AUTHENTICATE this COACH

[whateve]

I didn't interpret her post to say that she questioned something specific but rather, I think she read some of Hyacinth's guides that said that any classic bags with a J month codes should be looked at by experts.

Yes, Hyacinth's guides are what caused me to look closer and question if the bag was authentic.

The grommets on the strap look silver rather than brass to me. The bottom inside the bag has a smooth piece of leather glued on, and all the other pictures of older Stewardess bags I saw (in my obviously limited reasearch) did not. Also, when I searched, I found a post stating that the prefix j4k should be considered fake.

I just checked, and the buckles are stamped.

Thank you for your help!

Hard to read, but it looks like SOLID BRASS.

You have four things that together prove it's fake: 1. the J4K creed prefix that we've never seen on a proven authentic bag, 2. the extra leather piece in the bottom, 3. the mixture of silver and brass hardware, 4. "Solid brass" stamping on the buckles.

Coach stopped using solid brass hardware in the early 80s. Any buckle on a bag that was supposedly made in 1994 that is stamped "solid brass" is fake. I'm sure the metal isn't really solid brass. Counterfeiters also make the mistake of using silver grommets on straps for bags with brass hardware.

 

[316tracey]

You have four things that together prove it's fake: 1. the J4K creed prefix that we've never seen on a proven authentic bag, 2. the extra leather piece in the bottom, 3. the mixture of silver and brass hardware, 4. "Solid brass" stamping on the buckles.

Coach stopped using solid brass hardware in the early 80s. Any buckle on a bag that was supposedly made in 1994 that is stamped "solid brass" is fake. I'm sure the metal isn't really solid brass. Counterfeiters also make the mistake of using silver grommets on straps for bags with brass hardware.

Thank you so much for your help! My first ebay purse, and it was a fake. A lesson learned for me.

I will try contacting the seller again.

 

[whateve]

Thank you so much for your help! My first ebay purse, and it was a fake. A lesson learned for me.

I will try contacting the seller again.

You're welcome! Good luck with the seller. You can direct her here for proof.

I'm sorry that happened to you. My first ebay purse was authentic, but my second and third weren't! Just make sure to get them authenticated before you purchase next time.

 

[316tracey]

You're welcome! Good luck with the seller. You can direct her here for proof.

I'm sorry that happened to you. My first ebay purse was authentic, but my second and third weren't! Just make sure to get them authenticated before you purchase next time.

Yes, I won't do things backwards again!

 

[BeenBurned]

Thank you so much for your help! My first ebay purse, and it was a fake. A lesson learned for me.

I will try contacting the seller again.

If the seller doesn't agree to a full refund, file SNAD. Whether the seller knew it was fake when she listed it or not is irrelevant. It's the seller's responsibility to KNOW that items are authentic before listing them. And if the seller doesn't know (with 100% certainty), she needs to have her item(s) authenticated.

http://forum.purseblog.com/ebay-forum/bought-a-fake-please-read-here-659751.html

 

[Want Real Purse]

This poor little Coach is not a scribble, but that's what I think of every time I look at it. It is in my possession, and yes that is ink all over it. Is is real? What exactly is it? Anyone have any bright ideas on removing ink?

http://s1371.photobucket.com/user/mariel286m/library/3rd Coach

 

[BeenBurned]

This poor little Coach is not a scribble, but that's what I think of every time I look at it. It is in my possession, and yes that is ink all over it. Is is real? What exactly is it? Anyone have any bright ideas on removing ink?

http://s1371.photobucket.com/user/mariel286m/library/3rd Coach

It's authentic but I have no idea how to clean that ink from it.

 

[Hyacinth]

This poor little Coach is not a scribble, but that's what I think of every time I look at it. It is in my possession, and yes that is ink all over it. Is is real? What exactly is it? Anyone have any bright ideas on removing ink?

http://s1371.photobucket.com/user/mariel286m/library/3rd Coach

It's not a Scribble, just a Signature Stripe of some kind.

Check the Rehab and Rescue thread at the main Coach forum for help with removing ink marks.

