Coach wants to be the American Louis Vuitton...

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#106
MiaBorsa said:
They might be "super expensive" if made in the USA, and maybe not. They certainly didn't decrease in price when they moved manufacturing to China.
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This is so true of everything nowadays. I don't even buy Apple products anymore (I loathe using itunes, what a bloated and inconvenient mess - give me drag and drop!) and their markup is so laughably horrendous, yet everyone is still buying those iphones! I am perfectly happy with my androids for half the price.
 
#107
dwebb said:
Hello everyone! In my experience in handbags, I can say Coach is well on their way. I've owned handbags from mostly all of the premier brands and I can say, they are not worth the hype.... now. I've had the Maxi Bottega Veneta wear the woven come a loose three times and was charged twice to have it repaired. Keep in mind designers are here to make money especially when they have shareholders. I just recently bought the Nomad and the calfskin Rucksack. The leather is impeccable. Ladies ask yourself this trivial question, why are there so many resell shops for designer bags? I remember you couldn't find a Hermes Birkin or Kelly for full price yet aloneused. I think that the premier bag market is overly saturated and the original purveyors of such brands (upper exchelons and true lovers of luxury items) have moved on and are unloading their stocks before they hit rock bottom. What makes something prestigious when everybody has it? Why spend $$$$$$ for a bag and it wears like a bag that may cost you $$? Just from my personal experience. If you look at some of the comments about fashion week, some PF followers are getting tired of seeing the same Chanel's, Hermes, and LVs just like they said about Coach when it was too hot and over saturated. Just buy what you like.
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This is also true - I own a few Coach pieces and a small sampling of premier Italian brands. I have to say, I'm impressed with Coach quality (some of my bags are MFF, a decade old, and still holding up well), whereas with a couple other of my luxury brands I am already disappointed in seeing wear and tear, especially handles and corners. The same can be said about French brands - poke around those forums and there are definitely threads and pictures on those! It's a shame that even if you are paying a luxury price for the brand, you don't necessarily get impeccable quality. That, and every mom and teenage daughter these days has an LV monogram on my block!
 
#108
One of the reasons I bought the burgundy ace satchel was that I fell in love with what I thought was a similar bag in an LV editorial photo ad. I could not find the ad, so I don't know what I saw or if I dreamed it. The closest bag I could find online that was similar to what I remembered was a sophia copola satchel. I wanted to compare it in person, but it was so high on the shelf in the LV store, so I have no idea how the leather compares in quality. From pics, the LV might sag and the coach might hold its structure. But the coach has more edge coat, while the lv has piping. I assume the lv was nicer, but I don't know. Coach specializes in glovetanned leather, lv specializes in coated canvas and specific treated leathers. So I don't know if you can compare them - the products and uses are so different when you think about it. I personally don't have much use for coated canvas, patent or saffiano, which is what most of the lv products remind me of.
 
#109
From my experience as far as quality in various bags the most important factor is how that bag is treated.
The fact is that some people are just not very careful with their bags and then they're shocked when they start showing wear. All bags will show wear if they're used often, and more importantly if they're abused.
It's easy for someone to complain about lesser quality in a bag but without knowing how that person treats their bags it's a moot point.

Please note that I'm not referencing anyone's post in this thread but more just a general observation.:smile1:
 
#110
alansgail said:
From my experience as far as quality in various bags the most important factor is how that bag is treated.
The fact is that some people are just not very careful with their bags and then they're shocked when they start showing wear. All bags will show wear if they're used often, and more importantly if they're abused.
It's easy for someone to complain about lesser quality in a bag but without knowing how that person treats their bags it's a moot point.

Please note that I'm not referencing anyone's post in this thread but more just a general observation.:smile1:
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I disagree. In comparing my older Coach bags to 2012 Legacy, none of those older bags has the corner problems of the Legacy duffles. When they dyed them, the dye went all the way through so if the corners got worn, the color underneath was still the same. But with Legacy duffles, even with very careful handling, it doesn't take long before the corners turn gray. Conditioner won't correct it, like it would on a glove-tanned bag.

