Vintage Coach Photos & Chat

[whateve]

To everyone who is currently doing time on Ban Island, I have a story about appreciating what you have.
My collection has grown a lot since I joined the forum and I have been considering to downsize a bit. I haven't worn my Court in ages, so she was a strong contender for getting the boot. She was my second ever Coach bag and while I've always liked her very much, I never had this intense excitement and love for her that I felt for some of my other bags. She's a bit on the stiff side even though she's Costa Rican, has a couple of permanent scratches and a few areas where the black didn't fully bounce back after rehab.
However, these imperfections and my liking but not really loving her were the reasons she became my workhorse/ beater. Downpour? Court. Movies and eating greasy food in the dark? Court. Dancing in sketchy underground venues? Court. She has been sat on the gritty ramparts in Jerusalem, went to both sides of the Dead Sea with me and was checked out by curious crustaceans on Italian cliffs. The last time I used her I discovered she still had Jordanian desert sand in the back pocket. After that I felt a bit guilty and re-rehabbed her earlier this year, but only had a bad new batch of Lexol to condition her and it left a white cast that was a pain to buff away and I haven't carried her since.
Today I had a rare moment of not being able to decide which bag to carry. I was annoyed with myself and on a whim applied my old rule of 'when in doubt, wear the Court'. She immediately felt so familiar on my shoulder and I remembered all of our shared adventures and what a functional little bag she has proven herself to be in so many situations.

I got home, sponged her down with water, massaged her with some CPR and whispered a promise to her that I'll never ever part with her and that I'm sorry I ever even considered it.
I feel like I have finally fallen in love with that best friend that has always been right before my eyes, and it's even better than getting a new bag because it didn't involve a financial transaction. Here she is! The end!

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What a great story! I have bags like that! I carry them when I don't want to worry that something will happen to them, and then it turns out they get used more than the bags I think I really love. As much as I love my prettier bags, if I have to worry about them getting dirty or scratched or stained, it makes it too hard to enjoy them. When this has happened in the past, I've ended up selling the bags I thought I really loved and kept the bags I actually used.

Right now, I'm not feeling like letting anything go even though I'm not using any of them.

 

[MaraudingMagpie]

What a great story! I have bags like that! I carry them when I don't want to worry that something will happen to them, and then it turns out they get used more than the bags I think I really love. As much as I love my prettier bags, if I have to worry about them getting dirty or scratched or stained, it makes it too hard to enjoy them. When this has happened in the past, I've ended up selling the bags I thought I really loved and kept the bags I actually used.

Right now, I'm not feeling like letting anything go even though I'm not using any of them.

Which are your most-used vintage bags? I have considered your approach, but that would mean getting rid of my Currant Rambler, and that is definitely not happening. Maybe I'll invest in a glass case so I can always stare at it.

 

[Morgan_Bellini]

To everyone who is currently doing time on Ban Island, I have a story about appreciating what you have.
My collection has grown a lot since I joined the forum and I have been considering to downsize a bit. I haven't worn my Court in ages, so she was a strong contender for getting the boot. She was my second ever Coach bag and while I've always liked her very much, I never had this intense excitement and love for her that I felt for some of my other bags. She's a bit on the stiff side even though she's Costa Rican, has a couple of permanent scratches and a few areas where the black didn't fully bounce back after rehab.
However, these imperfections and my liking but not really loving her were the reasons she became my workhorse/ beater. Downpour? Court. Movies and eating greasy food in the dark? Court. Dancing in sketchy underground venues? Court. She has been sat on the gritty ramparts in Jerusalem, went to both sides of the Dead Sea with me and was checked out by curious crustaceans on Italian cliffs. The last time I used her I discovered she still had Jordanian desert sand in the back pocket. After that I felt a bit guilty and re-rehabbed her earlier this year, but only had a bad new batch of Lexol to condition her and it left a white cast that was a pain to buff away and I haven't carried her since.
Today I had a rare moment of not being able to decide which bag to carry. I was annoyed with myself and on a whim applied my old rule of 'when in doubt, wear the Court'. She immediately felt so familiar on my shoulder and I remembered all of our shared adventures and what a functional little bag she has proven herself to be in so many situations.

I got home, sponged her down with water, massaged her with some CPR and whispered a promise to her that I'll never ever part with her and that I'm sorry I ever even considered it.
I feel like I have finally fallen in love with that best friend that has always been right before my eyes, and it's even better than getting a new bag because it didn't involve a financial transaction. Here she is! The end!

View attachment 4772810

I love this story! I felt this way about my red Saddlery. I never carry her because she's smaller than what I normally need but one day on a whim I tossed only my wallet, keys and phone in her and took her with me. I fell in love all over again! I was extra careful when I rehabbed her because she was so beautiful and her leather so soft and seemingly delicate but her NYC creed dating her at least 30 years old proves that she is only a delicate looking work horse bag. She went from my sale pile to my keep pile in one day trip!

