Originally Posted by
Rodney
Sewing machine prices are always interesting to me. When I look at the prices I pay-I haven't paid more than $25 for a machine yet-I'm actually a little bit saddened by the incredibly low value people put on them. You have to pay way more to get any sort of quality machine today and frankly most new machines aren't as well built at any price. There may be an all metal one out there, I don't know. The bigger question may not be "Why are featherweights priced so high?" but instead "Why are most used sewing machines priced so low?". They may not have all the bells and whistles of the newer machines but with just minimal care they are fully capable of still sewing long after the best of the new ones become landfill. There are examples of early machines approaching 150 yrs old that will still sew.
Rant over
Rodney
I -completely- agree with what Rodney said.
Too add: How much do people pay for an entry-level plastic-fantastic machine at Wal Mart? How much do people spend on fabric cutting mats and pizza-cutter fabric wheel cutters? It is kinda funny, but for these throw-away items, people pay far more than most are willing to pay for an old Singer 15 machine! I do agree with Joe and others, that there is a FW mania, as compared with other vintage machines; however, I really do believe that these vintage machines are undervalued. FWs are also, in my opinion, undervalued - honestly, could you even manufacture the case in that quality for less than $80 nowadays? Think of the man-hours involved in making even a presser foot of that quality (on a FW or ANY of these old machines). All of these old stitchers are true gems, and we are spoiled to be able to afford them, considering that back in the day, they cost the household equivalent of $2000, and were generally paid off over the course of a few years.
p.s. If you are elderly or injured, lifting 11 pounds vs lifting 22 pounds is a very big deal - so I can certainly see why someone would want a FW to take to piecing events.