You will love these tips to help you choose only authentic Coach items on Ebay.  I'm a veteran Coach seller, and am disgusted by the vast, and ever increasing number of counterfeits entering the Ebay market.  These fakes are listed by sellers who know exactly what they're doing, as well as by innocents who don't know the difference.  And, as the knockoffs get better, more and more buyers spend (waste) their hard earned money on them.  Let my experience be your guide to successfully investing in authentic Coach products.  These tips are listed in no particular order so please read everything to maximize the learning.  And after you've read this guide, if it's helped you in any way, please issue a positive rating.

- Just because a purse has a patch with a serial number, a hangtag, or even a Coach store pricetag for that matter, doesn't mean it's authentic.  Most counterfeits now have patches (some good and some not so good-see below), and unscrupulous sellers can attach legitimate hang tags and price tags to fake merchandise.

- Make sure you see a picture of the actual item being sold.  There are a lot of sellers showing only stock photos from the Coach website.  While these photos are now harder to come by, they still exist.  If a seller won't show you a picture of the actual item, buyer beware.

- If a Coach purse has a signature pattern on the outside, very rarely will you see a signature lining.  Stay away from the ugly shiny yellow/gold or black small c lining - FAKE!!!   Signature purse with an "off looking" Legacy-type striped lining, or funky brown and tan small c fabric lining - FAKE!!!  The vast majority of authentic signature purses have solid color twill or satin lining.  Solid leather or fabric purses may have a signature lining of some type-the C pattern or the Coach lozenge logo, for example.  One exception to this rule is the Heritage line, which has the tattersall lining.  Bottom line is, do your research before buying.

- On authentic classic signature Coach, signature patterns are even, and the C's match up along seams.  Yes, you may encounter an authentic item where the matching is not perfect (sometimes the Cs are uneven on the side seams), but for the most part, everything will look lined up.  I wouldn't use this criterion alone in judging authenticity, but combined with a couple of other red flags, the decision is made.

- Let's talk about patches.  Authentics have them, counterfeits have them.  How to tell the good from the bad?  Authentic items have appropriate spelling, grammar and punctuation, not third world wording.  The stitching is even, doesn't run off the patch or overlap, and rarely has loose threads.  The embossing is deep and even (of course, vintage purses often have worn embossing).  The serial number is centered, not right or left aligned.  Also, and this is a biggie - there are no current styles made in the United States.  China, Korea, Costa Rica, yes, US, no.  Also be aware that not all items have the serial number embossed.  All purses have the patch (or embossing) with a serial number.  Most pouches and swingpacks have the patch, but not all will have a number.  Small accessories generally do not have a patch at all.

- Now for the serial numbers.  Again, seen in all purses.  But is it the right number for that style?  First, though, let's get one thing out of the way - if you see the serial number NT-4903, run the other way; no matter in which item it's seen, the item is counterfeit.  Also, Coach does not use the same serial number in more than one active style.  So, do a little investigation.  For example, recently I searched "Coach 1417".  Style 1417 is an East West Leather Duffle.  What came up were 15 duffles and one counterfeit wave design satchel.  Do the same search with "Coach 6094".  You're likely to find a bunch of demis (the correct style) and one or two other counterfeit styles.  It's like Sesame Street -which of these purses doesn't belong?  If you're new to Coach, or even not, do these searches as a rule to help determine authenticity.  Also note that lately, counterfeiters have been using the serial 5659, which belongs to the Scribble line, in a variety of knockoffs. 

- Another reason to do searches to confirm authenticity?  Because in certain styles, Coach uses only one particular signature design.  In other words, for example, Signature Slim Duffle styles 6346 and 6347 were produced only in the "large C" pattern.  I recently have seen knockoffs done with bogus minisignature fabric.  And conversely,  Signature Duffle Flap styles 6376 and 6377 were produced only in the minisignature style, yet I've seen counterfeits with the large Cs, and even with awful patchwork and optic patterns.  Again, do your homework before bidding; do those searches-it may save you a lot of $$$.  

-That bull's eye on the patch!  Or the funny looking N?  What about an X? Don't worry about them.  The bull's eye signifies that the item came from the Coach outlet.  The N means it is merchandise originally sold at Nordstrom's Department Store.  The X means that the item has been sent to a discounter, like TJ Maxx.  Absolutely authentic.  And, there is no such thing as a wholesale acquisition of Coach items.  Proceed carefully when you encounter a seller claiming that an item is part of a wholesale purchase. 

- Price Tags.  Believe it or not, there are now counterfeit Coach Store price tags circulating.  Do yourself a favor and visit a Coach Store or Coach Factory Outlet (if possible), or look at listings from sellers with excellent feedback for selling authentic merchandise (like me!!!), and take a good look at the tags so you can recognize them.  Once you see the authentic designs, for example, dark brown ink on white tag, and the layouts, you'll be able to spot the fakes.  And yes, the "Coach Factory" tags are fine-this simply denotes an outlet item.  Remember, authentic Coach price tags are maily white and brown - there are some Coach Store tags that are black, however there also are counterfeit black tags.  Try to learn the differences.  Also, and this is big because it is a common telltale sign of counterfeit merchandise, Coach NEVER puts a hang tag chain through its price tags and brown booklets, so be wary of sellers who have these items chained to the purse - nine times out of ten, you're talking counterfeit.

