Share Your Story: How Did You Fall in Love with Coach
- Thread starter Daelilly
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i started working at macys right before i graduated highschool in the handbags dept, and while i liked selling coach i knew nothing about it. well i heard about the poppy contest on brickfish and actually got on tpf and started lurking due to posts id seen via google about the contest. after the contest was over i almost deleted my account, but then i decided not to. i used whatever info i could get about new stuff and such to give me an edge at work. and it sure has helped. i love the product knowledge i get from here. i always learn something new. anyways i kept watching reveal after reveal, and within 2 months i bought my first coach bag. then the madness began 
working with these amazing bags everyday sure doesnt help either. 
working with these amazing bags everyday sure doesnt help either. 
i've told my story before but i love telling it so i'll tell it again:
a 'purse party' ended up bring me to authentic coach.
my boss and several collegues went to a purse party, shared the online sites for fake coach purchasing, and showed off their foach bags at work. i usually don't even bring a bag with me at work (i know..how weird of me!) but what i had then was all nine west/liz clairborne/etc).
at the time i knew nothing about coach except it has 'C's' all over it and they sell a lot of the 'C-bags' at the flea market. i can't boast that i am so in tune with the treacheries of buying fakes that i was above the purse party madness....but i just knew somehow (i guess i maybe related it to fake brand athletic shoes) that the fake bags they were purchasing weren't made of real leather and wouldn't last long.
i like things that last. even with my little cheapie (but non FAKE) bags, i took care of them and they held up well.
for whatever reason, i went though my purse collection (massive..75 bags i think?) and realized i did not have ANY made of real leather
somehow i had gotten through 40 years of life without knowing how to see a purse is made of real leather. it really had not ever mattered but suddenly it did.
and here i am!
a 'purse party' ended up bring me to authentic coach.
my boss and several collegues went to a purse party, shared the online sites for fake coach purchasing, and showed off their foach bags at work. i usually don't even bring a bag with me at work (i know..how weird of me!) but what i had then was all nine west/liz clairborne/etc).
at the time i knew nothing about coach except it has 'C's' all over it and they sell a lot of the 'C-bags' at the flea market. i can't boast that i am so in tune with the treacheries of buying fakes that i was above the purse party madness....but i just knew somehow (i guess i maybe related it to fake brand athletic shoes) that the fake bags they were purchasing weren't made of real leather and wouldn't last long.
i like things that last. even with my little cheapie (but non FAKE) bags, i took care of them and they held up well.
for whatever reason, i went though my purse collection (massive..75 bags i think?) and realized i did not have ANY made of real leather
somehow i had gotten through 40 years of life without knowing how to see a purse is made of real leather. it really had not ever mattered but suddenly it did.
and here i am!
This is going to sound bizarre, but I have only my husband to blame! I married my husband young (I was 21...I'm still quite young) and all through out my teens and into college I always shopped for my handbags at T.J.'s or Marshalls. I have always been a leather girl and I would buy pretty decent bags, never paying attention to the designer just that I liked how it looked. Anywho, once my husband starting making pretty decent money, he starting urging me to buy Coach bags. I was totally opposed to the idea, afterall, they are sooo expensive. Well, three winters ago, he brought up the idea of me buying a Coach yet again. This time, I had to confess, I had seen one at Macy's that I actually liked! I described it to him and lo and behold, he came home with a Coach bag for me the next night (mind you it was not the one I described, but bless his heart he tried). Fast forward, three years. It wasn't until this past month that I have actually fallen in love with Coach. My husband suggested it was time for another Coach bag (this would be bag #4...obviously hadn't caught the bug yet...I mean 3 bags in 3 years is hardly obsessed). So this time I suggested we take a look at the Kittery, ME, outlet instead of the FP Boutiques (because I still do feel guilty about how much they cost). I wasn't too impressed with the Outlets, but managed to find a bag I liked. The next week we went to the Tilton, NH, outlet, and I found another bag... still not obsessed. Then I changed my mind about the bag I had purchased from Kittery, so I looked on the Coach websiste and fell in love with the Spring '11 line. I decided I had to have the Pearl Grey gathered Sophia and went to my local boutique, exchanged my Outlet bag for MC, and ordered the Gathered Sophia. Now I have the fever and I can't wait for the Fall line
. Now I think my husband is sorry he introduced me to Coach in the first place...silly, silly man
. Now I think my husband is sorry he introduced me to Coach in the first place...silly, silly man
Just to clarify, the poppy line has amazingly-beautiful-stunning rich leather bags! Like my all-leather poppy hobo
My best friend introduced me to my first Coach as a birthday present.
