AUTHENTICATE this COACH!

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#1,907
OK, I couldn't resist. I went back to the Goodwill today and picked up two more bags. I am pretty sure the first one is authentic, and about 50% sure on the other (I'm getting better at spotting the authentic ones now thanks to some great tips I have read!) I would appreciate any info on these last two, and then I swear I will stop bugging you all! I am so excited to be adding to my collection! I guess there is at least one plus to living in Hawaii! :p
 

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#1,908
PhotoFinish said:
OK, I couldn't resist. I went back to the Goodwill today and picked up two more bags. I am pretty sure the first one is authentic, and about 50% sure on the other (I'm getting better at spotting the authentic ones now thanks to some great tips I have read!) I would appreciate any info on these last two, and then I swear I will stop bugging you all! I am so excited to be adding to my collection! I guess there is at least one plus to living in Hawaii! :p
Click to expand...
Both are authentic.

Be careful with style 6818 (the first one). There are fakes with that style number and some of the fakes are pretty close.
 
#1,909
BeenBurned said:
Both are authentic.

Be careful with style 6818 (the first one). There are fakes with that style number and some of the fakes are pretty close.
Click to expand...

Thank you! How can you tell on the 6818 the difference between the fake and the one that's authentic? I was pretty confident that it was, due to the bulls-eye we were talking about earlier in the thread. Is that on the fake ones sometimes too?
 
#1,910
PhotoFinish said:
Thank you! How can you tell on the 6818 the difference between the fake and the one that's authentic? I was pretty confident that it was, due to the bulls-eye we were talking about earlier in the thread. Is that on the fake ones sometimes too?
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Now that I'm trying to find one, I'm not able to locate a picture of a "good" fake in my files.

The close 6818s are in the "correct" style but usually there's a problem with the pattern and it's not properly matched and/or aligned. I've also seen them with 1994 prefixes and text describing a leather bag.

Note that although we don't see it often, the outlet bullet has been faked so that's not a definitely indication of authenticity.
 
#1,911
BeenBurned said:
Now that I'm trying to find one, I'm not able to locate a picture of a "good" fake in my files.

The close 6818s are in the "correct" style but usually there's a problem with the pattern and it's not properly matched and/or aligned. I've also seen them with 1994 prefixes and text describing a leather bag.

Note that although we don't see it often, the outlet bullet has been faked so that's not a definitely indication of authenticity.
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Oh wow! Good to know! I won't take that as just a given then! Is there somewhere I can go online (or a book to buy LOL) to learn all this information? (Like the prefixes and stuff?) I am so new to all of this. I had just started out buying from the Factory and from the base exchanges here on island, so I wouldn't have to question authenticity, but now I'm getting a bit more adventurous and bold, and would like to try my hand at possibly cleaning up some of the older styles, and salvaging the ones that others may pass up because they are less than perfect.
 
#1,914
PhotoFinish said:
Oh wow! Good to know! I won't take that as just a given then! Is there somewhere I can go online (or a book to buy LOL) to learn all this information? (Like the prefixes and stuff?) I am so new to all of this. I had just started out buying from the Factory and from the base exchanges here on island, so I wouldn't have to question authenticity, but now I'm getting a bit more adventurous and bold, and would like to try my hand at possibly cleaning up some of the older styles, and salvaging the ones that others may pass up because they are less than perfect.
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No, there aren't any books or VALID published guides other than the Salearea Guides at Ebay and the Fakes lists published there and here by Daria48 and me. Coach has never released any of that information so we have to base all of our advice on our own and other peoples' observations. I suggest reading this forum every day to get an idea of what details we use to spot fakes, and also check the Answers To Authenticity Questions regularly for updates.

Another problem - any guide that would help buyers spot fakes would also show the counterfeiters how to correct their mistakes. We know they and their sellers and distributors pay attention to these forums because we've seen mistakes we've pointed out corrected within a few months of the information being posted here. That's why there are a few red flags that we never discuss publicly.

The best Guides right now are these:
SALEAREA GUIDES
http://search.reviews.ebay.com/members/salearea_W0QQcpnameZmembersQQprZsaleareaQQuqtZg

My Fake Numbers list here and Daria's list at Ebay:
http://forum.purseblog.com/coach-sh...enticity-questions-94198-72.html#post26447774
and the next three posts

http://www.ebay.com/gds/Fake-Coach-Serial-Numbers-NT-4903-and-more-/10000000002744619/g.html

There are also a few good older guides that have correct information although it may no longer still be valid for newer and Factory store styles, or there may be a few small details that need to be changed or updated:

Fionaflyby:
http://www.ebay.com/gds/DETECT-AUTH...ACH-YOUR-EBAY-GUIDE-/10000000003643909/g.html

jtjagrucker
http://www.ebay.com/gds/Coach-Buying-Guide-for-Newbies-/10000000009867660/g.html
and
http://www.ebay.com/gds/Vintage-Coach-Leather-/10000000154225245/g.html

catonahotpc
http://www.ebay.com/gds/Your-AUTHEN...-REAL-Coach-on-eBay-/10000000001309839/g.html

an excellent guide to the Sonoma line
gigitrading
http://www.ebay.com/gds/Coach-Sonom...-Leather-Nubuc-Bags-/10000000001593405/g.html

Use all online Guides with extreme caution, many of them are loaded with lies and bad information. Ask about them here if you're not sure. A mistake-filled "authenticity guide" is just as much a fake as a counterfeit purse, and can be just as dangerous to your wallet.
 
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#1,916
EGBDF said:
Do fakes ever have a bulls-eye stamp?
And, are there many fakes of the more current leather bags? I don't really see any coming up here.
Click to expand...

We've seen a few that may be fake bullseye stamps. There's no reason why counterfeiters couldn't copy that stamp. But since outlets are a mainly U.S. phenomenon, it probably hasn't occured to the crooks - yet.