Also, I'm jealous of your travels. I wish I had the means to travel Europe and a companion with which to travel. All my friends/family have young kids now and it's nearly impossible to get them to go out for drinks even if I offer to pay, let alone get them to travel with me! I've been to Austria, but that's it. I bought the cutest little handmade cuckoo clock that I lost years ago.

 

[MrsGAM]

To everyone who is currently doing time on Ban Island, I have a story about appreciating what you have.
My collection has grown a lot since I joined the forum and I have been considering to downsize a bit. I haven't worn my Court in ages, so she was a strong contender for getting the boot. She was my second ever Coach bag and while I've always liked her very much, I never had this intense excitement and love for her that I felt for some of my other bags. She's a bit on the stiff side even though she's Costa Rican, has a couple of permanent scratches and a few areas where the black didn't fully bounce back after rehab.
However, these imperfections and my liking but not really loving her were the reasons she became my workhorse/ beater. Downpour? Court. Movies and eating greasy food in the dark? Court. Dancing in sketchy underground venues? Court. She has been sat on the gritty ramparts in Jerusalem, went to both sides of the Dead Sea with me and was checked out by curious crustaceans on Italian cliffs. The last time I used her I discovered she still had Jordanian desert sand in the back pocket. After that I felt a bit guilty and re-rehabbed her earlier this year, but only had a bad new batch of Lexol to condition her and it left a white cast that was a pain to buff away and I haven't carried her since.
Today I had a rare moment of not being able to decide which bag to carry. I was annoyed with myself and on a whim applied my old rule of 'when in doubt, wear the Court'. She immediately felt so familiar on my shoulder and I remembered all of our shared adventures and what a functional little bag she has proven herself to be in so many situations.

I got home, sponged her down with water, massaged her with some CPR and whispered a promise to her that I'll never ever part with her and that I'm sorry I ever even considered it.
I feel like I have finally fallen in love with that best friend that has always been right before my eyes, and it's even better than getting a new bag because it didn't involve a financial transaction. Here she is! The end!

View attachment 4772810

Lovely story, and lovely bag! The Court is one of my favorites! I'm currently in the processes of trying to use every single bag I own in the next year, and possibly deciding which ones I might put on sale next summer. My mom's neighborhood has a huge 2 day garage sale where I can sell them or I might try to consign them at one of the local stores - I don't plan on selling them online. However, so far, every bag I've used is a keeper! I don't know if I'll be able to let any of them go I might just have to get rid of some of my multiples.

 

[MaraudingMagpie]

I love this story! I felt this way about my red Saddlery. I never carry her because she's smaller than what I normally need but one day on a whim I tossed only my wallet, keys and phone in her and took her with me. I fell in love all over again! I was extra careful when I rehabbed her because she was so beautiful and her leather so soft and seemingly delicate but her NYC creed dating her at least 30 years old proves that she is only a delicate looking work horse bag. She went from my sale pile to my keep pile in one day trip!

Also, I'm jealous of your travels. I wish I had the means to travel Europe and a companion with which to travel. All my friends/family have young kids now and it's nearly impossible to get them to go out for drinks even if I offer to pay, let alone get them to travel with me! I've been to Austria, but that's it. I bought the cutest little handmade cuckoo clock that I lost years ago.

Selling a red Saddlery would have been blasphemy!

It's easy to travel Europe when you're already here. Everything is small, nothing is really far away, I don't even need my passport and most places share the same currency. Before Covid, people just hopped on a plane to Spain for a long weekend, and from where my dad lives its a three-hour direct train ride to Paris. For me going to the US is not something I could just do, it would require serious moneys, time and planning. You guys can travel half a continent without even leaving your country!
Last year I discovered the joys of short trips within a four-hour drive range. I never left the country but explored some nice places close to me on the cheap, and found out that you don't always have to go far to have an adventure.
It sucks about the lack of travel companion though. I have traveled by myself and I'm not scared or anything, but it's always nice to share your impressions with someone else. Those small kids around you will grow up fast though!

 

[MaraudingMagpie]

Lovely story, and lovely bag! The Court is one of my favorites! I'm currently in the processes of trying to use every single bag I own in the next year, and possibly deciding which ones I might put on sale next summer. My mom's neighborhood has a huge 2 day garage sale where I can sell them or I might try to consign them at one of the local stores - I don't plan on selling them online. However, so far, every bag I've used is a keeper! I don't know if I'll be able to let any of them go I might just have to get rid of some of my multiples.

I avoided getting multiples to never have to face that kind of decision-making, but turns out that Coach made so many great styles that it's easy to accumulate a ton of bags without any repeats.
The Court is just great. Of course I'm currently flooded with bag-oxytocin or something, but it really is just so functional. Also quite roomy enough for most days but still compact and easy to carry. Easy to dress up and down too. Maybe I'm talking myself into getting multiples here, lol!

 

[whateve]

Which are your most-used vintage bags? I have considered your approach, but that would mean getting rid of my Currant Rambler, and that is definitely not happening. Maybe I'll invest in a glass case so I can always stare at it.