She had owned one for several years, while I was a TJ/Marshall's type of bag carrier. When I unwrapped the present, I really could not even fathom that my always very generous friend had bought me a small FP Madison handbag. I nearly fainted when I saw the price tag...It was so tiny! I went home and sat on the bed holding it and just staring at it.....It was kind of like a rite of passage. And I was in love.
Later that week, as part of my birthday week money blowing bonanza, I purchased a larger bag at the outlet, and boy did I have fun accessorizing it! I just bought a pair of shoes to match a metallic Carly (a beautiful bronze shade)...lol....Sophia got a small wristlet and Mia Maggie got a new wallet...I thought I was out of my tree until I read here that it's not really that unusual to plan an outfit around your purse.
I've always been an accessory nut and a shoe freak...but there is just something for me that's very personal about a handbag, and I think the purse gods called me home finally.
I see gorgeous, expensively dressed women at work carrying balding pieces of crap and I just want to email them a 30% off coupon.
She had owned one for several years, while I was a TJ/Marshall's type of bag carrier. When I unwrapped the present, I really could not even fathom that my always very generous friend had bought me a small FP Madison handbag. I nearly fainted when I saw the price tag...It was so tiny! I went home and sat on the bed holding it and just staring at it.....It was kind of like a rite of passage. And I was in love.
Later that week, as part of my birthday week money blowing bonanza, I purchased a larger bag at the outlet, and boy did I have fun accessorizing it! I just bought a pair of shoes to match a metallic Carly (a beautiful bronze shade)...lol....Sophia got a small wristlet and Mia Maggie got a new wallet...I thought I was out of my tree until I read here that it's not really that unusual to plan an outfit around your purse.
I've always been an accessory nut and a shoe freak...but there is just something for me that's very personal about a handbag, and I think the purse gods called me home finally.
I see gorgeous, expensively dressed women at work carrying balding pieces of crap and I just want to email them a 30% off coupon.
I always liked Coach but only owned a wristlet and a wallet. Then I got a part time job at Coach. I have been hooked ever since. 
I ended up having to switch to working at a different retail store where I wouldn't spend my whole paycheck.
I have been hooked ever since. I ended up having to switch to working at a different retail store where I wouldn't spend my whole paycheck.
I fell in love with Coach in 1997. DH and I were driving from the Bay Area to Sacramento and decided to stop at the Factory Stores in Vacaville. As we were shopping, we noticed Coach was having a warehouse sale at one of the vacant stores. There wasn't many Coach Factory Outlets back then so Corporate use to hold warehouse sales at random locations in various States. As I entered the store, the smell of the leather was intoxicating. I ended up buying 3 handbags that day and they are still part of my collection.
Let me start by saying that I have ALWAYS loved leather purses and little coin purses, since I was very, very, VERY young. Like....toddler age I remember loving to go through my Grandma's stash of 1940's kisslock purses and leather wallets and just SMELLING them!
But....my Coach obsession started when I was 11, just getting ready to turn 12. My step-sister, who is a year older than me, (she is now 35 and I am 34; my dad married her mom when I was 5 and she was 6)---her dad ALWAYS, and I mean ALWAYS, got her the neatest gifts, stuff I never would have wanted or thought of, and suddenly, she would get something, and I would start to covet in a sinfully ridiculous way. So....fast forward to her birthday, which falls a couple of weeks before Christmas, and guess what her dad got her? A Coach bag! It was a small, black leather flap bag with a turnlock and a really long, simple strap that didn't adjust. (I sometimes see them on ebay when searching for vintage Coach). OMG, I became obsessed. I loved the way it smelled, how it looked, and I was especially obsessed with the turnlock. I'm pretty sure that I made a big fuss about how "that's not fair!" etc, etc....and I wouldn't stop talking about how I had to have a purse just like hers. So for Christmas my "big" present was a black leather Court bag. It had everything I coveted; it was leather and had that wonderful smell, and most importantly, it had a turnlock! The rest is history. I carried that bag forever, and I think the next one I got was when I was 17---it was a bottle green leather oval shaped bag with a chunky zipper and outside slip pocket.