I don't abuse any of my bags but some of them last longer than others. It has nothing to do with how I treat them but rather how well they were made.
 
#111
whateve said:
I disagree. In comparing my older Coach bags to 2012 Legacy, none of those older bags has the corner problems of the Legacy duffles. When they dyed them, the dye went all the way through so if the corners got worn, the color underneath was still the same. But with Legacy duffles, even with very careful handling, it doesn't take long before the corners turn gray. Conditioner won't correct it, like it would on a glove-tanned bag.

I don't abuse any of my bags but some of them last longer than others. It has nothing to do with how I treat them but rather how well they were made.
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I see your point and I do agree with you in regards to the dye not going all the way through......that's not good! I wasn't aware they did that.
 
#112
whateve said:
I disagree. In comparing my older Coach bags to 2012 Legacy, none of those older bags has the corner problems of the Legacy duffles. When they dyed them, the dye went all the way through so if the corners got worn, the color underneath was still the same. But with Legacy duffles, even with very careful handling, it doesn't take long before the corners turn gray. Conditioner won't correct it, like it would on a glove-tanned bag.

I don't abuse any of my bags but some of them last longer than others. It has nothing to do with how I treat them but rather how well they were made.
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I am pretty good with taking care of my bags as well. At one point I had 50 handbags. I am down to 10. As I have gotten a little older, I find that I need less stuff. A bag is meant to be used and not babied. I feel if I pay a substantial amount of money for something, it should last with normal wear and tear. I have been wearing designer handbags since I was 14 and that was almost 30 years ago. Alone with my mother before me... I have seen the decline in these bags over the course of about 40 years.
 
#113
MrCoach said:
HOLD up now! The bags would be super expensive if made in the USA. Because then your going to be paying those LV prices then. Then America will go up and loose their minds. Secondly, your smartphones your using right now...none of those are made in the USA.

They only use the best Leather unless you've purchased from the outlet where there is coated fabric and such. Pay attention to what and where you shop. Sometimes you just get what you pay for when it comes to any outlet regardless of the brand.

They are making less bags in you haven't noticed.

AND Finally they've closed a number of store this year.

Sometimes folks here on the Forum just strike at and knock COACH down for silly reasons. love COACH! It's been around since 1941 which is longer than a lo of the brands out there.
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Dooney and Bourke still makes some bags in the US, and they aren't super expensive. So, that argument holds no water.

And what does a smartphone have to do with a leather handbag? Especially since iPhones were never made in America to begin with.

Within a one hour drive of my house, there are 7 full-priced stores and 4 outlets. That is entirely too many and one of those just opened a year ago.

I don't buy the fabric or coated canvas bags, so I can't speak to their quality. But I do know a little something about the leather bags. The quality of the leathers Coach uses now does not compare to the quality of the gloved-tanned leathers of the 90's and before. I say this as someone who owns 50 Coach bags, spanning from the mid 70's through 2013.

No one is "knocking Coach down". But the truth is, the quality has gone down and the decline was most notable when all operations were moved to China. Coach has been making handbags since the 1960s and many of those bags are still around and looking good. Do you honestly think the new Coach leather bags will still be in good condition 50 years from now? Puh-lease.
 
#115
applecidered said:
This is also true - I own a few Coach pieces and a small sampling of premier Italian brands. I have to say, I'm impressed with Coach quality (some of my bags are MFF, a decade old, and still holding up well), whereas with a couple other of my luxury brands I am already disappointed in seeing wear and tear, especially handles and corners. The same can be said about French brands - poke around those forums and there are definitely threads and pictures on those! It's a shame that even if you are paying a luxury price for the brand, you don't necessarily get impeccable quality. That, and every mom and teenage daughter these days has an LV monogram on my block!
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I had a brief love affair with LV, and my time spent on the LV forum showed me plenty examples of quality issues. I remember when the Damier Speedies and Neverfulls came out, there were issues with the edge paint peeling and the red lining bleeding. I bought my husband a Damier Brazza wallet in 2007. Within a year, it was starting to show wear and tear. By the time he replaced it with a Coach accordion zip wallet a few years ago, it it had peeling edge paint, chipped canvas, and stitches coming out all over. It makes me angry to think how much I paid for that wallet. The Coach wallet, on the other hand, looks as good as the day he bought it. I don't know if the increase in popularity has led to more quality issues with LV, or I just got a bad egg of a Brazza wallet, because I have a monogram billfold that's over 10 years old and looks immaculate.
 
