How to Tell a Real Coach Purse From a Fake

Step 1

Study the logo of the Coach bag in question. Coach’s signature double-C logo should look pristine and straight. In vintage styles, the two Cs touch one another at the edge. In new Coach styles, such as the scarf print, they may not touch.

Step 2

Examine the placement of the CC logo pattern. On every large panel of the Coach purse, the logo pattern should line up with the center of the bag. The pattern should not skip or overlap between the bag and any exterior pockets on the bag. Fake Coach purses often cut off segments of the logo.

Step 3

Look at the seams of the Coach purse. You should see a center seam intersecting the CC logo on both the front and back of the bag, though not necessarily on the sides. Stitches should be the same size, taut and spaced evenly. Stitches should not overlap. The inside seam should be rolled leather, not vinyl.

Step 4

Locate serial numbers. Vintage coach bags from before the 1970s do not have serial numbers. However, in the 1970s, Coach manufacturers began embossing serial numbers into all of their bags except the small and miniature styles. In the 1990s, Coach implemented a registration code of letters and numbers, with the last four or five digits referring to the bag’s style number.

Step 5

Review the bag’s tags and hardware. High-quality zippers and zipper pulls are a brand trademark. Zipper should bear the stamp “YKK.” The tags may say the bag is made in China but should not say made in Korea.