I have tried to branch out to other brands over the years. I had several Gucci bags and ended up selling them all just to fund more Coach. I have an older LV and don't care for it. I just really and truly LOVE Coach, and I believe it's a relationship that will last a lifetime, considering it began when I was so young...that's what? 22 years? Wow. My, my, how time flies when you're buying Coach!
I remember loving to go through my Grandma's stash of 1940's kisslock purses and leather wallets and just SMELLING them! But....my Coach obsession started when I was 11, just getting ready to turn 12. My step-sister, who is a year older than me, (she is now 35 and I am 34; my dad married her mom when I was 5 and she was 6)---her dad ALWAYS, and I mean ALWAYS, got her the neatest gifts, stuff I never would have wanted or thought of, and suddenly, she would get something, and I would start to covet in a sinfully ridiculous way. So....fast forward to her birthday, which falls a couple of weeks before Christmas, and guess what her dad got her? A Coach bag! It was a small, black leather flap bag with a turnlock and a really long, simple strap that didn't adjust. (I sometimes see them on ebay when searching for vintage Coach). OMG, I became obsessed. I loved the way it smelled, how it looked, and I was especially obsessed with the turnlock. I'm pretty sure that I made a big fuss about how "that's not fair!" etc, etc....and I wouldn't stop talking about how I had to have a purse just like hers. So for Christmas my "big" present was a black leather Court bag. It had everything I coveted; it was leather and had that wonderful smell, and most importantly, it had a turnlock! The rest is history. I carried that bag forever, and I think the next one I got was when I was 17---it was a bottle green leather oval shaped bag with a chunky zipper and outside slip pocket.
I have tried to branch out to other brands over the years. I had several Gucci bags and ended up selling them all just to fund more Coach. I have an older LV and don't care for it. I just really and truly LOVE Coach, and I believe it's a relationship that will last a lifetime, considering it began when I was so young...that's what? 22 years? Wow. My, my, how time flies when you're buying Coach!
About 12 years ago, or so, I bought my daughter a Coach bag for Christmas ( off ebay and I have to say I was lucky to get an Authentic one from a reputable seller as I knew absolutely zilch about Coach bags) and fell in love with the quality of the bag. After that Christmas, if I remember correctly, I bought my first Coach bag at the Camarillo outlet. It was a hippie bag. The rest is history LOL!
I'm loving all these stories.
Mine is simple.
One day, about 10 years ago after our daughter was married, she showed me her new Coach purse. I was totally impressed but was shocked at what she paid for it.
I had always been fussy about my purses; the strap had to be just right, the right kind of pockets, and always a versatile color. I would not let myself dream of buying a bag like our daughters; I was too practical. There were more important things to spend money on. I found "nice" purses at Pennys, Marshalls, etc. I had some Stone Mountain, Fossil, and some store brands.
After seeing her tote, I had to find my own. I went to eBay and started hunting for a good deal. I found a classic looking bag and won the auction for 49.99. Just about right. When I got the bag....I was amazed! I had never seen a purse made like the one I now owned. The leather was thick and made to last generations. I later learned from tpf, I bought a 1999 Bleeker Pocket Zip. From then on Coach was it. I look at others, but keep going back to Coach.
Mine is simple.
One day, about 10 years ago after our daughter was married, she showed me her new Coach purse. I was totally impressed but was shocked at what she paid for it.
I had always been fussy about my purses; the strap had to be just right, the right kind of pockets, and always a versatile color. I would not let myself dream of buying a bag like our daughters; I was too practical. There were more important things to spend money on. I found "nice" purses at Pennys, Marshalls, etc. I had some Stone Mountain, Fossil, and some store brands.
After seeing her tote, I had to find my own. I went to eBay and started hunting for a good deal. I found a classic looking bag and won the auction for 49.99. Just about right. When I got the bag....I was amazed! I had never seen a purse made like the one I now owned. The leather was thick and made to last generations. I later learned from tpf, I bought a 1999 Bleeker Pocket Zip. From then on Coach was it. I look at others, but keep going back to Coach.
