Alright, let’s talk about this…this…thing, yeah, the vintage Coach 9852. My granddaughter, she’s always yappin’ about these old bags. Says they’re cool or somethin’. I dunno, looks like somethin’ I used to carry eggs in, but she says it’s a “fashion statement.” Whatever that means.
So, this 9852 thing, it’s a Coach bag, y’know, the brand. They been around forever, I reckon. My daughter, she had one back in the day, but it wasn’t fancy like these old ones. This 9852, they say it’s from the early 90s, maybe even late 80s. Back then, they made ’em in America, not like all the stuff they got now, made in who-knows-where. That’s what the young’uns like, I hear. “Made in USA,” they say, makes it special. Special and expensive, more like it.
They call it a “Ranch Bag,” I guess ’cause it looks like somethin’ you’d take on a ranch. It’s leather, real thick and tough, like the saddles my grandpa used to have. They say that leather, they call it “glove-tanned” or somethin’, it’s supposed to last forever. Well, I guess it has, considerin’ how old these bags are. But it ain’t perfect, mind you. These old bags, they got scratches and marks. They call it “wear,” but I call it used. But that’s the charm, they say. More wear, more “character,” like an old tractor that’s seen a lotta fields.
- Look at the Stitchin’: They say the real ones got neat stitchin’, all straight and even. If it’s crooked or messy, it might be a fake. But my eyesight ain’t what it used to be, so I gotta squint real hard to see them little stitches.
- The Serial Number: Now this is important, they say. These bags got a number inside, like a secret code. It tells you when and where it was made. For these old ones, it’s like three letters and numbers, then a dash, then four more numbers. The last four, that’s the style number, like 9852 for this here bag. And that first part, that tells ya the month, the year, and where they made it. America, mostly, for these old ones. If it says somethin’ else, well, then it might not be the real deal.
- Inside Tag: There’s a little tag inside, usually leather or cloth, with the Coach logo and that serial number. Gotta make sure that tag is there, and it looks right.
The young’uns, they crazy about these things. They pay good money for ’em, too. More than I paid for my first car, I betcha. And they look for ’em everywhere, online, in those “vintage” stores. They say this 9852, it’s hard to find. Took one girl a long time, she said, to find hers. And when they do find one, they show it off, like they won a prize at the county fair.
They even got a whole community, talkin’ about these bags online. They share pictures, and tips on how to find ’em, and how to take care of ’em. And they use words I don’t even understand, like “rebranding” and “coveted collections.” Sounds like a bunch of hogwash to me, but hey, if it makes ’em happy. My granddaughter, she’s always on her phone, lookin’ at pictures of these bags. She says they’re “iconic” and “valuable.” I tell her, an old egg basket is just as good, but she just rolls her eyes at me.
This vintage Coach 9852, it’s about 11 and a half inches wide, 9 and a half inches high, and 3 and a half inches deep. That’s what they say, anyway. Got a flap that closes with a little turn-y thing, they call it a “turnlock.” And a strap, so you can carry it over your shoulder. The strap’s adjustable, so you can make it longer or shorter. Some of them bags, they got a hangtag, a little leather thingy hangin’ off the strap. But this 9852, most of the time, it don’t have that hangtag anymore. Lost, I guess, over the years.
So, there you have it. That’s what I know about this vintage Coach 9852 bag. It’s old, it’s leather, it’s made in America, and it costs a whole lotta money. More than it’s worth, if you ask me. But I ain’t no expert, just an old woman who’s seen a lot of things come and go. And these bags, well, they seem to be comin’ back. Who knew? Maybe I shoulda kept my daughter’s old Coach bag, mighta been worth somethin’ today. But then again, I probably woulda just used it to carry eggs. That’s what bags are for, ain’t it?
Keywords: vintage Coach 9852, vintage Coach, Coach Ranch Bag, 9852, vintage, Coach, Made in USA, leather bag, shoulder bag
