so I received the bag.....

It wasn't old at all. In fact, it had a cargo sticker from EVA Airlines. Upon careful inspection however there were some parts of the bag that just didn't measure up as what I consider to be a Hartmann quality. So I called Hartmann but they couldn't find the exact part number. Not a good sign. She did say however that the design I described to her was something that existed in the model line up a long time ago. They don't even have a sample of it anymore in their own warehouse.

I asked how its possible to get a fresh newly manufactured bag with very recent looking cargo tag from China..... She wasn't sure. But my friends in the clothing business tell me that its really simple for the factory in China to keep on manufacturing the same bag even after the contract ends so long as there is a buyer overseas.

I don't know if that is authentic or not. Hypothetically speaking, if honhai keeps making iphone3's long after iphone 4S is out in the market, is that authentic? Quality control??? what's that???? Apple doesn't even know they are making it???? (for example)