LOOKING FOR AUTHENTIC COACH? 
With so many Coach listings on ebay, it is important to avoid buying a fake (aka counterfeit/knock-off/"designer inspired") Coach item.
Although Ebay's policy is to prohibit sales of counterfeit Coach, many new listings of fakes are posted each day.
As a consumer, intentionally buying a fake to save money means sacrificing significant quality & craftsmanship, in addition to it just plain being illegal. Unkowingly buying a fake can be very disappointing. Receiving what you believe is a real Coach, & then having the item fall apart within a matter of weeks or months... it ends up costing you more time & money in the long-run, by having to constantly repair or replace your items.

Knowingly or unknowingly, buying counterfeits is detrimental in many ways: In general, it supports illegal activity worldwide (such as slavery & terrorist activity), lowers the standards some people set for Coach quality, & at the same time, drives up authentic Coach retail prices.

But ~ It IS possible to buy authentic Coach on eBay at a great deal, often at a similar price as what you'd pay for a "knock-off"!
This guide is meant to help you avoid the stress & disappointment of buying a fake, & make your overall Coach shopping experience on eBay more efficient. If the authenticity of the Coach item you're interested in is questionable, please check out the following tips on searching for authentic Coach on eBay! Hopefully they will enable you to better understand true Coach quality & design, & why authentic is ALWAYS better.

Determining the Authenticity of:

SIGNATURE, MINISIGNATURE, & SCARF-PRINT PATTERNS:
~ Made of Woven Jacquard Fabric or PVC, which is specially treated to resist water & stains.

~ Pattern should be aligned horizontally, NOT vertically, & should align from the center of the bag & then out. The ends of the horizontal-facing C's should touch.

~ On some authentic styles, the pattern will align diagonally, from the top corner to the (opposite) bottom corner, as seen on the 2005 Signature Shearling Bags and the new (2009) Leah Coated Canvas Op Art items.
  
~ If there is a vertical seam (stitched or leather) in the Signature pattern, it will run directly down the center of the bag, which will also be the center of the C's.

~ Exceptions are the Optic Signature pattern, which has overlaying Signature "C's" (usually in 3 colors/shades, such as Dark Brown, Khaki, & Gold OR Dark Blue, Light Blue, & White) and the Pieced C Gallery Tote, which has the outline of large "Cs" that are slightly off-center, and is detailed with Swarovski Crystals.
 
~ If the bag/product has a Signature C pattern on the exterior, it will NOT have a Signature C lining. Lining should be a solid, complementary, color.

~ If the exterior is a solid-color leather, the interior lining may have a Signature pattern or be a solid color. Older styles may also have a "Lozenge" patterned interior. (The "Lozenge" logo is the logo that's on the Shopping Bags, Boxes, and Dustbags.)

~ Beware of gold or black, reflective Mini-Signature or "Coach Logo" Lining - it's a major trend in counterfeits, but not often (if at all) seen in authentic Coach products.

~ Beware of "Signature" patterns with letters other than "C." Some counterfeits will have a "Signature O" or "G" pattern that is similar to Coach's pattern, but it's obviously NOT Coach.

Examples- Fake Tote & Wallet with Asymmetric Signature pattern (Also Note the Plastic on the Handles); 
                   Fake "Carly" with Crooked Signature Pattern and Fake Care Booklet;
                  and Fake "Scarf Print" Tote with "Signature G" Pattern

                   


OP ART PATTERN:
The newest pattern from Coach, the Op Art, is already being counterfeited (as of Winter 2008/2009).

~ Authentic Op Art items should have a symmetric "C" pattern.

~ The ends of the "C" should NOT touch.

~ Vertical seams should be aligned in the center of the "C's."

~ If the item has pleats, they should by symmetric- the vertical stitching of the pleats will be the same length on each pleat, and the horizontal spacing between each pleat should be even.

PATCHWORK PATTERNS:
~ Individual patches should be stitched around each edge. Edges will be straight & all patches will be evenly aligned.

~ Patches will be a variety of patterns and fabrics, so each patch should be a different style, color, or texture than the patches next to it.