I think Coach fell in love with me...lol!!! I've always admired Coach bags, but never bought one. Then DH bought Carly for me as my Christmas gift in 2007 and I haven't carried another brand since!!
My Coach love story started in 1988 when my mom's best friend Hazel dropped off a bunch of leather purses for me to look at and keep or give to the Purple Heart. I had a variety of leather purses, no name brand though. I found in the bunch a two handled purse that looked like a mini brief case in a rust color and moved right in, she was supple and sturdy and smelled great. I asked my mom why Hazel got rid of the purses because they all looked brand new, some even with tags. Hazel just didn't like the purses, she just liked to buy stuff. I went to work with my new to me purse and got a lot of compliments and comments on my purse. One coworker asked me if I even knew that my purse was a Coach purse and had I ever heard of them, which I didn't. She was shocked and told me to go to Marshall Fields (Macy's now) and price them out. Holy cow!! I was shocked when I did. It took me a few more years of using that purse to really appreciate the quality of a Coach and want another. Which over time has turned into a passion I share with my oldest daughter.
I think I've told my story before a LONG time ago, but here goes.
In college (85-90) I started noticing some gals carrying very 'classic' leather bags w/ clean lines and I fell in love. I don't know how I made the association that those were "Coach" bags, because I'm sure I was too shy to ask anyone what purse they were carrying (my stance has changed this then though, I ask people all the time, and heck even tell them what style their bag is, if they're not sure themselves, LOL!) but I just knew I had to have one!
My mom and I used to go outlet shopping a few times a year in Rehoboth Beach DE, and on one of our journeys, we noticed that a Coach outlet had opened there, I was in HEAVEN!!!
My mom LOVED being at the ocean, so when we were there, she always wanted to go to the beach and I always wanted to go to the outlets, so we compromised and did a little of both on these trips! She would usually buy me one purse for my birthday and one for Christmas, and if I was able to scrounge up enough of my own money, I would get an accessory to go with. Many years later an outlet shopping center opened very close to my house (Leesburg Premium Outlets) and I found myself going every few months or so to check out their wares.
My obsession was pretty much in check until I joined TPF and it's been downhill ever since (but uphill in other ways since I got to 'meet' so many other handbag lovers and see so many beautiful bags) and it got so bad I was going up to the outlet a few times a week. I'm really trying to rein it back in and try to only go once every two weeks now, but its a struggle hearing about all the new deletes hitting the outlets on the boards here!!
Sadly, my outlet/beach buddy (mom) suddenly passed away in 2004, but I always fondly remember our trips to Rehoboth Beach/outlets whenever I pull out the classic bags she bought me over the years.
In college (85-90) I started noticing some gals carrying very 'classic' leather bags w/ clean lines and I fell in love. I don't know how I made the association that those were "Coach" bags, because I'm sure I was too shy to ask anyone what purse they were carrying (my stance has changed this then though, I ask people all the time, and heck even tell them what style their bag is, if they're not sure themselves, LOL!) but I just knew I had to have one!
My mom and I used to go outlet shopping a few times a year in Rehoboth Beach DE, and on one of our journeys, we noticed that a Coach outlet had opened there, I was in HEAVEN!!!
My mom LOVED being at the ocean, so when we were there, she always wanted to go to the beach and I always wanted to go to the outlets, so we compromised and did a little of both on these trips! She would usually buy me one purse for my birthday and one for Christmas, and if I was able to scrounge up enough of my own money, I would get an accessory to go with. Many years later an outlet shopping center opened very close to my house (Leesburg Premium Outlets) and I found myself going every few months or so to check out their wares.
My obsession was pretty much in check until I joined TPF and it's been downhill ever since (but uphill in other ways since I got to 'meet' so many other handbag lovers and see so many beautiful bags) and it got so bad I was going up to the outlet a few times a week. I'm really trying to rein it back in and try to only go once every two weeks now, but its a struggle hearing about all the new deletes hitting the outlets on the boards here!!
Sadly, my outlet/beach buddy (mom) suddenly passed away in 2004, but I always fondly remember our trips to Rehoboth Beach/outlets whenever I pull out the classic bags she bought me over the years.