An AUTHENTIC COACH Handbag, Tote Bag or Accessory ~ be it a Classic, Soho or Hamptons ~ Signature, Leather or Suede ~ NOTHING can compare to AUTHENTIC COACH...

...but can YOU, as the buyer spot a FAKE??? 

Can you be SURE???  

Authentic Coach can be elegant, rich and sophisticated...other times fun, fresh and sporty.  Authentic Coach ~ always luxe, always stylish.

~

Selling only authentic Coach on eBay and having both carried and collected Coach pieces for more than 30 years now, buyers often ask me how they can be sure ~ how they themselves might determine an item's authenticity.   That is the very purpose of this Guide.  If I had to answer how that question in just three words, hands-down, it would be “do your homework”.  COUNTERFEIT Coach continues to be sold at online sites every day, including eBay.  Not only is counterfeiting illegal but it supports child labor and has been linked to terrorism.  It may be considered a felony when it’s the seller’s intent to defraud BUT it’s also a crime if the sellers themselves have been deceived and actually believe themselves that their replica is authentic. 

If you’re reading this, chances are you already know eBay is one of the more FUN ways to shop.  The selection is unsurpassed with styles to suit every trend and every individual taste, and often (especially when it’s timed just right!) the value just can’t be BEAT!   When it comes to designer items, it can become a SAFER place for you to shop too.  The key is in protecting yourself and it is essential...CRITICAL...that you be armed with as much knowledge as possible.

As detailed in my About Me Page, you have my unequivocal Money-Back GUARANTEE on the authenticity all of the Coach items I sell.  And while there are many, MANY other reputable sellers of authentic Coach found on eBay, new counterfeit listings, falsely claiming to be Coach are added every day.  eBay is simply unable to police every listing, so it's up to US...the eBay Community...to do all we can in helping to protect each other.  

This Guide has been written to inform.  As you will see below it expresses not only fact but a certain degree of personal opinion.  This has been gathered from years of admiring, shopping for and wearing Coach as well as years of searching, buying and selling on eBay (which just happen to be a few of my favorite things)!  You may find several of the below points somewhat subjective, but that's just what a Guide is.  It's a combination of opinion and knowledge garnered from past experience.  It's purpose is to be a reference tool and to give you pause for thought.  The below are the Red Flags, some of which could result in major consequence, others that are less significant...but all things that you as the shopper should EVALUATE and CONSIDER before you buy. 

• The first thing is good old common sense.  Every Guide I've seen mentions this, but no words ever rang more true!  Follow your gut instincts.  The bottom line is ~ if it seems too good to be true, well, it most likely is.
• Buy from a trusted, reputable and preferably an established seller.  Granted, we were all new once.  As far as eBay goes however, there IS something to be said for experience.  Reputation speaks VOLUMES.  And the most important thing you can do is read the seller’s feedback to learn what others have said.  Every seller's stats are just a click away...for feedback go to toolhaus.org ~ for DSR's (aka the gold stars) go to DSRwatch.com.  And it's important to read not only the negative comments but POSITIVE feedback as well.  Many comments left in reference to authenticity will be buried within those positives.  Like this one for example...one of the many I've seen, which is an actual POSITIVE feedback comment left by an actual eBay Coach buyer,    “Cute bag, although not authentic Coach, seller didn't sell as authentic, my loss”.     
• If you question the authenticity of a particular item, after reading the seller’s feedback, check the other items the seller has for sale.  Another listing from the same seller just might completely confirm any suspicions.
• Choose a seller with Terms of Service you're comfortable with.  Is PayPal a must for you?  How about a Return Policy?  Maybe, maybe not, but what if the bag turns out to be a counterfeit?  Make sure you're comfortable with the seller's policies ~ and you'd STILL be confident with them should you later discover that your purchase is not everything you'd hoped it would be.
• Use discretion on listings with only one photo or only blurry photos ...ESPECIALLY if that ONE PHOTO is from the Coach website or that of another seller.  While blurry photo(s) may be a result of a bad camera or maybe just a poor photographer, you need to question if there is anything the seller might be trying to hide or if the seller is using someone else's photo because they do not own the actual item they have listed for sale.
• Buy from sellers that state in their listings that their items are authentic Coach.  Sounds silly, but it’s true.  And it doesn't have to be in the title, but it sure should appear somewhere within the listing!  While lack of stating authenticity (however unlikely this may sound) could be an oversight by the seller, most sellers of authentic Coach will overstate the authenticity factor.  They don't whisper it...sellers of authentics want you to KNOW that what they are selling is 100% GENUINE AUTHENTIC COACH!!!  Many a defrauder won’t hesitate to LIST a counterfeit but WILL draw the line at putting that claim in writing.
• Be cautious when a seller offers Coach at a discount because they're “seconds”.  Unlike some leathergoods companies, Coach does NOT market irregular merchandise or those with manufacturer's defects.  Coach Factory Stores predominately sell newly discontinued styles, colors and/or materials as well as overstock.  The items you find in their Factory Stores are new, 100% authentic Coach, and generally free from blemishes, imperfections and defects.
• Consider very carefully those sellers who are selling extremely large quantities of only a couple different Coach styles.  Some counterfeit suppliers are quite limited in what they are able to replicate.  Coach Factory Stores (not always but generally) will limit the quantity that a customer may purchase at any given time to three of the same style number.  If you see a seller who is selling 50 Coach Clutch Wallets of one style and 40 Coach Envelope Wallets of another style, you may want to carefully consider your purchase.  While it is possible these items are authentic, it's a scenario you may want to investigate and investigate WELL before buying.
• Use good judgement with the GUIDES you've been reading.  One last thing before moving on to some of the Coach-related info.  If you're reading this Guide, chances are you're checking out other Guides too.  I want to phrase this delicately here, but the bottom line is that ANYONE is allowed to submit an eBay Guide.  Guides (and Reviews too) can be an excellent tool ~ and they often are.  But, much like a blog, they are subjective by their very nature.  While this can be a good thing, some Guides contain untruths ~ with misconceptions not only professed as fact - but oftentimes stated with authority; many authors not only have never sold a Coach bag but it's obvious that they have limited overall experience with the brand; there are other guides that've been plagerized and copied in entirety; and more than a few that were written solely for personal gain.  There are Guide writers who might have extremely poor feedback, others who themselves might be counterfeiting.  You will also see Guides written by those who've actually been 'NARUed' ~ an eBay term meaning Not A Registered User ~ indicating those who, not of their own choosing, have been kicked off eBay for policy violation(s).  The seller and/or Guide writer themselves may be gone but their Guide remains on display.  So just be aware of all this.  Enough said.