As for newer leather bags - fakes are getting harder and harder to spot. Sometimes the creed and serial number are the only things that aren't quite right on the fakes. Many of those are coming either directly from or through the Philippines, which is why we have to advise people not to buy from Philippine sellers even if they're also from the same country. There are "superfakes" in Coach just like there are in LV and other highlane brands, and I'm sure we're probably missing some that are exceptionally accurate.

Handbags and wallets are currently listed as the most counterfeited type of product in the US.
http://247wallst.com/special-report/2014/03/27/americas-nine-most-counterfeited-items/
"...Luxury items tend to be the most counterfeited products because they are more valuable, according to Randazzo. And with better counterfeiting methods, there is a greater challenge of detection as well as potential for even higher profits, she explained. Consumers can no longer take for granted obvious signs of imitation such as poor stitching or bad zippers. “Now, the quality [of fake products] has improved so dramatically that [criminals] have been able to charge at prices closer to the price of the genuine article.”

All we can do here is give our opinions based on the best knowledge we have at the time. The only way to be 99.9999 percent sure that you're getting a real bag or wallet is to buy it directly from Coach.
 
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#1,917
EGBDF said:
Do fakes ever have a bulls-eye stamp?
And, are there many fakes of the more current leather bags? I don't really see any coming up here.
Click to expand...

Hyacinth said:
We've seen a few that may be fake bullseye stamps. There's no reason why counterfeiters couldn't copy that stamp. But since outlets are a mainly U.S. phenomenon, it probably hasn't occured to the crooks - yet.
Click to expand...
I knew there had been posts here that mentioned fakes with bullets. So I went on a hunt!

Here's one, a "bean bag" with THREE bullets!
http://forum.purseblog.com/coach-shopping/authenticate-this-coach-763164-505.html#post24175587

And another post showing a picture of a fake bullet stamp:
http://forum.purseblog.com/coach-shopping/authenticate-this-coach-763164-267.html#post23316063
 
#1,918
Hyacinth said:
We've seen a few that may be fake bullseye stamps. There's no reason why counterfeiters couldn't copy that stamp. But since outlets are a mainly U.S. phenomenon, it probably hasn't occured to the crooks - yet.

As for newer leather bags - fakes are getting harder and harder to spot. Sometimes the creed and serial number are the only things that aren't quite right on the fakes. Many of those are coming either directly from or through the Philippines, which is why we have to advise people not to buy from Philippine sellers even if they're also from the same country. There are "superfakes" in Coach just like there are in LV and other highlane brands, and I'm sure we're probably missing some that are exceptionally accurate.

Handbags and wallets are currently listed as the most counterfeited type of product in the US.
http://247wallst.com/special-report/2014/03/27/americas-nine-most-counterfeited-items/
"...Luxury items tend to be the most counterfeited products because they are more valuable, according to Randazzo. And with better counterfeiting methods, there is a greater challenge of detection as well as potential for even higher profits, she explained. Consumers can no longer take for granted obvious signs of imitation such as poor stitching or bad zippers. “Now, the quality [of fake products] has improved so dramatically that [criminals] have been able to charge at prices closer to the price of the genuine article.”

All we can do here is give our opinions based on the best knowledge we have at the time. The only way to be 99.9999 percent sure that you're getting a real bag or wallet is to buy it directly from Coach.
Click to expand...

BeenBurned said:
I knew there had been posts here that mentioned fakes with bullets. So I went on a hunt!

Here's one, a "bean bag" with THREE bullets!
http://forum.purseblog.com/coach-shopping/authenticate-this-coach-763164-505.html#post24175587

And another post showing a picture of a fake bullet stamp:
http://forum.purseblog.com/coach-shopping/authenticate-this-coach-763164-267.html#post23316063
Click to expand...

Thanks Hyacinth and BeenBurned….I had no idea!
 
#1,919
BeenBurned said:
I knew there had been posts here that mentioned fakes with bullets. So I went on a hunt!

Here's one, a "bean bag" with THREE bullets!
http://forum.purseblog.com/coach-shopping/authenticate-this-coach-763164-505.html#post24175587

And another post showing a picture of a fake bullet stamp:
http://forum.purseblog.com/coach-shopping/authenticate-this-coach-763164-267.html#post23316063
Click to expand...

The one in the second link is a special favorite of mine.

Here are the original comments from that post plus the photo, and then other J8D- or *8D- creeds for comparison:
http://forum.purseblog.com/coach-shopping/authenticate-this-coach-763164-267.html#post23316063

"Two problems - there are tons of questionable and fake bags out there with serials starting with J8*- usually with H-, D-, or Y- plant codes, and all of them are potential fakes. Right now it seems that possible fakes outnumber possible genuine bags with those prefixes.

Second -If you look closely at where the bullet is stamped, you can see exactly WHY they put it where they did. The word the bullet is stamped over is supposed to be "grain" but it sure looks like the first letter is actually a "C". Compare the general shapes of the other Gs and Cs on the creed to that letter (the shapes of the Cs and Gs on that creed stamp are very slightly different), and also notice that there's no little horizontal line in the center that would make it a G and not a C. That kind of mistake would NEVER be found on a real creed stamp, especially from as well-established a plant like the "D" plant.

So keep in mind - there ARE fake "overstamping" marks, and there ARE fake outlet marks. I'll post the photo here for reference.

EDITED TO ADD - Another thing I just noticed is that the name Coach at the top is very slightly tilted inside the cartouche. The C in front is higher than the H at the end, and it's not exactly centered either, the C is closer to the edge than the H is. We're talking maybe half a millimeter, but it's definitely uneven."

The pics below the first one show how the G in "grain" and the cartouche and border should actually look.
 

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