Offering vintage & retired, hard to find Dooney & Bourke shoulder bags, totes, key chains, wallets, satchels and more in pristine condition at very affordable prices. Savor the burnished splender of Norfolk & Surrey purses; the warm & exotic colors of Equestrian Bags such as Saddle Bags & Tack Bags & Over Under & Horseshoe Bags, Outback Saddle Bags, Cavalry Saddle Bags & Cavalry Trooper Bags. Look for the serial number and guarantee card While the label’s vintage bags will not have this, all newer Dooney & Bourke bags should have a guarantee card with every purchase. This card includes a one-year satisfaction guarantee, a promise of authentication, and the serial number.
Founded in 1975 by Peter Dooney and Frederic Bourke, their eponymous label Dooney & Bourke is known for stylish handbags that have become synonymous with unparalleled quality and fine craftsmanship.
While the label initially only sold vibrant belts and suspenders, it soon evolved to include a handbag line in 1981, with the release of Dooney & Bourke’s classic Tack Case and Equestrian Bag.
In 1983 the iconic All-Weather Leather Bag was introduced, which featured the label’s signature duck logo with an embossed leather font.
Dooney & Bourke handbags still remain very popular, with celebrity fans such as Emma Roberts and Hayden Panettiere. Yet like most designer handbags with cult followings, counterfeit Dooney & Bourke handbags also remain on the rise.
Hayden Panetierre unveils her fashion clutch bag by Dooney & Bourke inside The Venetian in Las Vegas on November 22, 2008
An article published by the South China Morning Post in April 2019 stated that counterfeit imported goods are valued at a staggering US$509 billion, and it has become increasingly hard to tell apart counterfeit purses from authentic ones.
If you’re worried about how to be certain that your Dooney & Bourke bag is indeed an authentic one, there are plenty of ways to distinguish a fake one from an original.
One of the most important things to remember is to do plenty of research before you purchase a Dooney & Bourke bag, especially if it’s from a secondhand store.
Where to buy Dooney & Bourke bags
From small leather accessories like wallets to roomy tote bags designed for work and play, Dooney & Bourke pieces are praised for their effortless style and durability.
Kelsea Ballerini and Dooney & Bourke for Macy’s American Icons in 2016
Been wanting to own your very own Dooney & Bourke but unsure of where to get it? Listed below are some of the most popular and reputable places for Dooney & Bourke bags:
1. Dooney & Bourke
2. Macy’s
3. QVC
4. Amazon
5. Zappos
While many secondhand resellers go through great lengths in authenticating their Dooney & Bourke bags, sometimes the counterfeit versions look virtually identical to the real ones.
Below are some easy ways to tell whether what you’re looking at is the real deal:
1. Closely examine the stitching
If the stitches on the logo tag do not match the color of the rest of the bag’s seams, then it is most likely a fake.
Make sure that you look very closely as some really good counterfeit bags use stitches that are just off a shade or two, appearing very similar to the rest of the handbag’s seams.
Dooney & Bourke handbags are finished with neat topstitching and polished gold hardware
The quality of the stitching should also feature regular and clean seams in straight lines; any sloppy stitching is usually a surefire way to tell that the bag is not authentic.
2. Take note of the hardware
Dooney & Bourke handbags are made with the finest components, and this includes using genuine and high-quality brass for all metal hardware such as zippers and button fastenings.
Dooney & Bourke is dedicated to designing and manufacturing their bags with expert craftsmanship and timeless style
You’ll be able to tell right away if the bag is a counterfeit piece by feeling the metal hardware’s weight as knockoffs tend to be constructed from lightweight materials that look flimsy or easily show signs of rusting.
3. If the price seems too good to be true, it probably is
Generally, Dooney & Bourke items usually range from $60 to $800. If you see a Dooney & Bourke bag being sold at a cheaper rate and is not from the sellers stated in the list above, this is an easy indicator that the bag is likely a fake.
Most people who knowingly buy fake bags justify their purchases due to the much lower price points, so if a Dooney & Bourke bag’s price seems too steep for you, be sure to look out for seasonal sales and promotions by the listed licensed retailers for great deals.
You can find some discounted handbags at I Love Dooney and there are Dooney & Bourke outlets and factory stores located all over the country.
4. Check out the handbag’s trim
While this seems like such a minute detail, a handbag’s trim is one of the easiest ways to tell if your bag is a knockoff piece.
Most Dooney & Bourke bags use the label’s signature British tan leather on their trims, so if the trim feels like cheap leather or a lower quality material, then be wary.
Tartan plaid Dooney & Bourke bags with leather trim
Similar to the handbag’s stitching and seams, the leather trim should also match the color of the bag’s handle.
5. Look for the serial number and guarantee card
While the label’s vintage bags will not have this, all newer Dooney & Bourke bags should have a guarantee card with every purchase.
This card includes a one-year satisfaction guarantee, a promise of authentication, and a serial number.
Look for the fabric tag in the bag’s interior and you should find a red, blue, and white tag with ‘Dooney & Bourke’ on it.
