I asked this question on the ebay boards, long before I knew about this board, but realized, I should repost it here. Unfortunately, I no longer have the pictures on hand - but I'm not sure they would help, anyway.
I own several older coach (all leather) bags - the Janice's (sp?) Legacy, and a brown flap bag, as well as a doctor's satchel - so I've come to recognize the quality of the older leather and the hardware that they use on their bags (even now). At a consignment shop, I picked up a black bag that had all the earmarks of being Coach - the hardware, the coach handtag, the feel and smell of the leather (I've gotten used to the odd looks in that store when I smell the bags - there must be someone in the area with an old Coach collection, every time I go in I find one - they generally need a little help, but I do love projects!). I believe the style would be a 'saddle' bag, with the brass buckles front-aligned on the bag, so that the strap hangs forward over the front flap of the bag. There is no other hardware on the front of the bag, and the flap goes all the way to the bottom of the bag (style 9988 is similar, except for the turnlock and the length of the flap itself).
Boy - this is a long post, and I've now gotten to the actual question! Thanks for hanging in there!
The bag doesn't have a creed - and no evidence of ever having had one (I know sometimes if the purse was washed, the leather can swell and obliterate the imprint). Are there instances of older bags not being stamped? I wouldn't say it was old enough to have had just the old 'coach' plate (and there are no marks on the leather that one was ever there), but I might be wrong.
Thanks so much!
I own several older coach (all leather) bags - the Janice's (sp?) Legacy, and a brown flap bag, as well as a doctor's satchel - so I've come to recognize the quality of the older leather and the hardware that they use on their bags (even now). At a consignment shop, I picked up a black bag that had all the earmarks of being Coach - the hardware, the coach handtag, the feel and smell of the leather (I've gotten used to the odd looks in that store when I smell the bags - there must be someone in the area with an old Coach collection, every time I go in I find one - they generally need a little help, but I do love projects!). I believe the style would be a 'saddle' bag, with the brass buckles front-aligned on the bag, so that the strap hangs forward over the front flap of the bag. There is no other hardware on the front of the bag, and the flap goes all the way to the bottom of the bag (style 9988 is similar, except for the turnlock and the length of the flap itself).
Boy - this is a long post, and I've now gotten to the actual question! Thanks for hanging in there!
The bag doesn't have a creed - and no evidence of ever having had one (I know sometimes if the purse was washed, the leather can swell and obliterate the imprint). Are there instances of older bags not being stamped? I wouldn't say it was old enough to have had just the old 'coach' plate (and there are no marks on the leather that one was ever there), but I might be wrong.
Thanks so much!