Hey, you COACH ladies!

[Wishing on a star]

Can you help me with a little of your expert insight?

I am looking at a COACH handbag, a Madeline, that is similar to this'
http://www.zappos.com/coach-madison-op-art-pearlescent-small-madeline-silver-black

But slightly different leather and fabric.

Anyhow, I am seeing a lot of these online.
I a wondering if there might be some reason for this???
Why are so many of these showing up???
Hhhhhmm???

 

[aprilchem]

Can you help me with a little of your expert insight?

I am looking at a COACH handbag, a Madeline, that is similar to this'
http://www.zappos.com/coach-madison-op-art-pearlescent-small-madeline-silver-black

But slightly different leather and fabric.

Anyhow, I am seeing a lot of these online.
I a wondering if there might be some reason for this???
Why are so many of these showing up???
Hhhhhmm???

Not a Coach person (I'm a Dooney person), but is it possible that the ones with slightly different leather/fabric are counterfeit? I know there are TONS of counterfeit bags out there, especially Coach, Louis Vuitton, and Dooney and Bourke. There are Facebook groups for all different sorts of designer bags, I'd find one if I were you and join and post a picture of the one you decide to buy. On my Dooney page there are some experts who can spot a fake right away, and they are always happy to help if somebody wants to purchase a bag.

 

[marlynnp]

It's an OUTLET product.

 

[Wishing on a star]

I know that there are fakes out there....
And, I love the Dooney bags too!
They have much more interesting leathers!
But, I am hooked on getting silver hardware, and Dooney doesn't seem to really offer that.

I do think that I would be getting a real coach handbag.
And while this doesn't seem to be the most expensive or hard to find, the design and all the silver really caught my eye.

I think I might put any concerns aside and go for it...

 

[usnuzuloose]

A coach item will have perfect sewing, nothing will be out of place. If not sure take the picture to the outlet store and see if it is the same.

 

[eliza61]

]the Madeline maybe an older model that's moved to outlet, so the price maybe really good.

Just wanted to say the link you gave is to a Madison bag. I know you said it was similar.

Right now on coaches website the Madisons are on sale for very similar prices.

If you're concerned about authenticity, get it from coach.com and you can register the bag and get the services.

I like the Madison carryall

http://www.coach.com/online/handbag...er-10551-10051-27859-en?searchKeyword=madison

 

[AnAmericanInDisney]

The outlets had some awesome sales. Coach had bags priced 25 to 30 % of the original price, then the outlets had discounts, especially on black Friday. The one I was at had a line outside the store all day long. People probably bought them at huge discounts for resale. What prices are they asking?

 

[JanaDee]

The outlets had some awesome sales. Coach had bags priced 25 to 30 % of the original price, then the outlets had discounts, especially on black Friday. The one I was at had a line outside the store all day long. People probably bought them at huge discounts for resale. What prices are they asking?

Most of the outlet merchandise is made specifically for the outlet (ie lower quality). You may pay more in a Coach retail store, but you're also getting better quality.

 

[bcla]

Personally I think Coach has lost its cache now that bulk of its sales come from outlet malls. They seem to churn out a lot of stuff made overseas (mostly China).

I remember back when their big selling point was baseball glove style leather that was durable, and when the majority of their products were still made in the US (and a few in Europe). They were somewhat exclusive. Even their "Coach Factory" stores were kind of rare and weren't in big outlet malls. I remember buying stuff as gifts at their Carmel store and their Santa Barbara store. They seemed like boutique stores similar to their main locations, but with overstock and discontinued items. They also had a store in St Helena, in the heart of the Napa Valley wine country.

 

[bcla]

Most of the outlet merchandise is made specifically for the outlet (ie lower quality). You may pay more in a Coach retail store, but you're also getting better quality.

Perhaps different items, but I wouldn't say the quality is "better". Possibly more exclusive because they're not produced in the sheer quantities that go into their outlet sales. My wife buys a lot of stuff at Coach Factory stores as gifts, and the quality has always been about what I'd expect from the brand. They do have discontinued items, including some stuff that used to be in their catalog.