These are my most used vintage bags. The first one is a real surprise. It is pre-creed, metal tag so I feel I shouldn't use it too much but I find it so easy to carry even though it doesn't look like much. The red Sonoma I really love and I have since the first day. The black hobo is so versatile and I've jazzed it up by adding flowers to the strap. The Ranch I knew I would love. The Gramercy satchel is also a surprise. I found it at a thrift store for $8. It's not my usual style as it is more refined and grown-up than I feel but I love feeling lady-like when I carry it.

 

[whateve]

Selling a red Saddlery would have been blasphemy!

It's easy to travel Europe when you're already here. Everything is small, nothing is really far away, I don't even need my passport and most places share the same currency. Before Covid, people just hopped on a plane to Spain for a long weekend, and from where my dad lives its a three-hour direct train ride to Paris. For me going to the US is not something I could just do, it would require serious moneys, time and planning. You guys can travel half a continent without even leaving your country!
Last year I discovered the joys of short trips within a four-hour drive range. I never left the country but explored some nice places close to me on the cheap, and found out that you don't always have to go far to have an adventure.
It sucks about the lack of travel companion though. I have traveled by myself and I'm not scared or anything, but it's always nice to share your impressions with someone else. Those small kids around you will grow up fast though!

That is so true about the US. We've traveled over most of the country several times. The hard thing for us is that we live on the west coast. Everything on the east coast is close together but very spread out in the west. Once you get to the east, you don't have to drive very far to get to another city or state and see something completely different. When we want to travel, though, we have to pass through all the familiar places to get anywhere new, and the big cities are very far apart. We like traveling when we go less than 200 miles at a stretch, and that isn't possible across the part of the country we have to travel through to get where there are things we want to visit.

Now we are missing traveling. We used to go on 4 or 5 trips a year. We've only been on one this year, and it was just a short one, right before lockdown.

 

[MaraudingMagpie]

These are my most used vintage bags. The first one is a real surprise. It is pre-creed, metal tag so I feel I shouldn't use it too much but I find it so easy to carry even though it doesn't look like much. The red Sonoma I really love and I have since the first day. The black hobo is so versatile and I've jazzed it up by adding flowers to the strap. The Ranch I knew I would love. The Gramercy satchel is also a surprise. I found it at a thrift store for $8. It's not my usual style as it is more refined and grown-up than I feel but I love feeling lady-like when I carry it.

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I strongly disagree with your statement that the metal tag bag doesn't look like much. It is stunning!

 

[NikkiTheVet]

I have a somewhat boxy bag on the way- the metropolis crossbody (9087)! I don’t know if Im going to keep it or not but it has a wider base so it seems like a bag you can just toss everything into, plus theres a front pocket for easy phone storage that I like. Ive been keeping an eye on the lunchbox as well but they’re always too expensive so I‘ll just enjoy it vicariously through the people who have it on the coach threads hehe

Sounds like you and I like similar bags. The City is my favorite and I like the Metropolis bag, too. I don’t carry a lot so my Taft is a go-to also. The Metropolis is a very basic style but holds a good amount. ETA I meant the Kent, not Taft!

 

[NikkiTheVet]

I’m carrying my Kent bag again this week and it easily fits what I need on a daily basis. I really have streamlined what I carry around, even downsizing to a smaller wallet. Here’s what fits inside (wallet, keys and pouch), in addition to my iPhone 6+, which fits easily into either the inside front or outside back pockets. I’ve thought about going to the Shelton, the Kent’s bigger brother, since I like the style so much. The Lenox looks nice, too.

 

[snappletini]

Mine is still attached. I would glue it back in place if I could. I don't think it would be that bad to rip it out either. It isn't covering anything except the center bottom seam. I guess it makes it a little stronger, allowing that seam to bear more weight without giving.

Thank you for the advice about the torn lining in my Ranch bag! I finally cleaned/dunked this bag today, and I pulled out all the lining. Now, the interior looks like most of the other vintage Coach bags. More importantly, I was able to really scrub the bag without worry.

The bag is drying, and it looks like it is going to restore nicely.

Thanks again!

 

[CPSE]

However, so far, every bag I've used is a keeper! I don't know if I'll be able to let any of them go

Speaking of not being able to let go of bags, I wore my purple sling (9929) for the first time the other day and when I wear it crossbody style I feel like a golf caddy. But in defense of the pretty sling, a very fancy golf caddy. Either that, or I kept feeling like I could reach back and grab an arrow for my bow, Legolas-style. I can’t see myself using it as much as I thought I would... but I can’t let go of it.

 

[Coachaddict4020]

Sounds like you and I like similar bags. The City is my favorite and I like the Metropolis bag, too. I don’t carry a lot so my Taft is a go-to also. The Metropolis is a very basic style but holds a good amount. ETA I meant the Kent, not Taft!

I had a city bag, it was really nice but too big for me as I don’t carry much so I sold it. I got a convertible clutch instead and I think its the perfect alternative to the city bag for me because its not as big. Its hard to let the bags I don’t use go lol, I wish I could keep them all!

 

[Morgan_Bellini]

I received my mahogany original Rambler today!