Coach bags are often duplicated due to their popularity.If you know how to spot a fake bag, you will be able to purchase one outside of a department store or the official Coach website.Being aware of patterns, logos, and identification can help you avoid a lot of wasted money and future trouble.
Step 1: Take a look at the craftsmanship.
There should be little wear to the bag.Coach products are made from high quality materials.They use high quality leather.If the bag appears smooth and plastic-y, it's likely to be made from synthetic leather, which would make it a fake.These are also red flags if the bag is flimsy or stretches a lot.
Step 2: Look at the stitching.
The stitching of the bags is clean.The stitch should be the same length.They need to be straight and not over-stitched.You will only see one line of thread.
Step 3: The lining should be checked.
The lining of most Coach purses is solid-color.The 'CC' print may be on the interior of bags without it.Some bags may not have the CC pattern on the outside or inside.The coach bag should never have the CC pattern on both the inside and outside.
Step 4: Look at the pattern.
A very set arrangement is followed by bags with the signature C design.Both Cs should face each other and touch.They should start in the center of the front panel and be structured to where you could cut the bag in half down the middle and have matching patterns on each side.The pattern should not be broken even at the seams and pockets.The bags with the 'C' pattern are usually the ones that are faked.There shouldn't be Cs all over the place.Make sure the Cs are not Gs.The difference may not be noticeable from a distance.
Step 5: There are labels to look for.
Outside of the bag, there are labels on the hardware.Each bag should come with the Coach leather creed, which is a leather patch on the inside containing the bag's serial number.The serial number should be stamped on the inside of the bag if there is no leather patch.The clutch, swingpack, and mini do not have a serial number.The bags from the 1960s and 1970s won't have a serial number, they will have numbers.Some Coach bags will have their serial numbers stamped and inked in gold-tone ink.That's a red flag if the number is only inked.
Step 6: The logo tags should be looked at.
Many purses have logo tags.The tags are attached to the purse.The COACH logo should be raised, not imprinted, and the trim of the tag should match the bag's trim.
Step 7: Take a look at it.
A real Coach bag has a pull made of either leather or rings.The letters "YKK" will be engraved into the metal of the zip up bags.Pulls made of other material are indicative of a fake.
Step 8: The Coach website has pictures of the bag.
It's a good idea to compare the bag to an image of an authentic version.It can help you determine where the labels should be on that particular bag, as well as how the bag should look; what the pattern is, the inside lining, and the logo tags.
Step 9: The deal might be too good to be true.
Coach bags can be up to $600 more expensive than the most expensive bags.The bags can retail for a lot of money.It's a good sign that a new Coach bag is a fake if it is selling for a cheap price.You should compare the bag you are considering buying to the one you want.Is they the same?
Step 10: Look closely at the vendor.
It's a good sign that a vendor avoids your questions, looks guilty, or gives vague answers when you ask about the authenticity of a bag.If they accept returns, ask.They may not be credible if they don't.It's a red flag if the vendor has a lot of the same bag.The material should be inspected in this instance.Is the bag made of fabric or cheap leather?Coach bags that are labeled as "designer-inspired" or "Grade A replicas" are fake.The producer of the fake bags won't be in legal trouble because of this terminology.Mall vendors and street vendors will often sell fakes.Coach bags are more likely to be found in the purse section at department stores.
Step 11: Once the bag is broken-in, look at the wear.
It shows that the bag is well-made if it holds up and wears well.A torn bag by the end of a few weeks shows that it is most likely a fake.Coach bags are made from quality materials, so they will take a while to repair.