Vintage Coach Photos & Chat
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Hi and Happy New Year. Just curious if anyone knows whether the original Swinger (the banana-like purse with the doubled skinny strap) was a Bonnie Cashin style. I have seen that claimed on ebay, but the sellers seem to claim that every vintage style was designed by Cashin. TIA for your insights.
If a seller is lying about MOST of what she lists, she's probably lying about ALL of them.
The Swinger is style number 4040 - styles starting with 40** are usually from the Lightweight line. The Lightweights, including the Swinger, weren't even INTRODUCED until 1987, and Cashin stopped designing for Coach in 1974, how could it be a Cashin style?
As far as I'm concerned, sellers who LIE and claim that a bag is a Cashin or Cashin-ERA bag when it's not are deceptive and dishonest, and I wouldn't touch any of their listings with a 39- and a half-foot pole. In fact if I bought a bag claimed to be a Cashin and found out that it wasn't, I'd file a SNAD claim since the seller misrepresented the bag as being more rare and more valuable than it actually was.
It would be like buying a piece of furniture from a dealer who claimed it was a genuine antique, only to find out it was a much later reproduction. Or buying a piece of jewelry that the seller claimed were natural pearls only to find out they were much newer cultured pearls, or a "Natural Ruby" that turned out to be synthetic. The seller has cheated the buyer - If a seller can't tell the difference between antique and repro, or natural and cultured or synthetic, they should NOT be advertising it as the more valuable variety without a valid professional authentication. Otherwise it's deceptive and a stinking LIE and a seller who does it is a liar and a cheat. NOT UNDERSTANDING THE DIFFERENCE OR KNOWING FOR SURE THE BAG'S ORIGIN AND AGE IS NO EXCUSE.
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Here's mine (currently
).It's a British Tan Companion Bag, #9300, made in New York City. I bought it on eBay and gave it a spa treatment, following methods from the awesome tPF Coach Rehab and Rescue thread. (I highly recommend this as a bonding ritual, if your bag is eligible and if you're adventuresome!)
The leather is thick and soft. The color goes with everything I wear. It's nicely broken in and has a wonderful leather smell, after all this time. It has an elegant personality, understated, no frills, comfortably well-bred and easygoing.
It has a lovely big brass zipper. I can get in and out of it easily. No flap. No buckle. No turnlock (although I do love turnlocks!)
It holds what I need it to hold. It's deep enough, but not so deep that my things end up lost in a jumbled pile. I love the two outside slip pockets, and the zipperless one inside. Smooth, easy access.
PERFECT FIT!
What is your all-time favorite vintage Coach bag? What do you love about it?
Here's mine (currently
It's a British Tan Companion Bag, #9300, made in New York City. I bought it on eBay and gave it a spa treatment, following methods from the awesome tPF Coach Rehab and Rescue thread. (I highly recommend this as a bonding ritual, if your bag is eligible and if you're adventuresome!)
The leather is thick and soft. The color goes with everything I wear. It's nicely broken in and has a wonderful leather smell, after all this time. It has an elegant personality, understated, no frills, comfortably well-bred and easygoing.
It has a lovely big brass zipper. I can get in and out of it easily. No flap. No buckle. No turnlock (although I do love turnlocks!)
It holds what I need it to hold. It's deep enough, but not so deep that my things end up lost in a jumbled pile. I love the two outside slip pockets, and the zipperless one inside. Smooth, easy access.
PERFECT FIT!
Lovely bag. No frills - that's what I like about vintage Coach.
That's a difficult question! I've always liked this bag, especially those pockets. I can't decide which one is my favorite. I would say that my favorite thing about my vintage Coach bags is the leather.What is your all-time favorite vintage Coach bag? What do you love about it?
Here's mine (currently
It's a British Tan Companion Bag, #9300, made in New York City. I bought it on eBay and gave it a spa treatment, following methods from the awesome tPF Coach Rehab and Rescue thread. (I highly recommend this as a bonding ritual, if your bag is eligible and if you're adventuresome!)
