Hello! I know many of you out there are wondering how to tell if a Coach bag on ebay is authentic or not. I have seen MANY replicas listed for sale recently. One had even been bid on up to almost $300! I felt so bad for the person with the high bid because once they receive the bag and have it in their hands they are going to be very upset. They could have bought an authentic one at the Coach store or factory outlet for that price...maybe even less! That's why I'm writing this guide. I don't want that to happen to you. Once you learn the Coach tools of the trade you should have no problem determining what is real or fake. I consider myself to be a Coach authority because I have studied and done my research. Learn the styles and characteristics of the bags. Google it if you have to. Just know what you are looking for so you won't be disappointed like I'm sure so many ebayers are when they receive their bag. Be sure to jot some of these down for reference when you are shopping on ebay.

     The first way to tell if a bag is real or fake is to LOOK AT THE FABRIC. What I mean by that is look at the Coach signature fabric and see how it lines up. Coach starts the fabric on every bag with the cc's lined up in the middle in a symmetrical pattern all the way around the bag. They won't be lined up any other way. (If you have any questions you can go to the Coach website and look at the signature bags) You can turn an authentic bag around and the image on one side will mirror the other. Also be sure to check the seams. I've seen many replicas where the fabric will be sewn under the seam and the pattern will be askewed. You don't have to be a Coach pro to know that it just looks wrong. The pattern should flow, even under the seam, the entire way around the bag. I will admit that there are some fakes out there that are pretty darm close to looking authentic. There will still be subtle hints that the bag is a fake....JUST INSPECT THE PICTURES COMPLETELY!!!

     The second way to tell is by Looking at the Interior of the bag. An authentic Coach bag will never have the signature pattern on the outside as well as the inside. It will be one or the other. NEVER BOTH! Many older Coach leather bags have the signature fabric on the interior. I haven't seen to much of that in recent years. They either use cotton or satin materials. So remember, if you see signature fabric on the outside AND the inside of the bag do not bid on the item. You can check out any replica Coach website and see what I mean.

     The third way to determine an authentic bag from a replica is to Look at the Hangtag. Most Coach hangtags are leather with the exception of some bags from a few years back like the suede duffle I owned. It was authentic and purchased from the Coach outlet. It had a heavy brass hangtag. I haven't seen any recent bags with single brass hangtag. Some of the newer lines like the Soho and Op Art have multiple leather hangtags with another brass hangtag and the carriage. Replica bags pretty much all have the same dingy brass-looking hangtag. Even the Coach emblem on the tag looks strange. The font is completely wrong. Again, look at the replica Coach site and compare the hangtags on those bags to the ones on the Coach website. It's really a night and day difference. 

     I know it will be hard to do this when purchasing an item on ebay, but another sure way to tell if it's an authentic bag is to Look at the Hardware and Zippers. Quality handbags like Coach always use the YKK zippers. They are the most sturdy zippers available. Some replica manufacturers are getting wise and branding their zippers YKK, but they are not. The hardware on an authentic Coach bag is very heavy and high quality. It is made of solid brass or nickel. It will never be plated. I have noticed that a lot of replica dealers are selling Carly bags. The one thing that I've noticed about the bag that singles it out as a fake is the turnlocks on the sides of the bag. On an authentic Carly, the turnlocks are plain brass. The replicas that I've seen all have Coach stamped onto the turnlocks. (That pretty much goes for every fake Coach bag that I've seen lately...they all have Coach in that weird font stamped on every turnlock.) So,when you can't physically hold and look closely at the hardware, the other surefire way to tell if a bag is fake is to look at the stitiching. All stitching on a Coach bag is in perfect allignment with no overlapping stitches. If a picture of the creed is posted carefully inspect the stitching. If the stitching is sloppy on the creed then it's probably sloppy on the rest of the bag. If you are able to enlarge the photos provided I urge you to do so...most of the time you can easily see the stitching on the creed or bag.    

     Finally, when in doubt about the authenticity of a bag you can simply Call Coach Customer Service and have them verify the numbers of the bag. Every Coach handbag has a leather creed sewn to the interior zipper pocket that has a set of letters and numbers on it. Many sellers on ebay post pictures of the creed so you can see the numbers. If you can't read them ask the seller to either post a better picture or give you the numbers. (If they won't then that should be an immediate red flag.) The first numbers are usually the bag's autheniticy number and the second set is the style number. Simply dial 1-888-262-6224 and ask to have a bag's authenticity checked. They keep a database of every number inside every bag. They will be able to tell you immediately if the bag is authentic or not.

   *** I was just updated by a fellow ebay member that Coach is beginning to refuse to authenticate a handbag...I say "refuse" because there are soooo many replica bags on the market that they don't want to take the chance of saying a bag is authentic when it isn't. I can't say I blame them. Their reputation is at stake, not the fake bag maker. I have noticed, and I thank you for reminding me, that most replica bags reuse the same serial # and style # on every style bag that they make. That does make things a bit more difficult, but if you mainly look at the fabric seams, interior and stitching you shouldn't have a problem. (FYI..if you are ever in doubt about a bag I would be more than happy to look at the listing for you. Just send me a message with the listing number and I will do my best to verify it for you.)*** 

    Well, I hope this guide helps you in your quest for the ultimate Coach bag. Be sure to do your research and learn about Coach handbag designs from the present and the past. Just because it looks authentic doesn't mean it is. If you have any questions about anything Coach please send me a messsage. I will be happy to help you. Good luck and Happy Bidding!!! :)