~ Beware - Counterfeits tend to have similar/same patches next to each other, as shown in the photo below.
(The khaki patch that runs diagonally behind the "price tag" is actually 2 patches with a seam behind the tag. On the authentic, you can see the patches are actually two different shades of brown.)

Examples-  Fake Patchwork VS Authentic Patchwork:
        

LEATHER & SUEDE:
~ Leather should look, feel, AND smell of high quality, without cracks or tears. Variations in the grain (swirls, lines, spots) are typical of leather, occur naturally, & are not necessarily stains or scratches.
 
~ Coach uses a variety of leathers, including Nappa, Nubuck, Patent, Vachetta, Full-Grain, & Suede. The leather Coach uses is ONLY from top-quality grains. More specifically, the top 10%.

Characteristics of different types of leather:
     ~Nappa (Napa): Soft, Chrome-tanned, & extremely supple.

     ~Nubuck: top-grain cattle hide; sanded & buffed on one side. Velvet-like surface.

     ~Patent: shiny, smooth finish; high-gloss; often coated with plastic.

     ~Vachetta: typically used as trim on handbags; leather is left untreated & is susceptible to water/stains.

     ~Full-Grain: Used in the finest leather products. Not altered past removing the hair & tanning the hide. One side is sanded, while the reverse side remains fuzzy. Grain remains in natural state, resulting in greater durability. Develops patina with use. Requires raw materials of excellent quality.

     ~Suede: cut from inside of hide; fuzzy on both sides.

  
STITCHING:
~ Stitching should be consistently straight & even. Most often, Coach uses double-stitching (multiple threads in each stitch).

~ New items should not have loose or frayed threads.

~ Seams & Trim pieces will be stitched only, NOT glued, or stitched with glue underneath. Coach NEVER uses glue to attach pieces, so beware of tacky residue.


HARDWARE:
~ Hardware should be made of Nickel (Silver), Brass (or Antique Brass), or Gunmetal.

~ Hardware is solid, never plated or metallic plastic.

~ The Coach logo on newer items should NOT be engraved on certain hardware pieces, such as Dogleash clips, Zipper-Pulls, & most Turnlocks.

 *Some Turnlocks will be an exception, such as on the side-pockets of Totes. This logo should be symmetric, either horizontally or vertically, around the turnlock.

~ Most Coach items will have YKK engraved on the zippers. Lately (as of late 2008), some bags are showing up without the YKK. If you see an item without YKK, this does not automatically mean the bag is fake. It just means you need to look for other indicators of whether it is real or not. In addition, some replicas now have poor-quality hardware engraved with YKK... again, look for other indicators of authenticity.

HANGTAGS:
~ If the item has a hangtag, it should be Leather (including patent leather), Suede, or solid (polished) Brass, & it should match the bag or wristlet in some way.

~ Items with Brass hangtags, like the Miranda Satchel or the Violet Clutch, should have matching brass hardware on the bags. The brass will be polished, solid, & reflective... NOT a matte finish or a dull brass.

~ Leather & Suede hangtags, which are more prevalent, should have straight, even stitching. Newer styles will have grommets (in the same hardware as the bag); older styles may not have grommets.

~ Pave' Hangtags come with certain styles, such as Limited Edition bags or wristlets. The Crystals should be evenly spaced next to each other, as well as evenly aligned around the Coach logo. There should not be any glue residue in the spaces between the crystals.
 
~ The color of the hangtag may be Solid, Striped, or Two-Tone. Two-tone may include one color on the front of the tag, another color on the back, OR the tag may be one solid color front-&-back, but have different color trim.

~ Both types of hangtags should have a symmetric Coach logo. Letters will be raised, not engraved or stamped into the material.

~ Coach does issue replacement hangtags - these may also be brass.

~ Beware - Fake bags can have authentic hangtags, & authentic bags can have fake hangtags.

Examples- AUTHENTIC HANGTAGS:
Dark Blue with Dark Brown Trim; Solid/Polished Brass; and Two-Tone Striped:

  
            


THE CREED:
~ MOST Bags will have a leather patch sewn into the lining, with the Coach creed & Style or Serial Number. Very few Wallets have a Creed patch, but one example that does have a creed is the Signature Stripe.

~ Exceptions ~ Smaller items may not come with a Creed, such as some Top Handle Pouches, Swingpacks, smaller Handbags, and most Wristlets & Wallets.

