Older bags didn't have hangtags. I think some people added hangtags after the fact.
Vintage Coach Photos & Chat
- Thread starter bunnymasseuse
- Start date
TPF may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, and others
I once read that the one-sided "lozenge" hang tags with the "COACH LEATHERWARE" cartouche became a standard item in 1971. Prior to that, there were several renditions of hang tags such as the baseball-shaped "Feel It" tags and I recall there even being a hide-shaped tag. But I believe that in the early years most styles did not come with hang tags.
Hi faintlymacabre. I am newer to rehabbing and the first two rehab bags I bought were in rough shape and as I like to say, left for dead buried under a pile of Vera Bradley bags at a flea market. But they were only $10 each and I could live with spending that much if I messed up or they were beyond help. They actually had alot of water damage/stains. They were perfect for a first rehab attempt. After sitting in my car for a few hours I realized they had mold/mildew. Lovely right? But I dunked them, which means I soaked them in Lexol for 20 minutes and scrubbed with an old toothbrush (and used 1 cup of bleach in 2 1/2 gallons of water). Admittedly I am less of a germaphobe so between the soapiness of the Lexol and the bleach I was satisfied. And they came out better then hoped (and the bleach did not impact their colors, tabac/putty). I need to take pics and will post. Over the last few months, I have gravitated to looking for bags in better condition but on the cheap. But I wouldn't pass up $10 and left for dead either. I have found several bags in what I consider very good condition for around $25. I think it all depends on one's budget and patience level for waiting for a bag. Happy Coaching
Would love to see one IRL. I have only seen the pics on the Coach archives pages.
In a vaguely related question, are the kisslock compartments on the swing bags big enough for a larger iPhone?
That makes two of us. I 've been looking for one for the Diplomat briefcase I have. The prior owner claimed to have lost it. Ill volunteer that I've had a couple of opportunities over the past few years to bid on bags that had them, but didn't pursue them aggressively thinking that there's be others in the pipeline. Unfortunately, that has not been the case. Except for the following (IMO absurdly priced even after being reduced over the course of several roll-overs) listing, I haven't seen one in quite the while.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/COACH-Collector-Pre-creed-Bags-Lot-Of-3-/371907181729?
On the early versions (those with striped-fabric linings) of the Double Entry Swinger, the outside kisslock pockets have approximately 4-3/4' usable width and 6" of usable height.
There was this one up not too long ago, but also very high priced! https://www.ebay.com/itm/122372916634
Another listing that must have sneaked under my radar. Thanks for pointing it out. The price seems to support the $200 premium that baseball hang tags have garnered on the last few sale of items that have had them.
Wow that is one seriously old looking bag. Unusual.. at least I've never seen it before.
I suspected it was the case that the metal tag bags didn't have the cartouche tag. So now, what to do with the tag I've got. I'd like to get the paint off it and use it on another bag that it would belong better on. How do I strip paint off it I wonder?
It depends on what was used to paint it. Acetone usually works, along with scrubbing.
In response to you initial query, below pls find photos of an early shopper/magazine tote that came with a baseball hang tag...
This may be the same or similar style as the eBay listing from early March noted by @rkiz.
Thank you for posting this image. Do you have an estimated date for this bag? I love the bright colors of some of the early bags.
I'm sorry, but I don't have anything on record that would hint at a specific date with any certainty. It has various design elements that span the entire Bonnie Cashin era at COACH, so it's hard to pin down based on observation. If I had to guess, I'd say late 1960s.
I agree with you that the variety of colors that were employed were perhaps revolutionary for the 1960s. Though I believe that I've shared it (somewhere) before, I'm including a color swatch sheet for what my records indicate as being for the Spring-Summer 1965 season. Unfortunately, it's faded, but still provides an idea of the range of colors that were produced. I read somewhere that being a colorist was one of BC's many talents. I can't even begin to tell you just the variations of red that are evident in my own collection of 1960s bags.
Thank you for providing the date estimate for the bag and the color swatch. The colors were revolutionary (especially in larger leather goods, I expect) and reflective of the bold colors prevalent both in the clothing and graphic imagery of the 1960s and early 1970s.