Found one at Goodwill today for $3. I honestly can't tell if it's a very fine grade of vinyl or the cowhide that it says. Even if a knockoff it's worth the money since it's never been used and is very well constructed. Even has YKK zippers (but those could be faked too, for all I know). Are Coach dopp kits something that gets faked? Will post pics later. Any input welcome.
What do you mean about how the Cs are connected? The badge on the inside reads, COACH This is a Coach bag. It was handcrafted in China of lightweight and durable weather resistant glove tanned cowhide that is specially treated to withstand the rigors of travel. No. K1S - 0526 There is a tiny COACH imprint on the bottom and nowhere else. No printing on the inner lining. Pretty sure it's a knockoff, but a nice one. Big mouth frame stands open okay, plenty of room inside.
Wouldn't be the first time a Chinese counterfeit is not only of acceptable quality, but possibly better than the original inspiration. I'm not too worried about the label on an item if the build quality suits my needs. The Coach Company ought to be paying attention if the imitator surpasses their quality. The consumer may benefit from lower prices on better products, though it certainly affects the brand name manufactures.
Some Coach products are made in China, but this will help in spotting fakes........ http://www.wikihow.com/Detect-a-Faux-Coach-Handbag-from-an-Authentic-Coach-Handbag
Congratulations on an authentic NOS thrift store wild find! Even better for the price you paid. Tapatalk Via Kyocera
Scraped a tiny hidden area with a razorblade and used the flame test. It's leather. I needed a new dopp for work anyway.
Thanks. What threw me was that it's SO well put together (compared to the stuff I'm used to using and seeing), and sitting at Goodwill, I figured it just had to be a nice fake. But then this was a GW in a somewhat upper-scale neighborhood, which I just happened to be passing through.
It only applies to Coach items that are (usually) cloth and have the Coach C's printed on them. @Shawna is a Coach fanatic, can tell you all about Coach.