AUTHENTICATE this COACH!

TPF may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, and others

Status
Not open for further replies.
#1,786
sassylassie said:
I am going to slip in here because I want to express my thanks to both “whateve” and “Hyacinth” for taking the time to verify my two Coach bags (Station and City bags) as genuine. That is great!

The Station Bag I purchased at the Salvation Army thrift store for the tiny price of only $2. It is a sturdy thing, and draws quite a bit of attention from women and men. They like it--really like it! Maybe it is the beauty of the leather, the sleek simplicity of the style, plus the pizzazz of the brass trigger clips. Shoulder or cross body, it’s a terrific bag to carry a moderate amount of stuff.

The City Bag is my workhorse and it was sold to me by a doctor’s wife. She asked for just $25, and it looked like new, so I was wondering later if it was a real Coach.

Appears I did good, eh?

Thank you again very much for looking at my pictures and making judgments.
Click to expand...

You did REAL good! Bargains on genuine classic and vintage Coaches are getting harder to find, since a lot of people are figuring out that the styles are timeless and the quality of the leather and construction is far above what's currently available. And unfortunately there are many more fake classic Coach bags in circulation than most people realize and a buyer really has to be careful when buying a pre-owned bag. There were a ton of classic leather fakes coming into the US all through the 1990s, and early 2000s and probably earlier and some are only spottted as fake because of problems with things like dates and serial numbers or problems with the creed stamp or the bag's hardware - not the kind of thing most casual buyers are aware of.

There's been a big jump in the popularity of classic styles in the last five or ten years, and I think tPF has been one of the reasons. If you take some time to go through some of the other Coach forums in the main Coach section you'll see that many of our members not only love them for what they are, but also love the challenge of finding, "rescuing" and rehabbing older Coaches that need a little (or sometimes a LOT of!) TLC to bring them back to almost original condition.

Here are just some of our posted obsessions:

http://forum.purseblog.com/coach-clubhouse/coach-rehab-and-rescue-club-833400.html

http://forum.purseblog.com/coach-clubhouse/vintage-coach-photos-and-chat-857690.html

http://forum.purseblog.com/coach-reference-library/post-your-vintage-classic-pieces-here-292004.html

http://forum.purseblog.com/coach/show-us-your-coach-secondhand-bargains-745615.html
 
#1,789
Hi ladies! I have been looking for a Coach backpack, saw one a few years ago and it was absolutely gorgeous! I tried to buy one at the factory but the quality was just...:shucks: compared to the older ones.

Item: Coach blue backpack/ book bag style handbag
Listing number:161256486325
Seller: 513caddiedad
Link: http://www.ebay.com/itm/161256486325?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649

Item: Vintage COACH Black ALL LEATHER Drawstring Backpack Purse EXCELLENT
Listing number:221400131277
Seller: lipster9100
Link: http://www.ebay.com/itm/221400131277?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649

Thanks for the help! I can't wait to get my hands on one of these, but I think there are fake backpacks around :(
 
#1,790
shannonmarie said:
Hi! I am once again trying to learn what items are real. Can you tell me if Coach ever had a creed that is spaced out like this one (I have seen several with creeds like this today)? Thanks!!

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Genuine-Coa...166?pt=US_CSA_WH_Handbags&hash=item2337d69166
Click to expand...
There is nothing wrong with that bag or creed. Usually spacing out doesn't mean a fake. On some fakes, they will split words at unusual places, cram them together or leave out the periods. However, the only way to be sure is to compare the creed to an authentic creed from the same style, plant and time period.

RachaelCZ said:
Hi, please authenticate?

Item name: Authentic COACH Est.1941 Womens Pink/Multi Plaid Leather Bifold Wallet
Seller: cashexpressdealer
http://www.ebay.com/itm/231179125996?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649

Thank you so much!

Rachael
Click to expand...
It looks fine. It isn't really a wallet. It's a passport case.
 
#1,791
whateve said:
There is nothing wrong with that bag or creed. Usually spacing out doesn't mean a fake. On some fakes, they will split words at unusual places, cram them together or leave out the periods. However, the only way to be sure is to compare the creed to an authentic creed from the same style, plant and time period.


It looks fine. It isn't really a wallet. It's a passport case.
Click to expand...

Thank you! I want to make sure I know what I am looking at when I am at thrift stores and such, we have an antiques fair coming up maybe that includes vintage bags. :D
 
#1,792
shannonmarie said:
Thank you! I want to make sure I know what I am looking at when I am at thrift stores and such, we have an antiques fair coming up maybe that includes vintage bags. :D
Click to expand...
Even with all I know about Coach, there are some I see at thrift stores that I'm still not sure about. It helps to use a cheat sheet. My cheat sheet includes a list of the factory codes, style numbers, and the fake number list.
 