The leather is thick and soft. The color goes with everything I wear. It's nicely broken in and has a wonderful leather smell, after all this time. It has an elegant personality, understated, no frills, comfortably well-bred and easygoing.
It has a lovely big brass zipper. I can get in and out of it easily. No flap. No buckle. No turnlock (although I do love turnlocks!)
It holds what I need it to hold. It's deep enough, but not so deep that my things end up lost in a jumbled pile. I love the two outside slip pockets, and the zipperless one inside. Smooth, easy access.
PERFECT FIT!
I found what appears to be a good deal on a 90's Italian-made Pearlized Satchel, 6107. It needs authenticating and a creed pic. I'm passing it along because I have one in lavender and it's against my ban to have 2.
https://www.tradesy.com/bags/coach-tote-bag-pearled-white-2937883
ETA: I found a lavender one, but the price isn't as good as the white one, and they folded the wings in and got them to stay that way somehow, but it's still less than the one listed on ebay. It also need authenticating and a creed pic.
https://www.tradesy.com/bags/coach-and-shoppers-tote-bag-lavender-7801870
https://www.tradesy.com/bags/coach-tote-bag-pearled-white-2937883
ETA: I found a lavender one, but the price isn't as good as the white one, and they folded the wings in and got them to stay that way somehow, but it's still less than the one listed on ebay. It also need authenticating and a creed pic.
https://www.tradesy.com/bags/coach-and-shoppers-tote-bag-lavender-7801870
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The lavender one is genuine, the white one probably is too. Comparing the inside pocket zipper pull with the one you own would probably be pretty strong proof since it looks like those styles have unique zipper pulls.
I don't like what the previous owner did by folding in the sides either. That has to have affected the leather in some way. And it just looks better with the "wings" out.
I have never posted any of my rehabbed bags so since I have been using these two during the past few days, I put them side by side for a quick pic. They are my first two vintage coach bags, a City bag in bottle green and Court bag in dark navy (both also authenticated here 
)
Here it is :
Thanks to all of you for the endless sharing, advise and tips, those really, really helped alot during the rehabbing process. Now I am rehabbing a Watson bag, which is a more difficult one compared to the others as it was not in very good condition. I have bathed her and now waiting for her to dry
) Here it is :
Thanks to all of you for the endless sharing, advise and tips, those really, really helped alot during the rehabbing process. Now I am rehabbing a Watson bag, which is a more difficult one compared to the others as it was not in very good condition. I have bathed her and now waiting for her to dry
I have never posted any of my rehabbed bags so since I have been using these two during the past few days, I put them side by side for a quick pic. They are my first two vintage coach bags, a City bag in bottle green and Court bag in dark navy (both also authenticated here
Here it is :
View attachment 3230130
Thanks to all of you for the endless sharing, advise and tips, those really, really helped alot during the rehabbing process. Now I am rehabbing a Watson bag, which is a more difficult one compared to the others as it was not in very good condition. I have bathed her and now waiting for her to dry
Those are just beautiful! I love how you've enhanced them with special charms, too.
I'm expecting a Watson any day now, that I'm planning to rehab, so I'll be interested to see yours when it's ready to share.
What is your all-time favorite vintage Coach bag? What do you love about it?
Here's mine (currently
It's a British Tan Companion Bag, #9300, made in New York City. I bought it on eBay and gave it a spa treatment, following methods from the awesome tPF Coach Rehab and Rescue thread. (I highly recommend this as a bonding ritual, if your bag is eligible and if you're adventuresome!)
The leather is thick and soft. The color goes with everything I wear. It's nicely broken in and has a wonderful leather smell, after all this time. It has an elegant personality, understated, no frills, comfortably well-bred and easygoing.
It has a lovely big brass zipper. I can get in and out of it easily. No flap. No buckle. No turnlock (although I do love turnlocks!)
It holds what I need it to hold. It's deep enough, but not so deep that my things end up lost in a jumbled pile. I love the two outside slip pockets, and the zipperless one inside. Smooth, easy access.
PERFECT FIT!
