Okay so today I got this red Coach compartment bag at some flea market. Guy said “vintage”, price seemed okay, not dirt cheap but not crazy expensive either. Figured I’d share exactly what I did to figure out if it was real or a fake. Buckle up.
The Flea Market Find & First Doubts
Spotted this bag tucked away under a pile. Liked the red color right away – kinda bold for vintage Coach? But hey, vintage is weird sometimes. Pulled it out. Looked alright at first glance. Leather felt… stiff? Kinda plasticky? Wasn’t sure. My gut said maybe too new looking for something supposedly old. That’s where it started.
First thing I always do? Flip it over and find the creed patch. Coach stamps this leather tab inside. This bag had one. But right away, spacing looked weird. Letters seemed squished together. Real Coach creeds usually have even spacing, clean font. This looked… clunky. Then the serial number. Started with “No.” and then the numbers? Red flag! Real vintage Coach serials usually DON’T have that “No.” prefix. Just the numbers. Mine had “No. J8Y-5174”. Nope. Should’ve just been numbers or letters, no “No.”. Already leaning fake.
Digging Deeper – The Devil’s in the Details
Flipped the creed patch over. Real Coach? Usually shows the stitching holes pressed through from the front stamp – like little dimples you can feel. This one? Totally smooth backside. Fake sign number two. Felt like cheap leatherboard, not proper thick glove-tanned stuff.
Now for the hardware. Zipper pulls. Coach loves their solid brass, right? Heavy, sturdy. The zipper pull on this red bag? Lightweight, felt cheap. Pulled it – zipped fine, but felt tinny. Looked at the zipper slider itself. Usually, real Coach has “YKK” stamped tiny on it. This had nothing. Blank.
Then the turn-lock closure. Big giveaway spot. The little button you twist to open? On a real vintage compartment bag, it should be centered perfectly behind the Coach plate on the flap. Like, dead center. Guess what? This one was noticeably off-center. Also, when I twisted it, it felt rough, not smooth.
That Red Color & Final Bits
The color bugged me. This red was super bright, almost too perfect. Real vintage Coach red leather usually mellows, gets a bit darker or develops a nice patina. This looked sprayed on. Checked the inside lining. Real vintage ones often have that tan, cotton-y cloth. This felt like polyester, kinda slippery. Pattern was wrong too – just looked cheaply printed.
Looked closely at the stitching. Coach is famous for neat, straight stitches. Some threads here were uneven, a little wonky in places. Not terrible, but noticeable when you look hard.
So, putting it all together:
- Wrong creed format (“No.” prefix)
- Fake-feeling leather (stiff, plastic-like)
- Lightweight, blank hardware (zipper pull, slider)
- Off-center turn-lock mechanism
- Weirdly bright/unconvincing red color
- Cheap, non-cotton lining
- Stitching inconsistencies
The Sad Conclusion
Yeah. Totally fake. Every trick I checked pointed that way. Told the seller thanks but no thanks. Learned my lesson? Always trust the gut feeling first, then go straight for the creed and hardware. Fake Coach bags are everywhere, especially popular styles like the compartment bag. They try hard with that red color too!
Glad I walked away. Maybe next time I’ll find a real deal. Hope this helps you dodge a fake one!
