There's nothing worse than bragging about your new Coach designer bag to friends, only to have one of them say "You know this isn't a real Coach bag, right?". Keep reading to avoid embarrassment later on and to get what you paid for!
Step
Part 1 of 2: Checking the Inside
Step 1. Check the inside of the Coach logo
All Coach bags have the Coach logo on the inside, close to the top under the zipper. The logo is made of patent leather or traditional leather. If it doesn't exist or uses a different material, it means the bag is fake.
Step 2. Check the patch of the creed on the inside
The creed patch is the serial number stamped on the inside of the Coach bag, although smaller bags such as the "clutch", "swingpack" and "mini" do not have it. The last 4 or 5 digits of the serial number, which consists of letters and numbers, indicate the model/style of the bag.
- Beware of serial numbers that are not stamped on the material but are simply printed using ink. Genuine Coach bags are stamped and some bags like the Legacy series use "goldtone" ink; Fake Coach bags often use plain ink.
- Some old Coach bags, especially those from the 1960s, don't have serial numbers. Coach began assigning serial numbers since the 1970s.
Step 3. Check the lining of the bag
If the outside of the bag has the characteristic CC pattern, the inside of the lining most likely doesn't. If the inside has a CC pattern, the outside of the bag most likely doesn't. Sometimes, both the inside and the outside don't have a distinctive CC pattern.
A sure sign of a fake bag is the CC pattern on the inside and outside. A real Coach bag will never have a pattern on either side
Step 4. Check the country of manufacture of the bag
"Made in China" does not mean the bag is fake. Coach does manufacture some of its bags in China, as well as a few other countries, although the original company is from the United States.
Part 2 of 2: Checking the Outside
Step 1. Check the CC pattern, if applicable
Check the Coach bag pattern for any irregularities. The following are signs that a Coach bag is not authentic:
- The CC pattern consists of only C patterns. The CC pattern should always have two vertical lines of C and two horizontal lines, not just one.
- The fake CC pattern is slightly skewed. On the original Coach bag, the CC pattern aligns perfectly both horizontally and vertically.
- The edges of the horizontal "C" and the vertical "C" do not touch each other. On the original Coach bag, a horizontal "C" touches a nearby vertical letter.
- Separate pattern on the front or back pocket. On the original Coach bag, the pockets won't separate the CC pattern, although some of the side seams make it nearly impossible to continue the pattern.
- The pattern separates in the middle of the two stitches on the front of the bag. On the original Coach bag, the stitching will not separate the CC pattern.
Step 2. Check the ingredients
Coach bags are made of the best quality materials. If the fabric looks like canvas, the "leather" looks fake/glossy, or the exterior is clearly made of plastic leather, don't buy it. A bag like this is most likely a cheap knockoff.
Step 3. Check the seams
If it looks sloppy and wonky, it's likely a fake. The same applies if there is a logo on the front of the bag:
Each stitch should be of uniform length, follow a straight line, and not have "over stitches," or seam threads that cross the edge to prevent tearing or loosening
Step 4. Check the fixtures
Many Coach bag accessories, including metal fittings, should have the Coach logo on them. Nevertheless, need to be noted that some of the newer models don't have the Coach label on their gear. When in doubt, check the original bag to see if the kit actually has the Coach logo on it.
Step 5. Check the zipper
Pay attention to two things about the Coach bag zipper:
- The pull on the zipper is made of leather or a series of rings. Zippers that do not match this description are usually fake.
- The zippers themselves are generally stamped with the letters "YKK," the factory's high-quality zipper manufacturer. Usually, but not always, Coach zips that don't have the letters "YKK" are fake.
Step 6. Don't be fooled by the terminology
Stay away from Coach bags that are "Designer Inspired" ("Designer Inspired") or "Class A Replicas" ("Grade-A Replicas"). Fake bags are advertised like this to avoid problems (in other words, to be prosecuted). The same goes for other "designer" stuff.
Step 7. Check the price
If the price seems surreal, even for a Coach bag, chances are you're being ripped off with an obvious imitation. Counterfeiters try to make money off of cheap knockoffs of stuff that people often hunt for, and if it looks like they're pranking you, they most likely are.
The same goes for the super-cheap Coach bag. Coach bags that are unreasonably cheap are usually flawed, incomplete, out of date, or counterfeit. If the price seems too good to be true, it likely is
Step 8. Check the vendor
Vendors in malls and on the roadside are most likely to sell fake bags. Online auction forums such as eBay often sell fake bags at real prices. Counterfeit bag sellers are everywhere, but the places above are the ones they are most likely to use. The best options for getting original bags are at Coach retail stores, Coach.com, or the bag department stores at stores like Macy's, Nordstrom, Bloomingdale's, and JC Penney.
