Thread: Old Metal Sewing Machines

I have an old all metal Singer and I'm just not sure what to do with it. The table its attached to is too big for my tiny apartment and I can't afford to fix it up since I'm unemployed. So I was wondering, what does one do with such a thing? How do I price it out? Where do I sell it? What would all the metal-sewing machine lovers on Bhuz do? Help!

This is what it looks like:

I wonder if this is something that a consignment furniture place might sell for you?

WOW! What a great thing to have! Does it work? Where'd you get it?
You can probably sell it to a sewing machine place that sells re-conditioned machines, meaning they will buy it from you for cheap, fix it, and re-sell it. These machines are like Hondas, or better (I don't know car-wise what that would be), because of how they are made they can last forever with a few repairs. The metal parts are desireable moreso than newer models w/plastic parts because they last longer.
My theatre needs a machine, let me check and see if there's a budget yet.....

yes, call a sewing machine repair shop if MelanieLA doesn't want it. Or even Craig's list???

Pretty! I'd go for Ebay or whatever the new good equivalent is in the first instance. Some people collect these things. Others like to fix up the tables and make them into, uh, tables. Still others like things like this for commercial decor, like themed bars. (I went to a bar in Prague once that had a sort of washerwoman/sweatshop 19th century them, and all the tables were sewing machine tables, some with the machines intact like this.

Sadly, it could be hard to find a loving home. I tried to find out what I could get for mine, a similar, but younger Singer and built to be a portable, not on a table.

But man! Someone would have an awesome machine if you can find someone to fix it up. Check out that cover plate, its gorgeous. Mine is just plain old vertical lines.

They do last forever. Mine is a 1956 model and I use it all the time. I'm so glad its value was low and I ended up keeping it.

Let us know what its fate is!!!

Zumarrad: Cool and kitchy!!!

My very first sewing machine was a Singer knee control, with all the beautiful gold designs all over it. I got it for my 12th birthday, I think. I wish I still had it!

Mind you, no zigzag stitch and I don't know how good it would have been with stretch. I have unlimited access to my mum's Elna ZigZag and while it has temperamental tension, it's pretty good.

Damn, it's electric, isn't it? My old BD teacher took an old footcontrol to Mali for her sponsored daughter there, so she had a means of production that would stop her having to go to the city and, probably, become a prostitute. It's *possible* you could donate it to somewhere like that, where tools are at a premium, but it would need to be somewhere with electricity.

Originally Posted by zumarrad

My very first sewing machine was a Singer knee control, with all the beautiful gold designs all over it. I got it for my 12th birthday, I think. I wish I still had it! Mind you, no zigzag stitch and I don't know how good it would have been with stretch.

Damn, it's electric, isn't it? My old BD teacher took an old footcontrol to Mali for her sponsored daughter there, so she had a means of production that would stop her having to go to the city and, probably, become a prostitute. It's *possible* you could donate it to somewhere like that, where tools are at a premium, but it would need to be somewhere with electricity.

Mine has no ZZ and doesn't do well on stretch unless the planets align Just Right, but I've been told that as long as it has that wheel and belt that goes to the engine, that it can be re-purposed for a belt to go to the treadle instead. So maybe ...

Quilters snap up those old Singers like seals eat fish. They have super reliable straight stitches and run forever. I'm sure yours is worth a couple hundred bucks if it works well!

It's hard to get a good sense of scale but it looks like it's one of the smaller Singers (often called stewardess machines).

If so definitely hit the quilters first, they are kind of obsessed with them. At the very least if you sell it on ebay or something like that be sure to put the model and the word quilt in the title. That's the style you will get the most money for (they go for a couple hundred depending on what parts you have with them). The bigger machines will not get you nearly so much.

There should be a number on the little brass plate on the front of the base of the arm, can you post that here? That will give me a much better idea of what you've got.

Personally unless you have a machine you prefer I would suggest trying to find a carry case for it and just ditch the table so you can use it as a table top machine. You would not believe the crap you can sew through with one of those things.

It was a thrift store find. It is so pretty and I really want to keep it, but at the moment I don't think I can. I think it needs a new belt and cord. I will take it into a repair shop and see how much it would cost to fix or sell it before I decide what to do.

I'll definitely let you guys know what I find out and what I end up doing with it.

The number is AF899939. So far I have found out that it was manufactured in 1941 in New Jersey and is a model number 201. Anything else you know about it would be much appreciated!

I know nothing about quilting, I didn't realize quilters were so crazy for the older machines!

I found three like that on ebay. One sold for $128, one for $225, and one is listed for $299 with no bids. Interestingly, attachments seem to sell well, an "attachable pin cushion" for it sold for over $100 by itself.
ETA: These were the same model as yours but not attached to a console table.

I think this is my old one! Very similar: Singer 99-13 Sewing Machine Vintage 1930 Domed Wood Case, Desirable Knee-Lever Control, Attachments

Man, I can still remember waking up to find that in its domed case on the spare bed. I can even remember the fabric I got to learn to sew with it!

My inherited old singer, my husband went to the auto parts store and bought a fan belt to fix it. She sews like a dream now, better than my modern brother machine. I also check ebay for extra parts and such.

But try craigslist to sell, you can practically sell anything there.

Alrana

These machines look so good; I just wanted to share mine: It has a footfeed and a case that goes over the top and latches on the sides.

From what I can tell as long as it's in good sewing condition (a belt and chord really shouldn't be much to replace at all, though you should also make sure it's properly cleaned and tuned) you pretty much won't find a better vintage machine. Just Google "Singer 201" and look at what you find, they have an incredible reputation!

I know I for one would have a very difficult time letting go of something like that, then again I'm an inveterate pack rat, so don't look to me to be the voice of decluttering ..l;,.

If you're really that pressed for space I suggest finding a friend who needs a workhorse machine for the time being and work out a temporary "yours to use as long as you can store it" arrangement.