- Authentic Coach purses do not have straps and handles wrapped in clear plastic.  If a seller says, "Oh, I just wrapped them that way to protect them", I recommend staying away.

- Dustbags.  When purchased at a Coach store, purses come in brown fabric dustbags that have white lettering and red drawstrings, accessories in white bags with brown lettering.  Outlet purses do not come with bags (unless they were transferred from regular Coach Stores); accessories come in white bags with red lettering (all outlet bags and boxes are white with red lettering).  You will find that special edition purses have special edition dustbags, such as the gorgeous Madisons with the white bags with lavender printing.  Again, learn the differences to save you money and heartache.  When you see a listing for a suspicious looking purse with a big white dust bag with odd looking lettering, warning bells should sound. 

- Hang Tags.  Make sure they match the items.  For example, 2007 Summer Patchwork purses and wristlets have two colorful hang tags.  But when I purchased a wristlet a while back, it came with one brown leather tag.  The item was counterfeit.  I returned it for a full refund (luckily-just goes to show you that even the experienced get conned).  But again, this should be viewed as simply one consideration in the total evaluation of authenticity.  If I acquire an authentic Coach item that does not have its original hang tag, and cannot find an appropriate replacement, I often attach another authentic tag that complements the item, prior to sale in an effort to please my customers, as this little detail is very important to most Coach buyers.

- The Coach logo.  Whether it's the embossing on the wallet or purse buckle, or the printing on the corner of the scarf (you know the ones, 100% new), counterfeits often have just the word "COACH" embossed or printed.  Authentic items will have the "lozenge" logo ("Coach" inside the border) embossed or printed.  But make sure the word is centered appropriately inside the border.  Bottom line, examine every detail before bidding.  If something doesn't look right, don't bid.  And if a representation of the word Coach looks funky, also stay away.

- The zipper issue.  I note that many sellers focus on authenticity defined by seeing "YKK" on the zipper.  To set the record straight, yes, the letters YKK are seen on many zippers used by Coach, but that is because YKK is a very common brand of zippers.  If you look at your clothing, outerwear and other zippered items, you'll see more YKK zippers.  So, seeing a YKK zipper on your Coach item is good, but look further to confirm authenticity.

- I've been asked about wallets.  While they are not my specialty, there are a couple of things I can tell you for sure.  On any given day, there are just about as many counterfeits listed as there are authentics, particularly signature checkbook wallets.  Also, be careful with the C embossed "puffy" leather checkbook style that you see mainly in black, but also in brown- the MAJORITY of these are counterfeit.  While it is often difficult to tell the difference between the real ones and the knockoffs, look for the same qualities as you would in purses-Cs lining up from the middle out to the end, deep embossing of the logo, etc.  The other thing is that if you see a wallet with a rainbow colored or white with gold trim box, stay away.  Those from the Coach store will come in traditional brown with white trim boxes, and outlet purchases come in white with red trim boxes.

- Beware of sellers with zero feedback selling signature, optic or patchwork purses with matching wristlets, for very low prices.  These items often have the telltale plastic on the straps, the tags on chains, and that ridiculous mini c lining.  There have been a rash of these crooks lately, selling merchandise that is the same trash you can buy in alleys in New York City. 

- And finally, stay away from any merchandise that comes from a "purse party".  No matter how good the purse, wallet, sunglasses or scarf looks, how authentic it seems, it is counterfeit.  Purse party items are no more authentic than the items I just mentioned in the previous point.

Now, just a couple of suggestions to maximize your Coach buying pleasure:  If you've lost your hang tag, Coach will replace it free of charge as a courtesy.  Either give them a call on their toll-free line or send a request via the website.  You need to provide the full serial number, color, and hardware type of the item.  While they don't have every style tag, they will send you the closest match.  But remember, don't abuse this privilege.  Also, you can bring a Coach item (or suspected counterfeit) to any Coach Store for verification.  The lovely sales people will have a look at the item, type the serial number into their system, and give you an indication of authenticity.  One other consideration when buying Coach on eBay - do not purchased a used and soiled item thinking that you can send it to Coach for cleaning - Coach DOES NOT offer a cleaning service.  Some sellers try to make the sale by claiming they do, but do not be fooled.

And finally, be a smart and confident Coach shopper.  Ask the seller questions.  Make sure you are satisfied with the answers.  Check feedback for authenticity concerns.  Compare the item(s) you are interested in with other listings.  Check serial numbers.  Spend your hard earned money on authenticity, quality and condition-don't be distracted by flashy graphics and flowery language.  And to those of you who stick to auction-style listings, I strongly recommend considering buy it now listings for the best prices on Coach-I do a lot of price comparisons, and can tell you that most of my customers are getting better prices with my BINs than when they get caught up in the heat of auction competition.

Coach lovers and friends, thanks for reading my guide.  I sincerely hope you found it useful, and if you did, please rate it favorably.  Now get out there and have some fun!