I gave this question a lot of thought, and I have three bags in vintage styles that I equally love the most. Only one is actually chronologically vintage, so I'm going to add a couple of near vintage honorable mentions.
My favorite truly vintage bag is my nwt 1996 Madison Biltmore in scarlet. I keep being tempted to cut the tags and use it, but I've been able to resist so far.
My near vintage honorable mentions are my 1998 Pearlized Satchel (as best as I can tell, this is the correct name, even though it's a tote) in lavender and my 1997 Madison Gracie in an unknown (to me), but perfect, primary shade of blue.Although these three bags aren't made of the thick, glove tanned leather usually associated with vintage Coach pieces, they do share the the clean, simple but elegant aesthetic that vintage Coach pieces are known for. What is so special to me about these bags is that they are, for mass produced items, fairly unique, and all three are beautiful and timeless. Without knowing their ages, you might not even know that they're as old as they are. Similar styles to the Biltmore and Gracie have been in continuous production by various brands for a very long time. The Pearlized Satchel has an Art Deco feel to me, and it has the "wings" that have been trendy for a while now (but I don't hold that against it
). Coincidentally, they were all made in Italy.Attachments
I gave this question a lot of thought, and I have three bags in vintage styles that I equally love the most. Only one is actually chronologically vintage, so I'm going to add a couple of near vintage honorable mentions.
My favorite truly vintage bag is my nwt 1996 Madison Biltmore in scarlet. I keep being tempted to cut the tags and use it, but I've been able to resist so far.
Although these three bags aren't made of the thick, glove tanned leather usually associated with vintage Coach pieces, they do share the the clean, simple but elegant aesthetic that vintage Coach pieces are known for. What is so special to me about these bags is that they are, for mass produced items, fairly unique, and all three are beautiful and timeless. Without knowing their ages, you might not even know that they're as old as they are. Similar styles to the Biltmore and Gracie have been in continuous production by various brands for a very long time. The Pearlized Satchel has an Art Deco feel to me, and it has the "wings" that have been trendy for a while now (but I don't hold that against it
I love the clean lines and classic, graceful look of the Italian Coach bags too. Beautiful!
I gave this question a lot of thought, and I have three bags in vintage styles that I equally love the most. Only one is actually chronologically vintage, so I'm going to add a couple of near vintage honorable mentions.
My favorite truly vintage bag is my nwt 1996 Madison Biltmore in scarlet. I keep being tempted to cut the tags and use it, but I've been able to resist so far.
Although these three bags aren't made of the thick, glove tanned leather usually associated with vintage Coach pieces, they do share the the clean, simple but elegant aesthetic that vintage Coach pieces are known for. What is so special to me about these bags is that they are, for mass produced items, fairly unique, and all three are beautiful and timeless. Without knowing their ages, you might not even know that they're as old as they are. Similar styles to the Biltmore and Gracie have been in continuous production by various brands for a very long time. The Pearlized Satchel has an Art Deco feel to me, and it has the "wings" that have been trendy for a while now (but I don't hold that against it
You need to carry that beautiful Biltmore!!
Thanks Catbird9! Don't consider them fully done though, still looking for Blackrocks which are recommended by so many of you but unfortunately can't be found here in Msia. Will keep looking though. shipping from US is a killer so at the moment I just use Lexol for conditioning.
The Watson I might need to re-dunk her, there's quite a stench (musty odour) coming from her which is definitely stronger after the bath. I wonder why
Look forward to see yours post-rehab too! What color is yours? I think mine is Mahagony Brown 
Thanks Catbird9! Don't consider them fully done though, still looking for Blackrocks which are recommended by so many of you but unfortunately can't be found here in Msia. Will keep looking though. shipping from US is a killer so at the moment I just use Lexol for conditioning.
The Watson I might need to re-dunk her, there's quite a stench (musty odour) coming from her which is definitely stronger after the bath. I wonder why
I saw your post about your Watson on the other thread. So sorry about the smell--I hope the vinegar removes it.
Mine is supposedly a very dark brown, almost black, which I think was called Mocha. I'll post before and after pics on the rehab thread when finished.