You have lots of good answers.
I bought the $50 Janome 124 to take on the airplane. Weighs only 5 pounds. I refuse to use it. If I had to use this as my first machine, I would never learn to love sewing. It would be good only in emergencies if I had no other machine available. I wish I hadn't bought it. I would ask for donations as some have suggested. Some are just happy to be rid of an old machine even if they work fine.