Counterfeit Coach Part 2

Because the All Coach Partner Auction also deals in vintage and pre-loved Coach merchandise as well as brand new factory and boutique items, I think it's important to let our customers know just how extensive our knowledge is on the subject.  At least once per auction someone pipes up and asks if the Coach;s are real or fakes.  I don't blame them for asking, as the counterfeiting of designer brands is rampant and you really do have to be knowledgeable about your subject.

Selling counterfeit merchandise is illegal.  I think most people know that, but did you know that sales of $1000 or more of counterfeit merchandise is a felony?  There are people who take that risk every day, and every day there are people who are caught and fined and jailed for doing it.  It's not something the All Coach Partners want to risk.  Our dedication and loyalty to the brand is stronger than our desire to make a buck and risk everything we've worked for.  And aside from the financial loss to the brands being replicated, (approx. 500 billion dollars), counterfeiting also accounts for an estimated loss of 750,000 jobs in the US.  Moreover, the profits from counterfeiting fund other crimes ranging from abusive child labor to drug trafficking and terrorist activities.  

Ok, so we've established our dedication to the Coach Brand, so let's move on to some examples of counterfeit Coach Bags.

This is a bag I recently bought (and returned as being counterfeit).  I suspected from the start that it was not authentic, but because there were no photos of the creed patch and it did look an awful lot like an authentic bag I saw, I figured it was worth a gamble.

Here is the authentic bag that I thought it might be, the Coach Madison Ombre Limited Edition Multi Calf Leather Sabrina Satchel 12952:

At first glance they look pretty similar don't they?  Well, when I got it home and checked the creed patch (sorry, I forgot to get a picture of it) it was obviously fake, but there was one obvious detail that tipped me off right away, can you spot it?

Here is a close up to help you:

I do have to say, everything else about the bag seemed authentic, the leather felt ok, the stitching looked even, but not having the authentic bag in hand to compare it to, it's hard to say if the "feel" was the same.  I would bet that someone with less knowledge would have accepted this bag as authentic and never questioned it.

Here is another example. the Coach Bubble Fish Tote:

And here is the authentic one:

Once again, they are very, very close in detail, the placement of the coral and the fish, the leather on the rope handles, but the linings are completely different and the creeds did not match.  As far as I could tell, there were other pieces to this limited edition line, but nothing that matched the tote I bought (and returned as counterfeit).

There are plenty of other examples out there, but I thought I'd share my first hand experience with seeing counterfeits "in the flesh".