~ The stitching around the leather creed patch should be straight & even. The edges of the patch should also be evenly trimmed.

~ ALL stitching & lettering should be symmetric, as well as the patch should be sewn symmetrically into the lining, parallel to the top of the bag.

~ The letters of the Coach logo are raised; however, the creed itself should be inset (stamped) into the leather.

~ Some styles, such as the Legacy, have Leather Creeds with gold cursive script. This script should NOT be set in the leather, it should be slightly raised, as if handwritten on.

~ The Style & Serial Numbers will start with "NO, with the "O" small & underlined. Next should be a series of letters & numbers, such as G0882 -

~ The first two numbers after the letter (G08, in this case) represent the year the item was released (08 means 2008 release, & so on). Following this series is a hyphen, & then a 4- or 5-digit style number, depending on the year it was released.

~ In addition, the creed may have an F or FS in front of the last 5 numbers, or a small mark or stamp somewhere on the patch.

~ F represents Factory-issue items. Factory Store (or Outlet) items are NOT lower-quality or defective merchandise, they are items that are specifically released in the Outlets only, end-of-season overstock from full-price Coach retailers (such as Macy's), OR are slightly different versions of the "full-price" or Coach Boutique styles. If Coach has defective merchandise, it is NOT made available to consumers, it is offered to employees or destroyed.

~ FS represents "Final Sale." These are usually items from the Outlet, & FS means that the item is not complete; for example it doesn't comes with a Care Card or Dustbag. Coach Warranties/Repairs do NOT apply to FS items.

~ An "X" or a Bulls-Eye Mark means the bag was not originally issued for an Outlet, but came from an Authorized Coach Retailer. These marks prevent the item from being returned for a refund at the full-price stores. Aside from Coach Boutiques,  authorized Coach Retailers include TJ Maxx, Marshall's, Nordstrom's, Dillard's, & Macy's, to name a few.

PRICE TAG:
~ If an item is NWT (New with Tag), the price tag should be attached with a plastic ring, to an O-Ring or Piece of Hardware on the bag itself - NOT on the hangtag.

~ Price Tags will NOT say "Made in Italy" or "Made in U.S.A." They will be white, NOT black or Silver, & have "Coach" or "Coach Factory" in brown lettering. You may occasionally see authentic bags with brown tags. These are not the actual price tags, but they are placed on the bags used for Display at the Coach Boutiques. Often, you will see these tags when the bag was sold as the last one in-stock.

~ The inside of the tag will have numerous specific (identifying) details about the product, as well as a bar code & the MFSRP.
 *Please Note - I will not include the specific details about the tag in this guide, as I do not want this information to be available to counterfeiters. (As Counterfeit price tags usually lack certain codes & details.)

 *Just like hangtags, Authentic bags may have fake price tags & Fake bags may have real price tags. Please look for other indicators of authenticity.

GIFT BOXES:
~ Gift Boxes will typically not have a barcode or label on the outside.  If they are labeled (for example, Online orders from Coach occasionally come labeled), then the label should accurately (not generically) describe the item, and the label should contain similar information as to what's on that item's price tag.

~ Gift boxes are either Burgandy/Brown with White lettering, Tattersall (Multicolor Plaid) with Gold lettering, or White with Red lettering. Some Limited Edition items may have slightly different gift boxes, depending on the product line, year released, & product size.

~ Beware White Boxes with Gold Lettering & Light Brown Boxes with Black Lettering... most of the Coach products on ebay that come with this style box are fake.

IN GENERAL:
Avoid Listings With These Red Flags~ 
Plastic on the handles, asymmetric patterns, Signature patterns inside & out, uneven stitching, & cheap hardware, leather, & fabric.
Listings with only one photo, especially just a "Stock" Photo, with a white background & no watermark.

Avoid Sellers with these Red Flags~ 
"Generic" descriptions & photos; Claiming to have bought a large quantity of items "Wholesale" or "Factory-Direct."
Coach does not offer items wholesale or straight from their factories (in China, for newer styles) ~ these are just major suppliers of counterfeits claiming "the real deal." Oftentimes, their descriptions & photos, & even "Coach" receipts are copied directly from certain suppliers' Websites. Avoid sellers that claim "100% Original" or "100% Genuine." ~ "Original" and "Genuine" do NOT equal "Authentic."