Now on to the glorious, luxurious world of Coach Leatherware.  What it is...and what it ISN'T...

• Familiarize yourself with the Coach Brand.  You are GOING to see counterfeits with many of the same features as authentic Coach.  That's a given.  After all, if there were no similarities or very few likenesses, the counterfeit would slip into non-existence ~ not to mention that it would fool NO one.  But what you need to know is ALL in the details and you CAN gain the essential information to protect yourself!  Check the Coach website for similar items.  If you have Coach in your area, drop in sometime.   When you spot something you like on eBay, use the Coach Style Number to check out the same item from other eBay sellers and compare, compare, compare.  More is better. Be sure to check that little box to 'search both title and description' so you are able to compare as many matches within your search parameters as possible.  It's important that you compare as many like items as you can to keep from unknowingly comparing one seller's counterfeit bag to the very same counterfeit bag being sold by yet another seller. 

The above shot is a really GOOD example of a really BAD counterfeit Coach turnlock.

• Coach Dust Bags are made in several distinct varieties.  Made in an assortment of sizes, standard Coach dustbags are generally either a dark chocolate brown cotton/poly blend trimmed in and having a vermillion red drawstring with white lettering, or the newer sateen dustbag made primarily in their corporate dark brown but also white and several other colors.   Coach Belt Bags (often used for wallets and smaller accessories) are white muslin with red lettering and red drawstring, measuring 8" x 8".  While Coach has indeed made other types of Dust Bags for several of their Collections and Limited Editions, the sleeper bags described above are the most commonly seen.  There is no black-lettered Dust Bag made of a white paper-like material similar to a Handi-Wipe, OR one that resembles a brown paper bag...

Just plain WRONG on so MANY levels!  Dustbags were never made in this color, never made in this size, never imprinted using this font.

• While at one time Coach was strictly made in the USA this is no longer the case.  At present, most products being made by Coach, Inc. are made in China.  It is important to remember however...regardless of where a Coach bag is manufactured, they continue to use the VERY SAME QUALITY STANDARDS that they have used since their inception in 1941.  Over the past 66 years Coach has been manufactured in many parts of the world.  I have personally seen authentic Coach bags that were made in the United States, and amongst other places, Costa Rica, Hungary, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Dominican Republic, Turkey, India and yes, China.  The place may vary but the quality is always there. 
• A little bit about Creed Patches and Registration Numbers.  Several years ago Coach discontinued the use of serial numbers.  They now use Registration Numbers which are NOT exclusive to each individual item.  (Actually, like pieces share the very same number quite frequently.)  On larger pieces the Coach Registration Number may be found on a leather 'Creed Patch' on the inside of the bag.  This patch is embossed with Coach’s commitment to quality and usually includes the country of origin and the materials used.  Coach's cursive or script-imprinted Creed Patches do not include place of origin or fabrication.   The Creed Patch may also be embossed with a double circle (or bullseye), an X or an FS.  These marks have absolutely nothing to do with the bag's authenticity.  Small pieces will sometimes have a Creed Patch imprinted without a Registration Number and very small accessories may have no Creed Patch at all.  The typeface may be both left and right justified, left justified, centered, or a combination of these.  ONE IMPORTANT NOTE:  WORDS ARE NEVER MISSPELLED ON AN AUTHENTIC COACH CREED PATCH. 