The materials are definitely cheaper these days, with far less leather items available. There was also a time when a big selling point was that their customers were concerned more with quality than showing off the brand name. They didn't have any external logo or marks that identified the brand. You'd find a boilerplate logo and message stamped in leather on the inside. The only item that would identify the brand on the outside was a leather tag on a brass ball chain loop, and most users took that off.

They're certainly making more money than they used to by becoming an essentially mass-market brand. I can't complain. I bought myself a leather iPad Mini case for less than $40, and it's probably better than anything else I could have found at the price.

 

[AnAmericanInDisney]

Most of the outlet merchandise is made specifically for the outlet (ie lower quality). You may pay more in a Coach retail store, but you're also getting better quality.

There seem to be quite a few in our outlet that were in the stores. You can usually tell by the markdowns, but the retail ladies will tell you, too. I live in a truly middle class area, and you won't get many people to splurge on the $600 purses. Maybe that's why they end up on sale, like the $22/lb. gourmet cheese at the store.

I buy like one bag a year, so I guess I'm not a true "Coach" person. You are more than welcome to be the authority.

 

[bcla]

There seem to be quite a few in our outlet that were in the stores. You can usually tell by the markdowns, but the retail ladies will tell you, too. I live in a truly middle class area, and you won't get many people to splurge on the $600 purses. Maybe that's why they end up on sale, like the $22/lb. gourmet cheese at the store.

I buy like one bag a year, so I guess I'm not a true "Coach" person. You are more than welcome to be the authority.

The items made specific only for outlet sales have an F or FS in the product number. This number should also be on the boilerplate logo on the inside of most bags. Some of their items don't carry the number on the product.

http://momcloset.com/2013/10/28/coach-boutique-or-factory-three-easy-ways-to-tell/

The tag on the left is for items that have been sold at their regular retail stores, and the one on the right is one that is specifically made for their Coach Factory stores.

Again - I think Coach has sort of cheapened their brand name with their marketing strategy. However, they're making plenty of money, and they're primarily in the business to do just that.

 

[JanaDee]

There seem to be quite a few in our outlet that were in the stores. You can usually tell by the markdowns, but the retail ladies will tell you, too. I live in a truly middle class area, and you won't get many people to splurge on the $600 purses. Maybe that's why they end up on sale, like the $22/lb. gourmet cheese at the store. I buy like one bag a year, so I guess I'm not a true "Coach" person. You are more than welcome to be the authority.

I buy MK, not Coach. I have never owned a Coach bag, especially once everyone and their mother started carrying them.

I mistakenly assumed it was common knowledge most outlet merchandise is made specifically for the outlet. The product numbers are different.

 

[eliza61]

I buy MK, not Coach. I have never owned a Coach bag, especially once everyone and their mother started carrying them.

I mistakenly assumed it was common knowledge most outlet merchandise is made specifically for the outlet. The product numbers are different.

they've gotten better at making sure the customer knows it's not the same as their full service stores.

I purchased an shoulder bag at the outlet and the zipper broke, when I contacted coach they don't repair outlet stuff. that's when I stopped doing the outlet.
I have a coach diaper bag that I got from my Aunt when I had my first born. Leather is gorgeous and that was 24 years ago. the snap got old so I took it back to the coach store, they repaired it, cleaned and buffed the leather.

I think their full line merchandise is still some of the best made leather goods out there.

 

[bcla]

I have a coach diaper bag that I got from my Aunt when I had my first born. Leather is gorgeous and that was 24 years ago. the snap got old so I took it back to the coach store, they repaired it, cleaned and buffed the leather.

I think their full line merchandise is still some of the best made leather goods out there.

They used to take pride that most of their items were made in the US under their direct supervision and not contracted to overseas manufacturers. It was also at a time when the customer was strictly paying for the quality, and not an external logo, because they didn't put their brand name on the outside. I also remember when they used to charge maybe a $10 return shipping fee for repairs and had a supposed lifetime warranty. They still have them made to a high standard for workmanship, but the materials don't seem to be as durable. And when you get something fairly cheap, you do the math to determined if the return fee is worth it.

