I'm so tired of unknowing buyers getting their money squandered because some hapless seller decides to make a profit selling unauthentic designer accessories and handbags. Trust me, for every designer handbag or accessory out there, there is bound to be a bad, almost exact, nearly exact handbag or accessory that matches it. So here's my guide on Coach handbags, drink up!

As an avid Coach collector,  I only purchase from  Coach boutiques and outlets. I digest Coach catalogues like they are my textbooks to life and I know a fake Coach handbag or even worse, keychain, when I see one. Pictures will come soon with this guide, after I take some close-up examples. Bear with me, and try to visualize for now what I am saying.

FIRST: Coach specializes in superior products. Their line of handbags are unmatched by some and will not break [unless you do something that will inevitably break it]. Their handles should not tear apart within a couple weeks of use. Their leather IS NOT made out of  PLEATHER. EVER! Leather does not have a noticeably shiny sheen. Unless it's a Patent Gallery Purse. And that's made out of patent fabric.

SECOND: Coach stitching is event and aligned. It is not made in zigzags, a la, /\/\/\. It is ------. And neat. Look carefully at the stitching. Compare it to the one at your local Coach boutique or at coach.com. If there is a difference, you have came across a fake. Even if it's a subtle difference. Don't bid on it!

THIRD: The C's on Coach's signature fabric is not G's. There is a noticeable difference, and I think most of us learned the alphabet to distinguish the difference between a  C and a  G. A G does not stand for Coach. Also, signature fabric is made out of jacquard.

FOURTH: Look carefully at the creed. The creed is a square piece of leather stitched into the Coach handbag that has a short "story", if you will, about how the Coach bag was made. There will also be a serial number on most handbags, minus some small ones. Remember that fakes can have replicated creeds as well.  It is best to check the Style number, if provided by the seller, and to check with Coach to make sure that it is indeed a Coach bag. The newer line of  Legacy Coach bags will have the creed written in a cursivey-handwriting font.

FIFTH: Regarding accessories, Coach keyfobs do not come in little Coach boxes.  You know, the white ones with the brown rectangle around it and the little lozenge in the lower right hand corner that says Coach. They do not.  DON'T BUY THEM! You are unmistakably buying a fake. Coach does NOT DO THIS. Rinse and Repeat. There is a distinguishable difference from these keychains as opposed to the air of Coach keychains. Check the mini lozenge too. Coach keychains sometimes have these, sometimes don't. And the font is giveaway for fakes. [Pics will come in terms of distinguishing which is which]. Coach keychains also have a the signature Lozenge print on the other side [It says coach in a rectangle with indented corners]. Once again, Coach has never made Hello Kitty,  Mickey Mouse, or other character keychains.

SIXTH: Look at the signature fabric and see if the C's are aligned and the fabric is not haphazardly put together at the seams.

 

SEVENTH: An unmistakable skill used when buying Ebay products is to look at the feedback rating. This is TRES [very] important! A repuable seller will have near [I'm talking on a range of maybe 99 to 100%] feedback. Beware of seller's who have numerous negative feedbacks in which they did not receive the product. Seller's can also have feedback in which everything is positive, but the item bought was a fake. Check previous items a seller sold! You know it's a bad deal when fakes are sold in bulk from that seller. What makes you think you can get an authentic?

 

EIGHT: Coach Outlet products will have a target stamp on the creed. Coach products from department stores and other stores like TJMaxx and Loehmann's will have a stamp that has a circled x. Coach products from Nordstrom's will have a stamp that has a circled N.  These are all found on the creed. Ask a seller who claims he/she bought it from ____ to see a clear, unhazy, unfuzzy picture of the creed. Sometimes, they will not have these stamps. But the Coach outlet products will, 99% of the time. Coach boutique purchased handbags will not have any stamp on the creed other than the Coach storyline stamp and a possible serial number.

 

NINE: Sellers can sometimes use Coach boxes, receipts, booklets, hangtags, to make their bags look real. Remember that these can be reproduced by fakers. Remember that Coach dustbags do not scream Coach in  loud black letters. Outlet dustbags will be white with a red Coach insignia. Boutique dustbags will be dark brown, red drawstring pulls, and a white Coach insignia in the lower right hand corner.

 

TEN: Please don't buy from a seller who is located in Hong Kong, Taiwan, China [these are the origins of the mysterious fake Coaches]. He/she may be selling a stream of unaunthentic Coach items. Look at the other items he/she is selling and the things he/she sold.

I hope this guide has been a good reference to your Coach experience. Like me, I hope you enjoy the splendor and quality of an authenic Coach handbag or accessory. They truly live up to their quality and you will truly enjoy it.

When in doubt, consult an authentication website service before purchasing.

Happy Buying! :)