How to see if your vintage Dooney & Bourke bag is authentic
If like me, you love the vintage art and quality of AWL Dooney & Bourke. I hope this compiled checklist helps you in your future thrifting and reselling travels. 🙂
Normally, an authentic Dooney & Bourke will have a blue, red, and white tag stating “Made in U.S.A.” stitched into the interior. However, not having this tag does not necessarily mean the bag is a counterfeit. There is a possibility that the bag is an older, pre-tag bag or that the tag has been cut out (though you might be able to see the remainder of the tag threads). At the end of this post I’ve listed several amazing websites that are dedicated to authentic Dooney & Bourke.
An important note from horsekeeping.com:
“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.” source
(I’ve added the AWL wallets at the end of this post.)
Key Fob & Inside Tag
This brief history of Dooney & Bourke handbags is from horsekeeping.com and has been my most reliable source. So for more information and detailed pictures on the history of vintage tags, logos, styles, and color combinations of Dooney, this is the best: horsekeeping.com
- Early bags 1981-1982 do not have a sewn in tag, but they do have an embossed DB logo stamp. Some of these bags have a solid brass rectangle key fob with a DB logo.
- The first sewn-in tags appeared in the 1983-1984 bags and were green rectangles sewn in flat against the interior of the bag.
- The round DB key fob appeared with the green tagged bags and also during the time period when Dooney and Bourke bags had absolutely no sewn-in interior tags at all.
- In the mid to late 1980’s, Dooney & Bourke starting sewing in the most commonly seen tag today: the red, white, and blue tag reading DOONEY & BOURKE, INC. (It may or may not read “Made in U.S.A” as some of the bags were made in China.) and the key fob, the famous duck reading: Dooney & Bourke All-Weather Leather (registered trademark symbol)
Facts about the key fob & inside tag:
- The duck logo (or if earlier the DB logo) will only be on one side of the key fob
- Some of the late 1990s bags have duck key fobs that are solid nickel or nickel plated
- Key logos will always be connected to the purse with a genuine leather strip, and never connected to the zipper
- Tags should have the registration number on the back of the tag (see example picture below)
- Some bags that were manufactured in the US can have another tag underneath stating that the bag was assembled in Costa Rica (Horsekeeping.com has detailed information on this)
- Absolutely no bags were made in Korea
Key Fob
Tags
If your bag doesn’t have a tag, don’t worry there are still other ways to check for authenticity.
Quality: Leather & Stitching
Oftentimes you can tell if your bag is authentic based on the quality of the leather, whether it feels durable or is stiff indicating poor quality. Even some counterfeits are believable, but they are not top quality leather or long lasting.
- Interior material normally consists of a durable suede (the exception being some of the satchel styles they have a durable tan interior) that matches the color of the exterior leather.
- All Dooney & Bourke duck logo seals will be sewn on, (if glued, it’ll never just be glued but sewn as well) and you can usually see the stitching on the interior.
- Duck logo reads: Dooney & Bourke All-Weather Leather (registered trademark symbol)
- Stitching on an authentic Dooney bag will be precise, and according to some blogs you will be able to see the precise close stitching and durability on the interior of the bag. Older bags that have withstood time, even with proper care may not still have perfect stitching.
- Leather piping and trim will always be genuine leather.
- If a bag has any velcro or magnetic button closures, beware! They do have several different closure styles. I recommend visiting the links at the end of this post and studying the different Dooney styles to become familiar with them, and also becoming familiar with the different counterfeit styles to expect. 🙂
SOLID BRASS Stamp
With Dooney & Bourke bags, especially the vintage ones, you can usually expect them to have “SOLID BRASS” stamp on the brass hardware. I do not know the history behind the stamp, when it began or when it was discontinued, but I’d love to find out!
Sometimes this stamp can be challenging to locate as they may be strategically placed. It is usually on the D-rings or strap buckle hardware on the inside part of the brass hidden against the leather.
I have a AWL mini flap crossbody bag that has an inside tag with it’s registration number but it does not have the SOLID BRASS stamp.
I’ve come across two pre-tag bags so far, each had a SOLID BRASS stamp.
From my experience locations of the SOLID BRASS stamp have been:
- Equestrian crossbody bag: located on the crossbody strap buckle, easy to spot
- Shoulder hobo bag(pre-tag):located on the D-ring connecting to the shoulder strap, against the leather – I had a difficult time spotting this one (this bag is pictured below as an example)
- Mini Teton drawstring bucket bag crossbody: located on the crossbody strap buckle, also easy to spot
- Camera crossbody bag(pre-tag): located on the side upper D-rings, against the leather (both the left and right one)-SOLID BRASS and TAIWAN ROC stamps
Below is an example of an authentic hobo shoulder bag that does not have a tag but does have a SOLID BRASS and leather stamp.
Feet, Rivets, & Zippers
Another characteristic of Dooney’s that tends to vary is the protective bottom feet. The number of feet on a bag (of any, odd or even number) is not a determining factor for authenticity. The number of feet itself can vary, what will not is the quality. Protective feet will never be flat and rounded, but will have ridges on the sides like the example below.
The feet and strap rivets on the interior of the bag will often be stamped with Dooney Bourke, but this is not always the case with every Dooney as I have an older mini Teton bucket bag with rivets that are not stamped (I have posted examples below of each).
Dooney and Bourke zipper tabs can vary, some will be stamped with Dooney & Bourke or RIRI, or with nothing at all.
Below is an example of an authentic drawstring bucket bag with five feet, each interior rivet is stamped.
Removable Straps
Another helpful tip for seeing if your Dooney is authentic is paying close attention to the straps. At least with satchels and crossbodys, the straps should be removable. As you can see in the example below, Dooney designed a slit in the leather that allows the rivet to go through, making it adjustable by removing the D-ring and connected strap. The strap’s connecting rivets should also have the Dooney & Bourke stamp on the interior(though this is not the case for some older bags).
I have seen an exception to the removable strap rule: It wasn’t from the AWL Collection, but the newer Glove Leather Collection, a mini bucket bag with two rivets connecting the strap on each side (I no longer have pictures of it). If you find yourself with a bag that you feel could be authentic but the straps cannot be removed, study the bag and see if it passes the other requirements on the checklist.
AWL Pebbeled Leather Wallets/Checkbooks
Vintage Dooney and Bourke wallets and checkbooks do not have a sewn in tag, but you will be able to identify authentic ones from the stamp inside.
(Examples of stamps below are for AWL pebbled leather wallets only, the Dooney IT Bag Collection and newer pieces have a different stamp.)
Wallets
The stamp reads “Dooney & Bourke” and it may or may not read “Made in USA”.
Checkbook holders
All pictures belong to me. Information is compiled from personal experience and several amazing websites and blogs that are dedicated to authentic Dooney & Bourke bags. These sites can be found here:
History of Dooney & Bourke: https://www.horsekeeping.com/Dooney/Dooney-Bourke-history.htm
For help with many of the known Dooney styles, buying, or selling/pricing: https://www.horsekeeping.com/Dooney/Dooney-Bourke.htm
and also characteristics of authentic Dooney bags: detailed history of vintage tag, logo, leather color and trim: https://www.horsekeeping.com/Dooney/Dooney-Bourke-char.htm
For help with Dooney styles, authenticity, and counterfeit questions: https://vintagedooneybourke.wordpress.com/2014/07/23/a-quartet-of-fake-dooney-bags/
For more authenticity help check out: http://blogaboutbags.blogspot.com/2015/12/authenticate-designer-handbags-part-two.html
and
http://spotfakehandbags.com/spot-fake-dooney-and-bourke-handbag.html
Vintage Dooney Lover 
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