Outlet Buying v. Ebay

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spraguely

spraguely

Member
Mar 30, 2007
7
0
#1
Hello,
I'm new to this....so I need some advice...I just started with my Coach obsession...so I need some help from you professionals..loh - Several questions and comments for you :)

I have a few Coach items that my husband bought from an outlet several years ago. Then I recently bought a vintage Coach purse from a consignment store last summer and then purchased a purse from Ebay a few months ago (small signature purse with fur trim)

I LOVE COACH purses now and need more. Plus, when I visited Chicago last fall I saw a very unique Coach purse in the Coach store window- it was a large purse - suede and signature patch design and had a fur trim around it - wanted it bad....however, it was almost $800.00 - I just wanted to look at it online after that when I returned home, however, could never find it on the Coach website or in any catalogs. Has anyone ever seen this purse? It was gorgeous!!!

Do you feel you get better deals from going to the outlet stores or buying from Ebay? I live in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Which outlet is better, Birch Run or Michigan City, Indiana.

Also, I need suggestions on a large spring purse -

Also, is it a pretty lucrative business buying purses from the outlet stores and then reselling on Ebay? If so, need some advice about that as well.

Thanks for any advice.
 
#2
I don't know about "deals," as you say, but I would recommend outlets over eBay unless you are 100% sure that the Coach is authentic. Coach is one of the most faked brands ever....:cursing:

HTH!
~ Kendallita
 
#3
I haven't bought my first purse yet but will this weekend. One thing I know is that I don't have the eye to spot a fake yet, even though I do peruse ebay a lot.

And the ones I KNOW aren't fake don't seem any cheaper then retail...so why not go outlet just to make sure?
 
#4
spraguely said:
I LOVE COACH purses now and need more. Plus, when I visited Chicago last fall I saw a very unique Coach purse in the Coach store window- it was a large purse - suede and signature patch design and had a fur trim around it - wanted it bad....however, it was almost $800.00 - I just wanted to look at it online after that when I returned home, however, could never find it on the Coach website or in any catalogs. Has anyone ever seen this purse? It was gorgeous!!!
..


Thanks for any advice.
Click to expand...

this bag?


Tons on ebay...search "coach shearling"

or this one?
 
#5
I would say it depends.
Sometimes what you what isn't at the outlets anymore or never hit the outlets, in those cases I'd say eBay - as long as you post in the authenticate this! thread =)
 
#6
Hi, spraguely! I live in GR, too!! :p Welcome to tPF!

As far as outlets are concerned, I like Michigan City better than Birch Run. Whenever I go to Birch Run everything seems really picked over and the selection never seems to change. There is also an outlet in Aurora, IL (west of Chicago) in the Chicago Premium Outlets that we go to a few times a year and they have a good selection, as well.

As for local shopping, I am sure you've already figured out that the Macy's in Woodland has a better Coach selection than Rivertown. Nordstrom Rack will have some every now and again, as well.

However, If you are looking for good deals on specific items I tend to think that eBay is the way to go.

As for buying Coach at the outlets and reselling on eBay, I wouldn't suggest it. Coach now bans people from buying in any of its stores if it suspects that someone is reselling. If you ask me it's not worth the risk of never being able to purchase Coach in a retail or factory store again.
 
#7
as far as the lucrative ebay business selling coach stuff from the outlets, don't bet on it. lots of other people do this, so there are always tons and tons of purses on there, so the profits are small if any. the best way to make money selling coach on ebay is to find those rare boutique returns at the outlet and sells those (I found a patent leather one for 143, sold it on ebay for 330, but these things are rare).
 
#8
No, it is neither purse - it was a large purse - one of the wider ones not taller - it was a patchwork design of brown suedes and the signature "C" patchwork - the top of the purse was fur not the lambswool.
 
#10
Buying from e-bay has risks because of the numerous amount of fakes. Be very careful and authenticate here. I would only buy from e-bay if it's an older item, selling for cheap that I could verify as authentic.

Otherwise, the outlets are the way to go.

Birch Run is nice to build a collection, but I don't think there is a huge variety there and very little, if any signature items.
 
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