Also avoid sellers that claim their items came from "Purse Parties," Street Vendors (or just streets or cities), Individual Retailers in Malls or other Public areas (called "Kiosks"), or Sellers that claim they received the item as a "Gift" & do not know whether it is authentic. I have seen sellers claim the item is authentic because it was "bought in NYC," "bought on 5th Street," or because "they saw the credit card receipt." This is NOT a guarantee of authenticity.

Remember ~ Just because an item may have a "Coach Creed" and/or Serial Number, it does NOT mean it's authentic. Be cautious of sellers that say an item is authentic just because it has a Creed that says "This is a Coach bag...." 

Sellers who *seriously* guarantee authenticity will tell you exactly where/how they obtained their item(s) ~ which Coach retailer, or what location, & they may even have a valid transaction ID for their purchase. Some sellers will offer a gift receipt, confirm the original date of purchase, or even include the original receipt for the transaction.
~ Beware - Receipts & Paperwork are also counterfeited. Just because an item comes with a gift receipt or a seller says it's "100% Authentic" does not necessarily mean "Honestly Authentic." Always look for multiple signs of authenticity.  

Avoid At ALL Costs~
Plastic on the handles of Handbags;
Only Stock Photos, especially just One;
Coach "Winnie the Pooh" & Coach "Hello Kitty" Products; 
Wallets with White Boxes w/Gold Lettering or Wallets with Light Brown Boxes & Black Lettering 

Please Understand~ Some sellers may place authentic items with counterfeit accessories, & vice versa. All aspects of Coach are counterfeited, from the purse or wallet itself, to hangtags, receipts, price tags, boxes, & dustbags. There are listings with counterfeit bags that come with authentic accessories, & counterfeit accessories with authentic bags, so be sure to look for reputable sellers who are "established" in Coach sales, have positive feedback &, most importantly, are willing & able to answer your questions, directly & honestly.

 Please read feedback comments from completed transactions, look at the number of Coach transactions the seller has had, & watch for suspicious comments. They may signal that an item was returned for being "Significantly Not As Described." For example, comments that pertain only to returning an item, receiving a refund, or that mention "resolving a dispute." Keep in mind that some sellers might have positive feedback at first, for fake items... for awhile. This is because they may sell for awhile before someone "calls them out" on the items being fake. With these sellers, you will typically see a string of positive feedback, then a lull in active sales, completed listings removed, & then neutral or negative feedback. FYI ~ A wonderful site for checking sellers' reputation is ToolHaus "dot" Org.

Look for Listings~ With multiple photos & angles of the actual item for sale; a thorough & accurate description; proof of purchase (such as ability to provide receipts or legible copies of receipts), & reasonable Terms & Shipping Costs. Also look for listings with return policies (or at least reasonable reasons for not accepting returns). There are many great, honest sellers of authentic Coach on eBay ~ & we are more than happy to provide additional information, answer questions, & provide a pleasant eBay transaction!

 Finally, if you have ANYquestions about the authenticity of a particular item, please feel free to post your question & auction number for that item  on The Purse Forum or in the ebay Neighborhood  Cashin-Carry Designs.  On The Purse Forum, there are specific links for the Brand you are asking about. "Cashin-Carry Designs," however, is specifically All-Coach, all the time. Both sites have many knowledgeable members who are willing to share their opinions on authenticity.

 There are also many helpful guides here on ebay. Two of my personal favorites are from fionaflyby and christid2303, which have extensive information on authenticating Coach products... if you are looking for more information on authenticating Coach, I highly suggest you check them out, if you haven't already. ;-)

THANK YOU for taking the time to read my guide ~ I hope it has been helpful! : )

*Please Note - I am not affiliated with Coach in any way. I am just an avid collector of Coach items & hate to see buyers getting scammed by sellers of counterfeit items.
**Pictures in this guide (on the right) are NOT mine. They are placed in this guide by ebay & may or may not be authentic products.

And please remember, when it comes to "Designer Inspired" ~
"Imitation by competitors indicates a lack of competitive advantage and almost ensures mediocre performance."