Detect a Faux Coach Handbag from an Authentic Coach Handbag
Nothing is worse than bragging to your friends about your new "designer" Coach bag, only to have one of them say, "You do know that that's not a real Coach, right?" Keep reading in order to avoid future humiliation and in order to get your money's worth!
Contents
Steps
Looking on the Inside
- Check the inside for a Coach logo. All authentic Coach purses will have the signature Coach logo on the inside, close to the top near the zipper. The logo will be in either patent or traditional leather. If it's not there or is in a different material, it's a fake.
- Check for the credo patch on the inside. The credo patch is a serial number stamped on the inside of a Coach bag, although some smaller purses or bags, such as the "clutch", the "swingpack" and the "mini" do not. The last 4 to 5 digits of the serial number, which consists of both letters and numbers, will indicate the style number of the bag.
- Beware of serial numbers that aren't stamped into the fabric and instead printed only in ink. Real Coach bags are stamped and some such as the Legacy series are inked with a "gold-tone ink",; fake Coach bags are often only inked.
- Some older Coach bags, especially those from the late '60s, do not have serial numbers. Coach started making serial numbers in the '70s.
- Check the lining of the bag. If the outside of the bag has the distinctive CC pattern, the inside of the lining will most likely not have the pattern. If the inside has the CC pattern, the outside of the bag will likely not have the pattern. Sometimes, neither the inside lining or the outside material contain the distinctive CC pattern.
- A sure sign of a fake is the existence of a CC pattern on both the inside and the outside. A real Coach bag will never contain the pattern on both.
- Look for the manufacturing country. "Made in China" does not mean the bag is fake. Coach does make some of its bags in China, among other countries, although the original company hails from the United States.
Inspecting the Outside
- Inspect the CC pattern, if applicable. Check the pattern of the Coach bag for irregularities. The following may be signs that the Coach bag is not authentic:
- The CC pattern is in fact only a C pattern. The CC pattern should always contain two rows of vertical and two rows of horizontal Cs, not one.
- The CC pattern is slightly crooked. In authentic Coach bags, the CC pattern is aligned perfectly both horizontally and vertically.
- The edge of the horizontal "C" and the edge of the vertical "C" do not touch. In authentic Coach bags, the horizontal "C" touches its vertical counterpart.
- The pattern breaks on any front or back pockets. In authentic Coach bags, a pocket will not cause a break in the CC pattern, although some side seams are almost impossible to continue the pattern on.
- The pattern breaks in the middle of the two seams on the front of the bag. In authentic Coach bags, a seam will not cause a break in the CC pattern.
- Check the material. Coach bags are made with the finest quality materials. If the cloth seems like canvas, the "leather" looks faux/shiny, or the outside is obviously plastic leather, don't buy it. It's most likely a cheap remake.
- Check the stitching. If it's sloppy-looking and crooked, there's probably a good chance it's fake. The same goes if there's a logo on the front of the purse.
- Each stitch should be of uniform length, should follow a straight line, and contain no "over-stitching," or sewing stitches over an edge to prevent fraying or loosening.
- Look at the fixtures. Many fixtures of Coach bags, including metal hardware, should contain the Coach logo. Note, however, that some newer models do not contain the Coach label on the fixtures. If in doubt, check an authentic model bag to see if the fixtures do in fact contain the Coach logo.
- Look at the zippers. Look for two things on Coach zippers:
- The pull on the zipper will be made of either leather or a series of rings. Zippers that don't match this description are usually fakes.
- The zipper itself is usually branded with the letters "YKK," a high-quality manufacturer of zippers. Usually, but not always, Coach zippers that don't contain the letters "YKK" are fakes.
- Don't fall for the terminology. Steer clear of any coach bags that are "Designer Inspired" or "Grade-A Replicas". Bags advertise this so that they can avoid getting in trouble. (In other words, a lawsuit.) The same goes for many other fake "designer" things.
- Check the price. If the price seems unreal, even for a Coach bag, you are most likely being fooled by a clear knock off. Counterfeiters try to make money off cheap knock offs of sought-after items, and if it seems like they're pulling your leg, they probably are.
- The same goes for very cheap Coach bag. Absurdly cheap Coach bags are either flawed, have condition issues, out of vogue, or fake. If the price seems too good to be true, it probably is.
- Check the vendor. Vendors in the mall and off the street are most likely selling fakes. Online bidding forums like eBay commonly sell off fakes for real-item prices. Faux sellers can be anywhere, but those are the most common places they're at. Your best bet at getting the real thing is at a Coach retail store, Coach.com, or a department store purse section at stores like Macy's, Nordstrom, Bloomingdale's, and/or JC Penney.
- If buying from a vendor such as eBay, check the seller's feedback rating. If the seller has a less than reputable feedback rating, that could be a sign that something is fishy. Browse their specific ratings to see if anything sounds amiss.
Tips
- If you see someone with a fake, don't walk up to them and point it out.
Warnings
- Money for counterfeit items can go to organized crime, weapons, prostitution, forced child labour, and even terrorism.
Related Articles
Sources and Citations
- http://www.bagbliss.com/counterfeits/coach/
- http://www.thebudgetfashionista.com/archive/fake-coach-bag/