 

[Want Real Purse]

It's authentic but I have no idea how to clean that ink from it.

Thanks for the authentication. I'm still trying to get a working idea on the ink. It cost a $1, so I bought it for the wild chance that I can figure it out!
WRP

 

[Want Real Purse]

It's not a Scribble, just a Signature Stripe of some kind.

Check the Rehab and Rescue thread at the main Coach forum for help with removing ink marks.

Thanks Hyacinth, I'm heading for the Rehab files. Again.

 

[Suzanne B.]

Recently, I've noticed some fobs showing back up in small quantities on ebay, but something looked off about them. (And a LOT have been sold) I checked mine and looked at some older photos of the same fob that were nwt (one from tpf)..... I've included photos....what do ya'll think? Can you see the differences too? Did those two fobs just get made into a batches of fakes or did the factories make a run of really lousy quality fobs? On the heart lock one, you can't compare in the photos, but when I look at the fake looking one and mine, the Est. 1941 is not the same size.

 

[BeenBurned]

Recently, I've noticed some fobs showing back up in small quantities on ebay, but something looked off about them. (And a LOT have been sold) I checked mine and looked at some older photos of the same fob that were nwt (one from tpf)..... I've included photos....what do ya'll think? Can you see the differences too? Did those two fobs just get made into a batches of fakes or did the factories make a run of really lousy quality fobs? On the heart lock one, you can't compare in the photos, but when I look at the fake looking one and mine, the Est. 1941 is not the same size.

I'd really like to see the listings, but from what I see, they all seem fine.

I think you are suspicious of the first heart lock and the first purple one, right? I agree they look a bit sloppy but I don't know whether it's the lighting, angle or if Coach is getting shoddy.

The purple one has been very well faked, though.

Other opinions are welcome.

 

[vintageb1]

I saw this bag at a thrift store and was curious about it because I had never seen the spring lock clasp before. I'm not sure this one, is authentic as I have not been able to find any other examples of this exact style.
I was not going to buy it because they WAAY overcharged for their Coach bags but I quickly snapped a couple off shots before they kicked us out at closing time. Apologies that I couldn't get better ones.

 

[vintageb1]

I saw this bag at a thrift store and was curious about it because I had never seen the spring lock clasp before. I'm not sure this one, is authentic as I have not been able to find any other examples of this exact style.
I was not going to buy it because they WAAY overcharged for their Coach bags but I quickly snapped a couple off shots before they kicked us out at closing time. Apologies that I couldn't get better ones.

Ok sorry I accidentally sent this before adding photos! (Using the new Purse Forum app which is great BTW)

 

[Hyacinth]

Recently, I've noticed some fobs showing back up in small quantities on ebay, but something looked off about them. (And a LOT have been sold) I checked mine and looked at some older photos of the same fob that were nwt (one from tpf)..... I've included photos....what do ya'll think? Can you see the differences too? Did those two fobs just get made into a batches of fakes or did the factories make a run of really lousy quality fobs? On the heart lock one, you can't compare in the photos, but when I look at the fake looking one and mine, the Est. 1941 is not the same size.

While it's possible that some keychains that were made for the Factory stores may have had some corners cut during manufacture, the top keychain in both of those photo sets just doesn't look right.

The brass Padlock KF 93079 at the top seems to have blurry-looking stamping on the Coach logos, both on the Heart Lock charm and the small hangtag. The color also looks too brassy but that may just be the lighting or the camera settings. The blurry logos could also be the way the light is hitting the lettering, but the hangtag isn't quite the same as the genuine one in the second photo. I'm not sure if it's fake but I wouldn't buy it. Coach's pic is posted below, although the production version often isn't exactly the same as the pre=production photograph.

The purple Girlie Mix 61895 shows more obvious differences, especially the color and uneven surface of the enameled hangtag. The links in the chain also look thinner on the top one, and more oval than they do on the one in the second photo. Again, without knowing if a less carefully-made version was released for the Outlets I wouldn't be comfortable reporting it as fake, but I wouldn't buy it either. This one is more likely a fake than the first one though, that hangtag doesn't look right. Coach's pic is below.