dohogn3764

I have acquired a 1956 401A singer, and I am amazed at the condition. It is in the original, very nice cabinet, and
it looks as though it has never been used. The cabinet looks brand nice when you open it up, but it does have
a couple of glass rings on the top. The machine does have the Red Singer S, and I am told that makes it a highly
collectable machine. Could someone tell me where or how I can find out the value of this machine.

Thank you and looking forward to hearing from my friends at QB

Candace

Check closed auctions on ebay or CL for your area.

ThayerRags

Have you seen the Singer 401A dating information at http://singer301.com/dating/default.html yet? It’s a Singer 301A site, but discusses the other slant needle machines made in Anderson, SC. The 401A dates are about half-way down the page.

Of the 10 Singer 401A machines that I’ve had (my family still owns 7 of them), I’ve found that the red S badge appears on the 1958 & 1959 machines, and not on the 1956 & 1957 ones. As far as I know, that’s the only significance of the red S badge, and didn’t know that they were more valuable.

What is the serial number of your machine? If it starts with “NB”, it’s probably 1958 or newer.

CD in Oklahoma

Macybaby

I've heard the opposite, since the Red S means they are newer machines. As to value, There is a reseller in the Twin Cities that often has fully reconditioned ones guaranteed to run in the $200-$300 range. The cabinet can double the value depending on style and condition. The Queen Anne one is more sought after, but if it's not near perfect, it can be worth a lot less. Other styles of cabinets may not add anything to the value of the machine - all depends on the buyer's tastes. I've paid above market to get a cabinet I loved the style of.

Keep in mind, even if a Singer is highly collectable -that often only means you can actually find someone to buy it, and not that it's worth a lot. Plenty of them you can't hardly give away.

The only Singers that seem to be truly "collectable" are the Featherweights - you can almost always find a buyer or several for them, and almost always for over $150 even if they aren't in great condition.

dohogn3764

Thank you for your input. My serial number is NB544449.