Flip that tag over and you should find the bag’s unique ID number, which you can use to register your bag on Dooney & Bourke’s website.
Dooney & Bourke’s guarantee offers one year of unconditional protection on your new purchase
You’ll then be asked to fill in all these details and once completed, the bag’s authenticity will be confirmed and verified.
If for some reason you are unable to find the bag’s ID number, you can alternatively use the product’s unique SKU code to look up the bag style on the Dooney and Bourke website and see if it matches.
Questions About Dooney & Bourke
Is there a Dooney & Bourke outlet?
Yes, there are 17 factory stores located in Maine, Florida, Virginia, Washington, California, Connecticut, Illinois, Texas, New York, Nevada, and Delaware. Most outlet stores carry a full inventory of Dooney & Bourke merchandise, including handbags, wallets, and accessories.
Where are Dooney & Bourke bags made?
Since the company was founded in 1975, the company has been making bags with a team of designers and craftsmen in Norwalk, Connecticut.
Some manufacturing has been moved offshore. Many bags and purses are made at factories in Italy, Puerto Rico, and China.
Does I Love Dooney sell authentic bags?
Yes, I Love Dooney is an outlet store selling authentic handbags and accessories. The website is owned by Dooney & Bourke and all products sold are covered by the standard one-year guarantee.
Does Dooney & Bourke have a lifetime warranty?
No, there is no lifetime guarantee. While all products are built to provide a lifetime of use and enjoyment, the warranty covers just one full year of normal use.
Does Dooney & Bourke repair purses?
Yes, the company will repair any bag or accessory that has become damaged or worn. The repair cost will not exceed half of the current retail price for that particular style.
Dooney & Bourke bags sold for between $200-$380 in the 1980s and 1990s which invited knock offs and fakes to flood the market. But it only takes a few seconds to spot the difference in materials, workmanship and feel of the great Dooney & Bourke handbags, briefcases, totes, wallets and other items in the All Weather Collection.
To help, authentic Dooney & Bourke items have some identifying features. Note that in the early 1980's before the AWL (All Weather Leather) bags went into production, the Equestrian bags, for example, were made of wonderful bridle leather but it was NOT waterproof. Also those early bags, because they were not AWL bags, did not have the Duck Leather seal or the Brass Duck fob as these signify the waterproof aspects - like water shedding from a duck's feathers. So bear that in mind as you shop for authentic bags. There are some absolutes but some anomalies along the way also. To the best of my knowledge and by researching in my vintage Dooney & Bourke catalog collection, here's the scoop.
Early AWL bags (early 1980s) usually will have: | |
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Handbags in the AWL collection (1983-1990s) | |
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Dooney & Bourke Bag Trim Designation There are 3 main trim colors on original AWL Dooney & Bourke handbags. © 2013 Horsekeeping LLC © Copyright Information | |
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About Registration Tags
Very early bags have no sewn in cloth regitration tags.
The first sewn-in tags (1983-1984) were fairly large green rectangles sewn flat into the bag that said:
Dooney & Bourke
DB
Made in USA
After 1985, the tags were red, white and blue and were sewn as tabs inside the bag in conjunction with a seam. They say:
Dooney & Bourke, Inc.
Made in USA
and they have a registration number on the back.
Some more recent bags (1990s) have been manufactured in the US but assembled elsewhere, such as Costa Rica. Those bags have red, white and blue sewn-in tags that say Dooney & Bourke Inc. but the tag does not say Made in USA. Instead there is often a (leather or cloth) tag underneath the red, white and blue tag that says where the bag was assembled such as the example above which shows a blue cloth tag that says 'Assembled in Costa Rica.
In these assembled-overseas bags, there is a registration number on the back of the red, white and blue tag and the letter it stars with indicates the country where the bag was assembled.
C indicates Costa Rica
H, J, K and L indicate China
I indicates Italy
M indicates Mexico.
Dooney And Bourke Style Numbers
This registration tag system was used when Dooney & Bourke was producing a limited amount of collections. As the company got larger, it no longer assigned individual registration numbers to each bag.
Dooney And Bourke Tag
Tags removed or snipped? Often we will see tags that are snipped or partially or completely torn out of the bags. If a tag is snipped but is mostly still there, it probably indicates that the bag was sold at an outlet store - it is likely authentic but might have been an overstock or slightly imperfect bag. If a tag is completely ripped out, leaving only a few red and white threads, I am always suspicious. Such bags might be authentic but it would be difficult to authenticate them without a registration number.
Dooney And Bourke Identification Numbers
Since there are so many knock-off designer bags out there, it pays to do a little homework before you buy. We only sell authentic Dooney & Bourke leather handbags. We feel Dooney & Bourke bags from the 1980s and 1990s are the best bags you can find. They are extremely high quality, made in USA, registered bags.
Drop Length. Go here to find out what drop length means and how we measure it.
'We hope you enjoy looking through the bags we've found and
that you see one that suits you to a T.'
© 2010 Horsekeeping LLC © Copyright Information