Because Dooney & Bourke bags sold for between $200-380 in the 1980s and 1990s, there have been knock offs made by other companies over the years, but it only takes a few seconds to spot the difference in materials, workmanship and feel of the great D&B bags. In addition, the D&B bags 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, did not have the Duck Leather seal or the Brass Duck FOB as these signify AWL. So bear that in mind as you shop for authentic bags.

Early AWL bags (early 1980s) usually will have:
Original Dooney & Bourke brass FOB with a stylized backward D and a B.
Solid brass hardware including all buckles, rivets, D-rings and latches.
Very early bags have no sewn in tags. The first sewn-in tags were fairly large green rectangles sewn flat into the bag that said: Dooney & Bourke DB Made in USA After that, 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. See further notes about this tag below.

Handbags in the AWL collection (1983-1990s) usually will have:
Oval leather duck logo glued and sewn on the front or back of the bag depending on style.
Solid brass hardware including all buckles, rivets, D-rings and latches.
Solid brass Duck FOB hanging from a leather thong. The FOB says Dooney & Bourke All-Weather Leather (with a registered trademark symbol) Authentic duck FOBS show a sharp, detailed eye, some space between the duck's bill and his body and a textured background.
Sewn in red, white and blue fabric label inside the purse that says "Dooney & Bourke" Made in USA" on one side...
...and an individual registration number on the other side. Usually the serial numbers are something like this: A1 777853; They indicate the style of bag, where the bag was made and the year it was made.

About Registration Tags

Very early bags have no sewn in cloth regitration tags.
The first sewn-in tags (1975-1979) were fairly large green rectangles sewn flat into the bag that said:

Dooney & Bourke
DB
Made in USA

 

After 1980, 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 have been manufactured in the US but assembled elsewhere, such as Costa Rica. Those bags have red, white and blue sewn-in tag that say Dooney & Bourke. The also have a registration number on the back. In addition, there is usually a tag underneath the red, white and blue tag that says where the bag was assembled.

 

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.

Often we will see tags that are 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.

Since there are so many knock- off designer bags out there, 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.

 

"We hope you enjoy looking through the bags we've found and
that you see one that suits you to a T."