Why Collect Vintage Coach Bags?
Vintage Coach bags are great collector’s pieces because they have truly stood the test of time. These bags were made of high quality material (especially the full-grain leather bags), were made in classic styles that are still coveted and popular today, and were built to last decades. These factors make vintage Coach bags an excellent choice for collectors.
These bags are so great that it’s easy to want to build up a full collection of them after acquiring your first few bags. This is largely due to the fact that the bags themselves are so versatile and also that Coach made so many beautiful, classic styles.
Our quick guide is here to help you plan out and get started with building your very own vintage Coach collection.
How to Start Your Collection:
There are several key steps we would recommend in best determining how to start and plan for your vintage Coach collection. The first step would be to determine which types of bags best accommodate and support your lifestyle. This could include features like functionality and style, size, color, and collection size.
I. Functionality & Style:
The first important aspect we will focus on is the type of functionality you will need from your handbags. This will help you determine the bag handbag styles to add to your collection.
First, we recommend considering the environments in which you will need to carry your handbags, i.e. in your everyday life, work, grocery shopping, errands, social events, special occasions, etc. It’s helpful to think about what type of handbags would be most comfortable and convenient to use in your everyday life, as well as if you’ll need more formal styles for special occasions. I would say that the most important environments to focus on for now would obviously be the environments that you’re in the most, so definitely consider which types of handbags you’re likely to use on a regular basis and, therefore, get the most use out of.
And then think of the types of features you will need from your handbag, such as overall size (which we will discuss in the next step), overall ease of access (what type of closures the bag has, i.e. zippers, turn locks, magnetic snaps, pockets, etc), and the comfortability of the handbag (how comfortable it is to wear, for example if the bag is a crossbody bag, shoulder bag, or a top handle bag that must be carried by hand, etc).
It’s important to consider the overall ease of access that your ideal bags offer, because it makes a big difference in how convenient it is to use a particular bag. You don’t want to end up with handbags that feels difficult or inconvenient to open and access their contents. A great deal of vintage Coach bags have Turlock closures, which I find to be very convenient to use. Zippers can also be very convenient, and tend to offer an added layer of security for your belongings.
And lastly, comfortability is another important aspect to consider when selecting handbags. It’s important to find a bag that you find comfortable to wear or carry. Crossbody bags tend to be very comfortable for most people, as they typically help distribute the weight of the bag more evenly across the body. Shoulder bags are also a popular style that can be comfortable and easy to take on and off quickly. Top handle bags or clutches can also be good options if you don’t want to physically wear the bag and instead want to carry it (which might be a good option in more formal settings).
Here are some popular handbag styles to help you decide:
Crossbody Bags:
Crossbody bags are typically great options in terms of comfort, as they typically help distribute the weight of the bag more evenly across the body. They typically make great casual everyday bags.
Vintage Coach Willis Bag
Shoulder Bags:
Shoulder bags are a classic choice and can range from more casual to formal, depending on the bag. The shoulder strap also makes it easy and convenient to wear this style of bag.
Vintage Coach Legacy East West Compartment Bag
Clutches:
Clutches are typically a great option if you need a more formal handbag. There are also several vintage Coach styles that came with removable crossbody or shoulder straps and can therefore be worn as shoulder or crossbody bags or carried as clutches.
Vintage Coach Standard Clutch
Top Handle Bags:
Top handle bags are great because the handle makes it very convenient to handle the bag. Many of the vintage Coach top handle bags also come with crossbody or shoulder straps. In our option, a shoulder strap or crossbody bag with a top handle is one of the best combinations because having the option to hold the bag by the top handle while you put the bag on or take it off makes handling the bag much easier.
Vintage Coach Station Bag
Briefcases:
Briefcases are a great option for professional settings, especially if you need something larger than your typical handbag.
Vintage Coach Madison Drake Briefcase
Backpacks:
Coach made beautiful full-leather backpacks, which are great options if you need to carry a backpack.
Vintage Coach Large Daypack
Cases:
Coach made many different styles ofl cosmetic cases and small leather goods. These cases might be a great addition to your collection, especially if you want them to match your handbags.
Vintage Coach Cosmetic Case Large
Once you’ve considered all of these features and determined which styles would work best for your lifestyle and overall functionality, then we will consider the best colors for your wardrobe.
II. Bag Size:
The next important aspect to consider in planning your vintage Coach collection is what size handbags to acquire.
In order to build a well-rounded collection that really supports your wardrobe and life-style it’s important to think about which sizes of bags will work the best for you.