#116
dwebb said:
I am pretty good with taking care of my bags as well. At one point I had 50 handbags. I am down to 10. As I have gotten a little older, I find that I need less stuff. A bag is meant to be used and not babied. I feel if I pay a substantial amount of money for something, it should last with normal wear and tear. I have been wearing designer handbags since I was 14 and that was almost 30 years ago. Alone with my mother before me... I have seen the decline in these bags over the course of about 40 years.
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I feel the exact same. Overall i am cautious with my bags but hate & will not baby something.. if it's that high maintenance it is not for me.
 
#117
Jesssh said:
One of the reasons I bought the burgundy ace satchel was that I fell in love with what I thought was a similar bag in an LV editorial photo ad. I could not find the ad, so I don't know what I saw or if I dreamed it. The closest bag I could find online that was similar to what I remembered was a sophia copola satchel. I wanted to compare it in person, but it was so high on the shelf in the LV store, so I have no idea how the leather compares in quality. From pics, the LV might sag and the coach might hold its structure. But the coach has more edge coat, while the lv has piping. I assume the lv was nicer, but I don't know. Coach specializes in glovetanned leather, lv specializes in coated canvas and specific treated leathers. So I don't know if you can compare them - the products and uses are so different when you think about it. I personally don't have much use for coated canvas, patent or saffiano, which is what most of the lv products remind me of.
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The Ace is sort of a cross between the speedy and SC bag. You definitely cannot compare Glove tanned leather and cashmere leather. I'm not a leather expect but they are 2 complete opposites.
 
#118
Very interesting thread. I read almost all of it, so excuse me if this has already been said. As I read and agreed with you all, it really just made me want to go look at some pretty bags. I headed over to the Coach website, and once again was struck with eye pain. I believe I had this same reaction starting with the Fall 2014 line. Aside from a couple of really intriguing, rich-in-color and style, bags, there was not one thing I wanted to carry. I don't want to single out the styles/patterns I just saw because I don't want to offend anyone, but some of those items had me saying "WTF?" Ok, the embellished Racer Jacket?? And, sorry, red and black plaid? Nooooo. And on pumps?

I don't know where this brand is heading, but being made in China is the least of it's worries. Being a buyer/seller on eBay (used bags only), I don't see Coach having any big hitters since their Madison line, which people are still buying at high dollar. Gathered leather...mmmm.

Nomad?? Lucky?? Ok, I'll staahhhhppp!
 
#119
WillWork4Purses said:
Very interesting thread. I read almost all of it, so excuse me if this has already been said. As I read and agreed with you all, it really just made me want to go look at some pretty bags. I headed over to the Coach website, and once again was struck with eye pain. I believe I had this same reaction starting with the Fall 2014 line. Aside from a couple of really intriguing, rich-in-color and style, bags, there was not one thing I wanted to carry. I don't want to single out the styles/patterns I just saw because I don't want to offend anyone, but some of those items had me saying "WTF?" Ok, the embellished Racer Jacket?? And, sorry, red and black plaid? Nooooo. And on pumps?

I don't know where this brand is heading, but being made in China is the least of it's worries. Being a buyer/seller on eBay (used bags only), I don't see Coach having any big hitters since their Madison line, which people are still buying at high dollar. Gathered leather...mmmm.

Nomad?? Lucky?? Ok, I'll staahhhhppp!
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What people seem to love is anything from the Anniversary lines. I see those puppies go for top dollar still, even after all these years.
 
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