How to Spot a Fake Coach

MATERIAL

Coach uses leather or suede trim, not pleather or shiny plastic on their material bags and 100% real leather on their others.

INSIDE LABEL

The interior serial number should start with "No", the abbreviation for number, and have 4 numbers after the dash. Newer bags now have 5 style numbers.

ZIPPERS

Coach uses ykk zippers on their handbags.

STITCHING

The seams of the bag and interior authenticity tag should be stitched not glued.

DUST BAGS

Dust bags should be dark brown with a deep red drawstring. In the bottom right corner, it will say "COACH EST.1941" in white, all capital letters.

Up until 2002 about 75% of coach handbags were manufactured in the US. Now, most are assembled in China. There usually is a tag that says made in China in the genuine ones and not in the fake ones. Go Figure!

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The first thing I look for is the layout of the signature C's. The C's should be lined up perfectly to the center. For the smaller handbags and wallets in the C collection, sometimes the C's are off by a tiny bit on the sides. The signature style for Coach will always be the two C's next to each other in doubles.

The writing should be neat on the authenticity tag, not crookedly stamped on. Also the paragraph above the serial number should be in all caps, and in English.

Make sure that the authenticity number matches up with the style of the bag that you are interested in purchasing. If you are about to purchase from an unauthorized dealer, call Coach, their representatives will be more then willing to verify if the authenticity number matches the style.

There also needs to be a serial number.

Coach commonly uses logo tags that are attached by a beaded chain. Usually, the tag should match the trim of the bag. The words "COACH" should be raised, not imprinted.

Some styles to have metal tags. Do your research to make sure that the tag goes with the bag you are getting. It is not uncommon for counterfeiters to mass-produce these metal tags; it's the cheaper more profitable way. Tags are never made out of hard plastic.

Test your skill at spotting fakes:

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