Here are a few things to consider when choosing bags based on their sizes:
Is it more convenient for you to select larger sized bags, which enable you to be able to carry more items? Or would smaller sized bags work better for you? Smaller sized bags might be more convenient if you only need to carry the essentials and prefer lighter weight bags (so it’s not as heavy to carry).
Alternatively, if you need more of an in-between size, medium sized bags are always a good option. Medium sized bags can provide the best of both worlds; they hold more than a small sized bag, but are likely to be less heavy and bulky than larger sized bags.
Most likely, you will need some combination of sizes to really round out your collection. So we recommend first thinking about the best size for the bags you’ll use for everyday wear, and then consider what types of bags you’ll likely need for other occasions.
For example, a medium sized crossbody bag might work best for you as your everyday bag, a small clutch might work well for evening wear and special occasions, and a large shoulder bag might work great for travel.
Example: Medium Crossbody Bag
Vintage Coach Court Bag
Example: Small Clutch
Vintage Coach Madison Tuxedo Bag
Example: Large Shoulder Bag
Vintage Coach Duffle Sac
Once you determine which bag sizes would work best for you, then the next feature to consider is selecting the best colors that go with your wardrobe.
III. Color:
Now it’s time to determine the best colors to add to your collection. The best way to go about this would be to look at the colors of your current wardrobe and make a list of which colors would compliment what you already have. This will help to ensure that the colors you choose will go with what you already have in your wardrobe. This is an important first step because you don’t want to end up purchasing handbags that you don’t end up using because they clash or don’t go with your wardrobe.
A lot of the vintage Coach bags came in the same classic colors. Here’s a short list of some of the colors we most commonly see- Black, British Tan, Red, White, Bone (beige), Navy, and Burgundy.
Color: Black
Vintage Coach Original Rambler
Color: British Tan
Vintage Coach Compact Pouch
Color: Red
Vintage Coach Janice’s Legacy Bag
Color: White
Vintage Coach Pocket Purse
Color: Bone
Vintage Coach City Bag
Color: Navy
Vintage Coach Saddle Pouch
Color: Burgundy
Vintage Coach Mini Clutch/Early Dinky Bag
There are also many other colors that Coach used, but these are some of the most commonly available colors that we see, so they will be a good starting point for you to focus on.
You can also want to further research vintage Coach colors and may decide you’d like to try to collect some of the more rare colors, which seems to be a popular choice with some collectors.
So once you’ve taken inventory of your wardrobe and determined which colors you’d like to acquire, then we will move on to decide how many bags you will likely need/want to collect.
IV. Number of Bags:
Now that we’ve determined which types of bags will go best with your current style, the types of functionality you will need, and the colors that will go best with your wardrobe, it’s best to determine how many bags you will likely want/need to add to your collection.
If you are more of a minimalist you may want to build a smaller collection. That may entail simply collecting a few bags that will fulfill all of your needs. Or you may be more of a maximalist and decide to try to collect every color you can find in your favorite styles.
The beauty of collecting is that you get to decide how far you’d like to take it; and the most important thing is that you can do what works best for you.
It’s also important to note that collecting definitely takes time, so this isn’t likely something you will try to build all at once. Collecting is a hobby for most people, so it may be helpful to look at it as such. It may take you several years to build up your collection and find many of the bags on your wishlist. So It’s important to have fun and enjoy the process along the way.
Once you’ve determined about how many bags you think you’d like to add to your collection, our last step will be to comprise a wishlist.
V. Make your Wishlist:
One of our final step to starting your vintage Coach collection is simply to research vintage Coach bags and start making a list of the bags you’d like to acquire.
To start this process, it might be helpful to do some online research to familiarize yourself with vintage Coach styles. You could simply do some Google searching for “vintage Coach” and start from there. You could also check out the Vintage Coach Bag Tours playlist on our YouTube channel, where we have video tours of several hundred bags.
As you research the various styles, you can start a wishlist of bags that you’d like to add to your collection. As you start identifying the bags you’d like to collect, you can start looking and shopping for them.
VI. Where to Buy Bags:
Our final step to building your collection is obviously to actually purchase the handbags. Once you have your wishlist started, you can start shopping. Popular places to look for these bags are Etsy, Ebay, and vintage stores. We also have our own online vintage store that specializes in vintage Coach, so you may be able to find what you’re looking for with us.
Here’s a link to our store: shop.cristinamoda.com
If you’re looking for a specific bag that is more rare or difficult to find, it might be a good idea to set up search alerts or regularly check the mentioned sites for the bag, as rare bags and good deals can sell pretty quickly.
So now that we’ve discussed our tips and suggestions, you should have a good idea of how to start your own vintage Coach collection!
We’d also love to hear from you in the comments section below about how building your collection is going! Which bags have you already collected and which ones are on your wishlist?
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