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Question about buying an antique - if you are buying it to actually sew with, what do you look for when you test it out?? Is it worth having an older machine? (other than the obvious that all the parts would be metal and not plastic ) Just curious and looking into possibly going this avenue to have a machine that is strictly straight stitch and for heavy duty fabrics! Thanks...
And that machine is beautiful! - I just saw one on ebay that is not even an hour from me and only 10 bucks...hmmm
Question about buying an antique - if you are buying it to actually sew with, what do you look for when you test it out?? Is it worth having an older machine? (other than the obvious that all the parts would be metal and not plastic ) Just curious and looking into possibly going this avenue to have a machine that is strictly straight stitch and for heavy duty fabrics! Thanks...
And that machine is beautiful! - I just saw one on ebay that is not even an hour from me and only 10 bucks...hmmm
I really love my old machines. I think they are worth it! They are very simple, I like that I can open them up and clean and oil them myself.
I did not test sew 2 of them, they came from eBay. One was a Christmas present, my Rocketeer. My other old machine came from my stepmom. It is a Kenmore, and was filthy dirty and very neglected and now she sews like a champ!
I look at seller ratings, and what the seller mostly sells. Both my machines came from sewing machine shops, not people selling estate sale finds. I look for the description to say it has been fully tested, and adjusted, cleaned, oiled and proven to sew well.
I have been looking at Craig's list for a while now, but my area never has anything worth checking out. I like ebay because it has buyer protection, I know the most I will lose is the cost to ship it back.
I am willing to pay more for a machine that has been thoroughly gone over and has been proven to sew well. Some people LOVE to find old neglected ones and fix them up, but I do not have the knowledge to do that!
And yes I do sew with mine! My Rocketeer quickly became my #1 man for quilt piecing. He developed a thread jam issue, and I was able to find a solution very quickly-WONDERFUL forums for old machines and very helpful people! A new bobbin case, and a new needle plate, and he is sewing like a champ again! I was able to buy the parts for less than $50.
I will have to warn you though- once you get the vintage bug- you are well and truly caught!
The GOOD thing is, it has shifted my desires away from the uber expensive new machines. :-)
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