Calling Vintage Sewing Machine fans!

[SoupDragon]

I know you're out there! I think of you every time I visit my favourite house clearance shop and keep meaning to take pictures... so this time I did.

Here we have offering no. 1. Which the serial number seems to imply is rather old. It has a lovely domed wooden case. Just beautiful but I can't really justify buying it!

Can I ask, do you actually use these machines or just collect them? I'm curious as I have an old Singer that belonged to my mum and was wondering how easy they are to use..?

I use mine - not all the time but I use one for the best buttonholes ever, another one for heavy sewing (is near to an industrial in terms of strength, goes through lots of heavy layers or leather really easily).

I have two hand turns and a treadle and might use one of the hand turns if I am making things like Xmas decorations for the school to sell. Set it up on a coffee table and sit with everyone because it is silent, whereas I sew in a spare bedroom otherwise.

I buy them just because I love them. They are all really lovely examples which is why I bought the particular ones I did. I am not interested in doing them up/buying something that needs work.

Destinys - I use mine all the time. Have gone to little sewing bees with my mates who have more modern machines and noticed the old machines are much more reliable, quieter, less temperamental, etc. They have limitations - the older ones can only sew in straight lines and not even backwards - but you can get a huge array of attachments and they do make the best buttonholes. As they were designed only to do one thing, they do it well so many sew a better straight line than any contemporary machine... In my experience they're less fussy about ploughing through thicker fabrics. And the tension, once set, stays set for longer.

I have the one in your second photo the 201K, it's just a hand crank but it is a gorgeous machine and I love it. That and the 301 (which I also own) are two of the best machines ever made by Singer. Both only do straight stitch but they do it perfectly and the machines are so reliable. Each one cost me around 50 but money well spent and they look so attractive too.

I'd find it hard to walk past one of floral looking Singers!

You're making me feel bad about leaving it there now.

I went back and looked again and checked for the little storage box inthe lid. It had a box of bits too...

I bought a 221K on eBay last year that was cheap because - broken. I took a punt that the local repairman would be able to save it. The eBay photos were shocking and the man selling it told me he knew nothing about it. One photo was a picture of the attachments - just a blurry, silvery blob, really - you couldn't figure out what any of them were.

When it came, I got it repaired and serviced for £35, so it is still a bargain (was a special 1951 'centennial' machine as well, which I figured out from the blurry eBay shots as the badge was blue). So actually worth a little more than a normal 221K.

Better still - those blurry attachments I wasn't able to figure out in the shot? One is a rare feed dog cover. A tiny bit of metal. But it's worth almost double what I paid for the machine. Had anyone who knows their FWs seen that eBay listing, and realised what was in the attachments box... Lucky for me the eBay photos were awful!

Moral of the story - always check out the attachments you find. An original walking foot or feed dog cover can be worth a lot more than someone selling a box of random attachments for a couple of quid, will realise.

Do I need to go back and photograph all the attachments.....? :o

The one with the beautiful table....

It was indeed beautiful.

I may have to go back after school pick up for the floral one if it's still there. The accessories box for the other onemight find its way into the carry case too.

I need to find me a house clearance place

Yes - and get the serial numbers. Then we can look them up!

You'll notice I always photograph the serial numbers :o

Today's offering...

Ah II meant the serial #s on attachments! Faster to figure out what they are. Only a couple are worth anything, but they're worth looking out for.

Dammit! I didn't photograph theattachments that closely :o

One of today's appears to be 35?3X

Little Flora the Floral machine had gone.

They wanted £85 for today's offering but I think it might be seized up - should it all have moved when turned the handle even if the belt to the treadle is knackered?

I don't know if I can actually type this, but here goes...when I was a silly, naive 20-something, DH and I bought my Nan's house. She left one of these beauties (table included) and we dumped it . My absolute biggest regret to date, WHAT WAS I THINKING?!!

Nooooooo!

At the warehouse today I did look in the rubbish piles to make sure Flora wasn't poking out.

I should not have named her before buying her... it's too late now.

I'd pass on today's. Not just the price but those boring mid 20thC ones with no interesting decals to speak of, (plain or with 'paperclip' decals) cost the same as the fancy, pretty ones. Shame the floral one's gone - that was a beauty! And yes, if nothing happens when you try to turn the balance wheel - regardless of the state of the belt, or lack of - you know it's seized. That's not irrepairable - just a lot of effort to fix, for a fugly machine at full price. I'd take a seized floral machine, no questions asked. But not that one.

Charity shop near me frequently has un-repaired and not serviced, fairly plain and drab vintage machines for £75 plus. I don't get where those kind of prices come from!

The 1950s one I need the first post is still there at £30. It's even less interesting than today's as it doesn't seem to have the Singer treadle.

I like to think Flora went home with someone who really wanted her.

The Fugly one to day had two boxes of accessories.

In the third picture in that post, what is the complicated looking bit in front of the box?

The first photo is the box of accessories for the £30 machine, the second is the second box for today's one. The staff are going to think I'm bonkers if I keep photographing bits!