I bought my mom one of their handbags in 1995 at a regular retail store. She had a habit of overloading her handbags and the strap would come off. I think they restitched it once, and the second time they opted to replace the entire strap. I think by that time the shipping fee was $20.

I don't know if they still do that. I paid almost $300 for it and at the time they made it seem as if it was something they'd ensure should last a lifetime. These days the products they sell (even in the full retail stores) seem kind of disposable.

OK - looked it up. Apparently just one year now, although there are probably older items (by product number on the inside) that are grandfathered under the previous lifetime warranty. I don't believe this is specific to their retail store and factory store merchandise.

http://www.coach.com/online/handbag...US/CustomerService/ProductInformation/Repairs

REPAIR POLICY
Coach products are made to ensure satisfaction and service. We offer a one-year warranty on our handbags, briefcases, and small leather goods. For any manufacturing defects within this time frame, repairs are on us. We invite you to bring your item back to one of our Coach Retail stores (click here for locations) or ship your item to Coach by insured traceable means, such as UPS insured or insured mail. Please send to:

 

[Handbag Lady]

Personally I think Coach has lost its cache now that bulk of its sales come from outlet malls. They seem to churn out a lot of stuff made overseas (mostly China).

I remember back when their big selling point was baseball glove style leather that was durable, and when the majority of their products were still made in the US (and a few in Europe). They were somewhat exclusive. Even their "Coach Factory" stores were kind of rare and weren't in big outlet malls. I remember buying stuff as gifts at their Carmel store and their Santa Barbara store. They seemed like boutique stores similar to their main locations, but with overstock and discontinued items. They also had a store in St Helena, in the heart of the Napa Valley wine country.

I couldn't agree with you more.

 

[Callie]

I worked at coach for a while. A lot of the outlet stuff juts looks cheap to me. I've bought one or two outlet exclusives there. Now a days, there are very rarely any bags from the full price stores. I also remember when coach NEVER had a sale on their website except for shoes.

 

[Wishing on a star]

I definitely agree with you all in the latest posts!
I am not usually, EVER, a person who would even want to carry a bag that was like name-dropping.

I am now seeing a couple of these smaller madeline, madison, bags that are all leather, with silver hardware and trim. But, it is the 'pebbled' leather.

I think the specific style is Madeline. Which comes in HUGE and small.
And it looks like this particular style of hardware and turnlock trim is called Madison. These are def. titled with both of these names.

Decisions, decisons!

 

[bcla]

I am not usually, EVER, a person who would even want to carry a bag that was like name-dropping.

My wife does. There is a rare Gucci outlet store at one of the local outlet malls. One time we walked in and there was a very nice all-leather exterior bag in a dark tan color. I thought it was really nice and a little bit over $200 on closeout. It was classy and understated. She didn't want it. It did say Gucci on the outside, but only these tiny accents on the polished brass hardware. She wanted something in the traditional waxed canvas with all those little Gs. I relented and she bought one (at a discount) for about $500. Then she regretted the purchase because it didn't have a zipper (which the tan bag had).

Even Gucci kind of cheapened itself in the 70s. The helped design the trim on several cars including Cadillac, although at the time Cadillac still had a decent reputation. However, there were the horrendously tacky Gucci edition AMC cars.

 

[bdcp]

Most of the outlet merchandise is made specifically for the outlet (ie lower quality). You may pay more in a Coach retail store, but you're also getting better quality.

Not entirely true. I have 4 bags from the outlet and I have carried them all for a long time (I also have 4 from regular coach stores).The outlet also carries bags that are overstock items. All my bags are well made. The one issue I had with a snap on a bag, the outlet sent it out to be repaired free of charge.

Coach discounts and has the outlet stores because volume of sales is what makes them money. It's that simple.

I have a black leather Coach shoulder bag that DH bought me several years ago for Christmas and I still carry it, but you can't find anything as nice anymore. This year I'm getting a leather D&B shoulder bag for Christmas (I picked it out). New Coach stuff doesn't do it for me anymore.