#1,793
Dressyup said:
Hi ladies! I have been looking for a Coach backpack, saw one a few years ago and it was absolutely gorgeous! I tried to buy one at the factory but the quality was just...:shucks: compared to the older ones.

Item: Coach blue backpack/ book bag style handbag
Listing number:161256486325
Seller: 513caddiedad
Link: http://www.ebay.com/itm/161256486325?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649

Item: Vintage COACH Black ALL LEATHER Drawstring Backpack Purse EXCELLENT
Listing number:221400131277
Seller: lipster9100
Link: http://www.ebay.com/itm/221400131277?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649

Thanks for the help! I can't wait to get my hands on one of these, but I think there are fake backpacks around :(
Click to expand...

I don't think the first one's genuine. The font of the serial number isn't right for a bag from that year and plant, and is exactly identical to the stamping in a known and proven fake bag. Serial numbers starting with J in bags from the mid to late 1990s are often fake and that J month code, the first digit, seems to be a major red flag. A few have been genuine but this isn't one of them, the too-large "o" in "No" is a dead giveaway. A genuine D plant creed from late 1996 is in the picture below.

The second one looks genuine.
 

Attachments

  • 1996_D-plant-L6D-9993-a.jpg
    1996_D-plant-L6D-9993-a.jpg
    159.9 KB · Views: 183
#1,794
Hyacinth said:
I don't think the first one's genuine. The font of the serial number isn't right for a bag from that year and plant, and is exactly identical to the stamping in a known and proven fake bag. Serial numbers starting with J in bags from the mid to late 1990s are often fake and that J month code, the first digit, seems to be a major red flag. A few have been genuine but this isn't one of them, the too-large "o" in "No" is a dead giveaway. A genuine D plant creed from late 1996 is in the picture below.

The second one looks genuine.
Click to expand...

Thanks! Now I learned a little something. Good thing you caught that or else I'll be using a fake bag!!
 
#1,795
#1,796
Two.time.bags said:
I have contacted sellers to ask a question about a bag that I suspect is fake, eg can you confirm that the serial number is xxxxx then replied to their reply with a link to the fakes list if its on there, or saying that TPF found that its fake. The honest seller will reply with a thank you and then remove the listing, the dishonest generally doesn't reply so then I report them.
Click to expand...

thecollector629 said:
There are many opinions about all of this...
I can tell you that I would be extremely grateful if I listed a fake bag and someone let me know. I personally think it is a thoughtful thing to do.
As far as ebay's policy I cannot imagine them reprimanding people for conversations. It's freedom of speech, unless you harass someone and/or they tell you not to contact them you are doing nothing wrong. (As long as you don't make yourself the "fashion police" :police: and spend all day contacting offenders).
EBAY, was started with the original idea of people from all over the world connecting in a friendly marketplace environment. I know they are trying to be more like Amazon, but I personally think that is a shame to lose that flavor. :dothewave:
That's my two cents for what it's worth.
Click to expand...

Hyacinth said:
When the seller is dishonest or indifferent, one problem with contacting them directly is going into too much detail about why their bags is fake. We've seen dozens of cases where a seller would be told that the serial number or some other detail showed the bag was counterfeit, and they'd remove the serial and creed photos or the photos of the suspicious area from their listing instead of doing the right thing and removing the listing. Or they'd remove the bag and relist it a few weeks later when they think the Fakes Police (that's us) have forgotten about it.

So the best thing to say if you DO contact the seller (and I dont recommend it either) is to just say that several details show that the bag is fake and they should ask for authentication here or at Ebay's Shes & Purses forum before they put their reputation and even their Ebay selling privileges at risk.
Click to expand...

This has been a real eye-opener and i'd like to say thanks for all the POVs you've shared. I think everyone evolves their own procedure according to their experience and personalities. Mine, i've decided, will be to report if the seller is someone i don't know. But if it's someone i've had a good transaction with previously, or whom i've identified from piecing together their TPF input, then i'll message them and hope for the best.
 
#1,799
Hello please authenticate this bag! My link keeps breaking so here is the listing number

221403166981

Seller: blue7angel

Comments the serial number is 3H7-9953 which is out of order and should have another letter not number! Also, if a R&R club member is looking at this. Can you tell me about the green stain on there? She is uncertain, but says it feels gritty and is on the surface. Is there a chance to remove it? Plmk! Thank you! And happy Saturday!!!
 
#1,800
Fashionstar101 said:
Hello please authenticate this bag! My link keeps breaking so here is the listing number

221403166981

Seller: blue7angel

Comments the serial number is 3H7-9953 which is out of order and should have another letter not number! Also, if a R&R club member is looking at this. Can you tell me about the green stain on there? She is uncertain, but says it feels gritty and is on the surface. Is there a chance to remove it? Plmk! Thank you! And happy Saturday!!!
Click to expand...
I don't believe it is authentic. There are a few construction details that are off. I can't even imagine an error they could have made in the creed stamp that would explain a number that has that much wrong with it.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top