Coach Patchwork! A very stylish and Popular design but how do you know you are getting the real deal? My guide here will give you some points on what to look for when you are searching for the perfect Patchwork that suits your style.

Patchwork has really become popular. A lot of designers are making it in both high profile and low profile prices. Coach has been one of those designers and I have to admit I own a few because I love the versatility of the Patches and being able to match it with many colors!

So first of all, here are some re-caps of some things to look for in sellers/auctions BEFORE moving ahead:

• PRIVATE auctions, meaning they keep their bidders private. If you look at their feedback, and they are all private auctions, I dont even bother to bid. I feel they are definitely trying to hide something like selling many of the SAME item.
  

• FEEDBACK. If there is an established  buyer who leaves positive or neutral or NEGATIVE feedback saying their item was not authentic, I DONT bid on any of their items.
  

• Amount of AUCTIONS for the SAME thing. If they have SEVERAL, and I am talking at least 3+ of this SAME exact wallet or bag with the SAME pictures and description. I DONT bid. Especially if the auction is private. I have been to many factory stores, and they usually limit you on how many items of the same thing you can buy...for example, if they have a signature wallet on sale for a great discount, then they may put a limit of 2 or 3 that you can buy, and they go pretty quick anyway, so you know that a person isn't going back every day to buy 2 or 3..they usually are gone within a couple of days!

• They use Coach.com STOCK PHOTOS...come on!! I am a seller, I take pictures! If they are using stock photos, they may be hiding something..ask them to post a picture of the actual bag..and then research, I have found that sometimes, sellers will take/steal other ebay seller's photos and use them on their own auctions. So research the bag by looking at all auctions and completed auctions to see if they stole or reused old photos.
  

• Unanswered Questions. If I ask them to guarantee authenticity or ask for more photos and they NEVER respond, well that is a dead giveaway to me. If they don't provide more photos or only give excuses as to why they cannot provide more photos OR won't guarantee authenticity, I would stay away...BUT even then, a lot of sellers will LIE THROUGH their teeth and will tell you anything to get you to buy their item...so make sure you research, research, research!

• TRUST your gut instinct!! If you don't feel right about a seller, DONT buy!! Why would you buy from someone you can't trust??
  

SO DO the following:

•  Buy from a reputable seller -a definite plus. If you see someone who posts a lot of pictures and GUARANTEES authenticity or 100% money back (no restocking fee blah blah blah) that is definitely a good thing as they stand behind their product! Short to say, there are a LOT of ebay sellers that sell Coach so don't settle for less than 99% Positive feedback. 
  

•  Pay with PAYPAL! I cannot stress this enough! Paypal typically offers $200-$2000 coverage if you happen to have a disagreeable transaction.(check the auction listing) So basically, if you buy a replica and don't realize it until after the transaction has taken place, you can file a dispute try to get your money back through Paypal. 
• Those who are selling fakes and replicas and know what they are doing, will usually avoid Paypal, theywill usually ask for money orders, cashiers checks or ask for a different form of payment like BID PAY or some other site that doesn't offer this protection! 
  
• However, I have run into sellers that know they are selling fakes, and eagerly return the merchandise and give you all your money back so that you don't leave negative or neutral feedback with the words FAKE REPLICA in them. Just be on your guard and if this DOES happen to you where you bought a fake and they still refunded you 100% it is only fair to still leave feedback saying that the coach was NOT authentic, you definitely want other future buyers to know your experience....I guess use your gut instinct..and PAY WITH PAYPAL!!

Okay, so enough about sellers, lets get on to the good stuff with Coach!

PATCHWORK COLLECTION

A Beautiful array of different color patches that include the following:

• Chelsea Optic Signature collection
• Suede collection
• Mini Signature Collection
• Lurex Mini Signature Collection
• Lurex Signature collection
• Leather Collection
• Hamptons Collection
• Metallic collection
• Denim Collection
• Animal Prints
• Polka dot Prints
  

Now there are SEVERAL styles of the Patchwork and names and there are too many for me to list but this is what to look for when wanting to buy a Patchwork bag.

• Research the Style number. Find out which bag you like, find out the style number and do a search on that style number. If you cannot find any on ebay. Call Coach and ask them about that particular style of bag to see if it exists and if they could describe it for you.
  
• Compare the placement of the patches. REGARDLESS of how many of the same bag that Coach has made, the patches will be in the same position every single time. Also, it is USUALLY mirrored from front to back, meaning that the patchwork placement on the front of the bag will TYPICALLY be on the back also...however, there may be some exclusions to that rule.
  
• ALL Patchwork bags, whether or not they have Signature C's Patches on them, will have a SOLID COLOR lining inside.
  

I noticed with the Patchwork design of Coach, I have seen MORE FAKE patchwork wallets than bags..so make sure you do your research.

I hope this was a bit helpful..I will add pictures when I find some that suit this guide :)

Thanks!