Hi there I have purchased some from the coach stores and some from the outlets so I feel and know they are authetic, however I have purchased some from garage sales and some from the goodwill stores. I also have purchased some knock offs from party's. So here is my question aside from the coach stores and outlets how can I truly know they are the real deal. The reason I ask is that I always thought that if inside the bag contained the coach patch with a number on it and if the zipper has the coach name on it , it was real. However today while at the Goodwill store they have alot and their were alot of ladies around the new ones that came in and for the most part they all had the patch inside with a number however 2 ladies told me so does the knock offs. Now at the Goodwill store personally they way overcharge for the coach bags one lady purchased 2 one was 69.00 and another 84.00 alot of money. So please let me know how to be sure they are the real deal. At this point I truly am not crazy for coach I really really have to like it alot they are way too expensive. My all time personal bags are fossil I love them to death. Okay any help deeply appreciated. Peace. Catherine

I'm not into the pricey handbag scene so I don't know much, but a counterfeiter would counterfeit all details, including numbers, etc.

Details to look for would include a lack of complete symmetry with the C's on each side of the bag. I believe they never make them off center.

There are websites that will authenticate them for a fee. For free advice, just go to the eBay "Community" tab, click "Discussion Boards", and then look for the one for purses. Those women are rabid about authenticity and particularly rabid about knock off bags. Owning one is akin to murder in their eyes, so be prepared for what ensues if you admit to owning a fake.

Shoes, Purses and Fashion Accessories: Category-Specific Boards Community

Thanks wowitsdark for the information like I stated they are really not my style unless they are my favorite color any shade of blue especially aqua or robins egg blue. As far as knock offs are considered have you never been to a party where knock offs of many items are sold. I have been to alot however even their prices are crazy and if they are knock offs it is crazy to pay that kind of money for something that is not real. These kind of parties are all over and here in New York City they have stores with all the name brand handbags and jewelry and shoes and braclets and watches and so on and so forth. Again my favorite is Fossil I have only purchased them through the stores or if I was lucky through a garage sale or goodwill store and sincerely hope they are real. I also collect fossil watches and the tin cans they come in again thanks. Catherine

You look inside for the serial number for one thing. You can google it and find out. Also google "how to tell if it's an authentic Coach bag" and there will be a list of things. The lining will be Coach, the hardware will be substantial, all the stitching will be perfect. The seams will be perfect. I have bought some on Craigslist and checked them all out online beforehand to make sure they were authentic.

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Here's what I don't get -- if it's so hard to tell the difference, why do people pay top dollar for an authentic purse? I'm not advocating buying knock-offs, just curious about what, if anything, is the intrinsic value of an authentic purse?

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If this is going to be a Christian nation that doesn't help the poor, either we have to pretend that Jesus was just as selfish as we are, or we've got to acknowledge that He commanded us to love the poor and serve the needy without condition, and then admit that we just don't want to do it.

- Stephen Colbert.

An authentic purse is made with better quality materials and better workmanship. I have seen Coach purses from the 70s that are in such excellent condition (not showing signs of wear and tear) you wouldn't believe they were 30+ yrs old.
Also the value holds. If you bought an authentic Coach in 1978 it may be worth more than what you paid for it. (especially since those were made in the USA now they're made in China).

It's the same with sunglasses. They all come from the same manufacturing company (I saw a piece on Today) however the cheaper ones are made with better materials. They are sturdier, they fit better, the lenses are clearer, etc.

You'll hear "you're paying more for the advertising" and that's true too however the quality of an authentic designer bag is well above your mass retailer purse.

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Thanks all and at this point unless I purchase one from the Coach stores in the mall I feel thats only the true way, but at this point they have gotten way to expensive and will not be buying them anymore. I have gotten some for as little as 10.00 or 15.00 dollars from garage sales and to be if they have the number patch inside and the coach handtag that is good enough for me. However the Goodwill store is outrageous with their prices they are suppossed to help the poor for some items they are okay but for the most part when people bring in items they hike up the prices so much. Peace. Catherine

I have a girlfriend that works at a Coach outlet store.

One distinct way to tell if a bag is fake or not is that the "C's" at any seam should
match up as if you are matching wallpaper.

Additionally, the dust bag should be dark brown with a red draw string. The bag should display COACH EST.1941 in white lettering located in the lower right corner. There is also something with the zipper, but I am not too sure.

Hope this helps....Enjoy.
Note: Our Goodwill stores are outrageous as well. I only visit them on discount days to see if a bargain is to be found.

Not all Dustbags are brown with red drawstrings. I have quite a few authentic Coach bags. The dustbag color also depends on the color of the bag you bought. If it is a light colored bag usually it will be a white dustbag, dark colored bags dark colored dustbag.

Also if you got a bag at the outlet and it comes with a dustbag those are often a linen type dustbag. Most bags that come from the outlet are stamped with a bullseye on the Coach Creed.

Just because a bag has the Creed in it does not mean it is real. You have to look very carefully at the lettering and No stamp. You will see variations in the Creed on fakes. Lower case lettering, incorrect spacing and things like that. Also just because it has a hangtag does not mean it is real. People fake those as well or buy real tags on ebay and attach them to fake bags.

You will never buy a real Coach at a purse party.

None of my purses have Coach on the zipper. They are stamped YKK. Very Very rarely will you see a liner with Cs or Coach on them. Most linings are a solid color and that color goes with the color and sytle of the bag.

Goodwill's mission isn't to help the poor by providing them an inexpensive place to shop.

Goodwill's mission, as I understand it, is job training. They use the proceeds from store sales to fund the training.

Consequently, they are more likely to price things at an amount the market will bear, which may or may not be at a discount.

