PLEASE VISIT MY NEW BLOG DEVOTED ENTIRELY TO VINTAGE DOONEY & BOURKE HANDBAGS http://vintagedooneybourke.wordpress.com/
Hello Paula,
I have a question about Dooney serial numbers. I have recently inherited a large number of vintage Dooney’s Some of them are exactly as you stated in your web site others have a serial number that starts with a “B” but still has the red white and blue made in USA tag. I also have what is a newer one that has the red, white, blue tag with no USA and the serial number starts with a “J”. Do you know what country this may have been made? I am sure these are authentic and they match up with my Dooney, which I know is authentic. I am not sure if a I want to sell these or start collecting vintage Dooney’s myself. Can you help me??
Carmen R
Authentic Dooney & Bourke All Weather Leather Essex Handbag Made in USA
Hi Carmen,
Lucky you to inherit a large number of Dooneys !
First of all, counterfeiters are very clever and make their own faux leather duck seals, tags and fobs to try to make bags look authentic. But if a bag is indeed authentic, the sewn in tags do provide some information.
Authentic bags that have the red, white and blue Dooney & Bourke, Made in USA label sewn inside, the first portion of the serial number on the back will start with either an A or a B and that indicates what factory in the USA the bag came from. That is what was told to me by a Dooney & Bourke representative.
Authentic Dooney & Bourke All Weather Leather Surrey Handbag Made in USA
So if you look on the Authenticating Factors of Vintage All Weather Leather Dooney & Bourke page, you will see an example A5 179535. The A5 indicates the factory in the US where the bag was made and the other six digits are its unique registration number.
Authentic Dooney & Bourke Air Force Blue Horseshoe Handbag Made in USA
When the red white and blue tag on an authentic bag only says Dooney & Bourke, it indicates the bag was not made in the US. The serial number will start with the letter assigned to the country where the bag was made.
C indicates Costa Rica
H indicates China
I indicates Italy
M indicates Mexico.
H indicates China
I indicates Italy
M indicates Mexico.
You ask about J. I haven’t ever seen that – one automatically thinks Japan, but I’m just guessing. Maybe by posting, we will find someone who knows.
I have a dooney that has a J before the numbers and was purchased at a military exchange in the USA. However, my question is – the numbers that are in the bag, are they the same as the ones on the registration cards that come with the newer bags? Question is because someone stole my purse out of my car and we live on a military base.. so I’m not sure how to identify it for sure if it is found other than knowing that is the style of purse I purchased.
Hi Melissa,
You don’t say whether your bag is a vintage bag from the All Weather Leather collection, which is what I am familiar with, or if it is a newer style Dooney & Bourke bag. I know nothing about the newer bags.
But in my experience, the number inside the vintage bags is NOT the same number as the one on your registration card. So if you still have the card, you can contact Dooeny & Bourke (www.dooney.com) and ask them to look up your registration. They can then provide you with the identifying factors, including the number on the back of the sewn-in tag.
Best of luck retrieving your bag !
Paula
I have a donney bag the number is K5167817 is this real or not i got this as a gift. Thanks
Use the Ask Paula a question feature in the right hand column of the blog. I’ll reply and tell you where you can send a photo.
Hi! I also have a bag with the K number in it. I bought it off ebay, and am now upset because it came to me very dirty, with this K registration number, and another tag that states Made In China. Does anyone know what I paid for?
Hi Winner,
If it has a tag that says Made in China, it is either a knock off or one of the new Dooney because they are made over there now. All we deal with are the authentic Made in USA vintage bags, the good ones !
You have to be careful on eBay. Some sellers are purposely deceptive while others just don’t know and misrepresent a bag out of ignorance. I occasionally go there just to scroll through the Dooneys and see quite a few obvious knock offs which after you’ve seen as many real bags as I have, it is easy to spot the imposters !
Sorry you got a bad bag. Come visit our store at http://www.horsekeeping.com/Dooney/Dooney-Bourke.htm
Paula
I bought a dooney & bourke also. The red and blue tag just says the name only, but the flip uses the letter B I of B 1 followed by 6 numbers. All other criteria matches the lists of authenticity. Concerned about the tag, and also, are the all weather leather purses lined, or does it show the leather?
Another piece of this puzzle: The back of the clasp that hooks the purse says:
Made in Italy????
hi i just inherited a double pocket dooney and i was wondering if u could help me determine if it is authentic or not its serial # starts with a k and says made in china
PLEASE VISIT MY NEW BLOG DEVOTED ENTIRELY TO VINTAGE DOONEY & BOURKE HANDBAGS
http://vintagedooneybourke.wordpress.com/
Here is how to submit a question there
http://www.horsekeeping.com/Dooney/Dooney-Bourke-tips.htm
Paula
Someone asked about the registration and the number sewn inside the bag. Those are two very different numbers. Your registration number is actually PRINTED ON THE CARD THAT COMES WITH THE BAG. That is another tip off to counterfeit bags. They will not have those cards inside them. The number sewn inside the bag is a number unique to that bag and that bag alone. Sort of like it’s own handbag DNA. There is also the style number on the printed card located to the left of the registration number. Registering your bag online will probably insure that you have a real bag because should the counterfeiters become clever enough to start making up numbers and these cards, they won’t know the exact series or method Dooney & Bourke uses to number the real bags. The online registration database will probably prompt you that it’s incorrect or unknown.
I have a blog devoted to Dooney & Bourke and no longer add posts related to Dooneys here.
I do thank you for your comment, invite you to visit the Dooney blog
https://vintagedooneybourke.wordpress.com/
I will be writing a post there about this very topic soon. Paula