Seriously???   It "NAS" handcrafted in China from the finest materials???  Superior craftsmanship and attention to "DETAL"?

• Know how to decipher the Registration Number. 
• The characters AFTER the hyphen are the Style Number of the bag and will identify the bag in Coach Stores, on their website and in Coach catalogs.  One style bag will NOT share the same style number with a bag of a different style. And no matter what the authors of other Guides may tell you, the characters that appear after the hyphen can INDEED be only 3 digits long!  It all depends on what style number Coach assigned to the item.  Just in 2006 alone, Coach made certain bags with style numbers that were 3 characters long, others had 4 characters, and some had style numbers that were a string of 5 characters.  (I say characters because Coach sometimes uses a combination of both numbers and letters.)  So if it's a style 116 or 117 bag, well, only three digits are going to appear after that hyphen no matter WHAT you may read elsewhere! 
• The set of letters and numbers BEFORE the hyphen represent the month, the year, and the place of manufacture so while they may differ from one bag to the next, they may also be the same.  In this string of characters, the numbers that appear immediately after that first letter represent the year of manufacture.  A bag with Registration Number K2P-9525 would be Style #9525 crafted in 1992, while a bag with Registration Number A0785-10418 would be Style #10418 from 2007.
• Tags and labels
• Include the standard Coach bi-folded white paper price tag, the outside of which has a centered COACH (or COACH Factory, as the case may be) lettered in brown along with a very small Coach Lozenge on the lower right.  Inside, imprinted in black are the style number, colors, the SKU number & bar code, a brief abbreviated description, and the price.  
• The price portion is generally cut off the bottom of the tag if purchased at a Coach Factory Store.  Please note that at one time it was Corporate policy that Coach Factory Stores REMOVE the entire paper tag at the time of sale.  Several Coach Factory Store locations continue to enforce their old tag removal policy so while one store's policy may be to clip, another location's procedure may still be to completely remove the tag.   Bottom line???  Simply because an item has a clipped tag or has no tag at all has no bearing on whether the piece is new or as to authenticity or non-authenticity.  
• Authentic labels you might see sewn into an item's lining include a label bearing the Coach Lozenge, the fabric content, and/or a simple fabric label reading "Made in China".  
• Large white rectangular paper tag reading COACH-ITALY?  Big black square that reads COACH USA?  Rainbow colored authenticity cards, booklets or inserts appearing in the window of a wallet?  Stay AWAY!   
• And one thing I've noticed is that many of the newer 'breed' of counterfeit are being photographed with the smaller-sized dark brown Coach "An American Classic" BOOKLET attached to their handles.  This is a standard Coach publication and while the booklet itself may or may not be the real-deal...Coach NEVER attaches this piece to the outside of a bag, NOR do they ever place this booklet in the ID window of a wallet.  Coach will tuck this informational piece away in an interior pocket of a bag or a wallet (if included at all).  The brown "American Classic" booklet is NEVER attached to the outside of an authentic Coach bag and they are NEVER in plain view.     
• Can you trust that a bag is authentic simply because it has the Coach lozenge hangtag?   In one word...NO!!!  Not only are Coach lozenge hangtags easily affixed and transferable from one bag to another but they are quite readily replaced by Coach.  (Lost yours???  It’s as simple as calling 1-888-262-6224.)
• Coach’s materials and workmanship are SUPERIOR.  The same quality of those 12 bags that were originally inspired by the patina of an All-American Baseball Glove remains today.  Over the years new leathers, fabrics and materials have been added, new collections have been introduced, but durability and simplicity have kept Coach at the forefront of American fashion and style.  The quality of your new purchase will be evident immediately.
• Glove-tanned cowhide, vachetta, or fine split suede you can be assured that if it's Coach, the leather will always be genuine.  From the weighty all-leather Classics to the trim on a Signature Bag, only genuine leather is used.  

This bag would actually appear to be VINYL TRIM (posing as vachetta leather) on PLASTIC.