Wowitsdark I do not know if I agree with your last statement. For one thing many people do shop there the place is always so so busy. I have to say this one particular goodwill store is in a very expensive area where I live and so it does contain many high prices or valuable items and having been in that store so many times the majority of the people who shop there come from about 20 minutes where the area is not wealthy. I was truly always under the impression Goodwill was to take in donations and sell them cheaply to people who cannot afford to pay full price. Perhaps I am wrong anyone else here now of any information on Goodwill and wowitsdark perhaps your right but I am not sure I will have to google and see what I come up with. Thanks and peace. Catherine

Here is their website:
Goodwill Industries International, Inc. » Our Mission

Here is their mission statement:


Our Mission

Goodwill Industries International enhances the dignity and quality of life of individuals, families and communities by eliminating barriers to opportunity and helping people in need reach their fullest potential through the power of work.

Here are the results they highlight from their 2009 efforts:

Our Results for 2009

* People served through employment and training programs: 1.9 million
* Workforce development services provided: 20.1 million
* People who earned a job with Goodwill’s help : Over 155,000
* Estimated total earnings of people who earned a job with Goodwill’s help: $2.5 billion
* Personal and family support services provided: 7.5 million
* Total revenue generated by Goodwill organizations: $3.7 billion
* Total revenue spent directly on programs: 83 percent
* Total number of donors (includes repeat donations): 66 million
* Total number of retail stores: Over 2,400

Revenue Sources

* Retail sales: $2.42 billion
* Industrial and service contract work: $596 million
* Individual/corporate/foundation support for mission services: $71.6 million
* Government support for mission services: $444 million
* Other revenue: $37 million

And here are their success stories:

Goodwill Industries International, Inc. » Success Stories

They're all about finding jobs, not cheap shopping.

I actually think this is a good thing. Because the clothing and things are used, they generally do sell for a fraction of 'normal retail', so people do get a price break. But they don't just use the proceeds to give freebies to people. They use the proceeds to teach them to fish. I think that's fabulous.

Coach DOES NOT offer its merchandise for sale through individuals, street vendors, unauthorized retail locations, internet auctions, or at house parties. The ONLY avenues in which Coach offers its merchandise for sale is via: 1) Coach Stores; 2) Coach Factory Stores; 3) Direct Coach Catalog Sales; 4) Authorized Department Stores; 5) authorized specialty stores; 6) limited duty free locations; 7) corporate accounts; and 8) and their website.

If you purchase a Coach item from an unauthorized source, such as an internet auction, Coach is not required to offer a determination regarding the item's authenticity.

Also, Coach will not provide specific tips on how to determine if an item is counterfeit. As you can understand, counterfeiters could use this information to the detriment of Coach. The only way to guarantee the authenticity of a Coach item is to purchase it via the avenues listed above.

I read on another site that the Coach outlets have purses made just for the outlet and some leftovers from the other stores. Is that true? All of my coach purses are from outlets which are decent prices and less than what you quoted at Goodwill.

That is precisely why I donate and continue to donate to Goodwill! I also, on occasion, browse and shop. The prices aren't rock bottom, but there are good deals to be found.

I have three large bags of clothing to donate, today, in fact.

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I wouldn't be surprised.

A lot of manufacturers create cheaper products specifically for outlet stores, as well as places like WalMart, Target, Costco, and BJs. (I'm not saying Coach is sold in those stores, just mentioning that those are the places where you're likely to find name brand merchandise changed for the discount market.)

I think the whole thing about Coach not releasing info on how to authenticate a Coach bag is a huge marketing ploy. But, I'm not into purses or "designer" anything, so I don't care too much.

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If this is going to be a Christian nation that doesn't help the poor, either we have to pretend that Jesus was just as selfish as we are, or we've got to acknowledge that He commanded us to love the poor and serve the needy without condition, and then admit that we just don't want to do it.

- Stephen Colbert.

Coach does have Made for Factory bags, ( outlet bags) you can tell they are outlet bags because the creed will start with MFF instead of a letter and number.

If it is a Full Price delete you will see a bullseye on the creed.

I read the site on ebay and they mentioned the bullseye. I have several coach purses that I bought in outlet stories in Wisconsin, Maryland and San Juan. None of them have the bullseye and the creed starts with a letter and number not a MFF.

ILL There are so many knock-offs especially in New england. If you really want the real thing stick to thr couch stores or Macy`s. I have alot of knock offs but i like them becaue they are mde well(sorry people) and I can`t see buying a real one for hundreds of dollars when I can get them for around $25.

The only one I will pay the price for is lucky jeans purses. Every sat and sun in my town they are sold at the flee markets. Sun glasses and knock off Tiffiny jewelry. I also love Fossel and can hardly find them on sale in Macy`s.

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When you don`t know what to do-Walk fast and look worried.

I love the Lucky bags...I find them a lot at Marshall's for a decent price(well, 75 or so, which is better than full price).

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Thanks ladies for all your help peace catherine

My daughter got a "Coach" purse from her mother-in-law. She had been to St. Martin. This purse was not real because it did not have a number inside, the stitching was uneven and the inside lining had c's on it. But my daughter likes it and it was a gift.

Did you know that you could find the best Coach handbags for the lowest prices right on the Internet? Some Internet shops that sell Coach handbags have the hottest and the latest styles that Coach has to offer. You can get bags for a fraction of what you would pay in-stores by shopping online.


Please remove the advertising from you signature. Thanks!

reminds me of hoarders where the lady had all these 100's of authentic coach bags and after they cleaned out her house she only had maybe 4 that was real. what a waste. I dont carry a purse, have a backpack. its a walmart bag and had it since my 18 year old was a baby cause I didnt want to carry a diaper bag. no holes and still going strong

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