almost always fake" when talking about all-number fake serials - somehwere out there might actually be ONE genuine bag with that serial number, but only one. And the odds of someone actually posting a genuine bag with the same exact serial as in dozens or hundreds of fake bags is so small that I'll worry about it when I find it. So far I haven't found a legit version of ANY bag with a fake numerical serial that's on the Fakes List. And the fakes always have at least half a dozen other mistakes, like this one.

Maybe your first experience with the seller was good but she obviously doesn't have any idea how to weed out the fakes from the real stuff.
 
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#8,225
Hyacinth said:
It's still fake. The turnlock's in the wrong position, there's no "pillow" on the leather turnlock tab, the way the leather is cut around the inside pocket zipper is a MESS, the numbers in the serial are too big, the serial font is wrong, and early leather bags should NEVER have "puffy" creeds. The "Made in USA" is barely visible because it's squeeezed into a space that's half the size it should be. There are two strange impressions in the leather at the upper corners of the creed stamp that shouldn't be there.

Let me explain why I say "almost always fake" when talking about all-number fake serials - somehwere out there might actually be ONE genuine bag with that serial number, but only one. And the odds of someone actually posting a genuine bag with the same exact serial as in dozens or hundreds of fake bags is so small that I'll worry about it when I find it. So far I haven't found a legit version of ANY bag with a fake numerical serial. And the fakes always have at least half a dozen other mistakes, like this one.

Maybe your first experience with the seller was good but she doesn't have any idea how to weed out the fakes from the real stuff.
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Thank you, I appreciate the information very much.
 
#8,226
galwaygirl007 said:
Hi Ladies, waiting on photos I can copy & post from the seller. Can you tell me if this is an authentic code for a coach court bag - A5C -9870. I know 9870 is the code for coach court style but not sure of the rest!

Thank You!
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It's "valid", meaning it may have appeared on a real bag. It's not "genuine" unless the bag itself is, and there's NO way to tell that without photos. Nothing can ever be proven real just from a serial number.
 
#8,230
#8,232
#8,234
whateve said:
Ew, it looks so fake. The leather has that weird wrinkling going on. The marks around the creed number would never appear on an authentic bag. And you are right, it isn't the right style either.
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Hyacinth said:
It's not a genuine Coach color either. Among a bunch of other problems.
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Thank you, whateve and Hyacinth! Off to report. I thought the color was completely off too.
 
#8,235
sophi24 said:
I am very sure this is a fake. Just wanted to get a second opinion before I contact the Ebay seller to get a refund.

https://picasaweb.google.com/106280...&authkey=Gv1sRgCIHjx6y82Irhbg&feat=directlink
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So far I don't see any problems with it. Older Coach bags sometimes had an extra number in the serial. And the brand of zipper doesn't mean anything.

Read these carefully and then post back telling us what you think the problems are - and I STRONGLY suggest that you DON'T contact the seller just yet:
http://search.reviews.ebay.com/memb...&pr=salearea&uaid=41262657&uan=salearea&uqt=g

Meanwhile please post the measurements of the bag and photos of the side and back, also a photo of the entire bag with the front flap lifted up out of the way so we can see if there's any kind of front pocket.

And as required in the first post of this thread, please post a link to the auction where you bought it.
 
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