• Signature jacquard pieces have CC's that are symmetrical, never slanted (that is, going uphill or downhill), and are usually matched up on both front and back center seams.  The CC pattern should be aligned horizontally (vs. vertical alignment) and is USUALLY (I say usually because there ARE exceptions) centered.  Seams are never puckered.   
• Threads are heavy, seams are double-stitched and stitching is tight.  Each individual stitch is spaced evenly and of the same length as the stitch before it. 
• Linings are sewn in securely and tightly with no puckering or loose stitches.  Coach Classics continue to be the only bag crafted today with no lining at all  (just like the ones Coach made back in 1941)!
• Coach has never made a Signature bag with a Signature lining.  Coach Signature Jacquard bags have SOLID COLORED LININGS.   On a Signature Coach bag you may see a solid sateen lining, it may be lined in a solid twill, but...NO Signature bags currently have or have EVER had a Signature lining.   Please note that Coach does indeed line some of their bags in Signature fabric, however Signature linings are only found on bags with a solid colored exterior including leather, suede or other solid colored fabric.

Signature Bag.  Mini Signature lining.  Move on.

• Hardware is far from tinny with a finish that will not peel, chip or flake as it's made of solid brass or nickel.  It's important to note that NOT ALL buckles, clips, grommets and rings are imprinted with the Coach name ~ this varies by type of hardware and from bag to bag.  Zippers run smoothly.  SOME...not ALL...SOME zippers are engraved with either YKK or COACH.  Others will have no imprint at all.  Magnetic snaps (some indicating Coach, others made by Romag or its sister company Comag) fasten firmly and securely. 
• Like-style Patchwork and Applique bags are uniform in pattern and design.  Patchwork bags are identical to one another, so each like bag will have the same swatch of fabric in the same place.  If the Indigo Mini-Signature Swatch on one Patchwork Shoulder Tote is on the upper right, the Indigo Mini-Signature Swatch may be found in the same spot on the next Patchwork Shoulder Tote.  (If you see two bags, both of the same style number, and one has a swatch of fabric in a completely different spot than the other, one of them is certain to be a fake.)  That same uniformity would apply to all Coach applique bags including Signature applique, Poppy, and Floral Suede.  (Please note that the same would NOT necessarily apply to patterned, striped, and Scribble bags where a single piece of imprinted fabric is used.)  
• Plastic bags & plastic wrapping will never, EVER touch a Coach bag or its handles.   While handles, hardware and entire bags may ultimately be covered in plastic, a Coach bag will always be wrapped in tissue and/or gray paper BEFORE it's covered with any kind of plastic.

See those bare plastic-wrapped handles?  That large rectangular tag?  The CC's that are aligned vertically instead of horizontally?  No QUESTION here!

• One final note.  This Coach Guide would be not complete without mentioning the demise of the Coach Drill Down Page.  I'm sad to report that as of March 16, 2009 the COACH DRILLDOWN is no longer up and running.  Coach-lovers everywhere found this tool to be both invaluable and well, quite indispensible.  Please note that I have no further information about its disappearance, nor of a forthcoming replacement.  The only thing I'm sure we can all agree upon...it will be sorely missed. 
• You may call Coach directly!  Coach's Customer Service will be happy to answer any product-specific questions you might have.  You may reach them toll free at 1-888-262-6224.
• If you have any questions don’t hesitate to ASK THE SELLER.   That's what the "Ask seller a question" link on every listing page is for so by all means, use it!  Any reputable seller will welcome buyer queries and should be more than HAPPY to answer all of your questions.

Whether it's just a LITTLE 'off' like this...

...or a whole LOTTA 'off' like THIS...

 ...you actually  CAN  be 100% certain it's 100% AUTHENTIC  COACH. 

I invite you to take a look at all my listings or visit my eBay Store Your COACH Awaits.  Add me as one of your Favorite Sellers and be sure to check back (and check back OFTEN)!  And for more vital information...not only about Coach and Coach authenticity but also about MY world,  just check out my About Me Page! 

Like this Guide???  If you found it helpful, please be sure to click on the "YES" button below!   Your vote is not only very much appreciated...your "YES VOTE" will help keep this Guide on the TOP PAGE so it can also give OTHERS a better and safer eBay experience!

  Here’s to buying Coach ~ and ONLY AUTHENTIC COACH ~ on eBay!

The pictured items appearing to the right of this Guide are not necessarily my own.  The authenticity of others' items cannot be guaranteed.  Images, verbiage and text contained within may not be used without written permission.  Unauthorized duplication will be reported to eBay accordingly.  Please click here to see 100% AUTHENTIC COACH from CatOnAHotPC at Your COACH Awaits!