High bids for blue clone ... why????
 

Am I missing something or have the bidders in this GW auction:
http://www.shopgoodwill.com/viewItem...temid=11318681
lost all traces of common sense they ever had?

It's a pretty blue clone badged: BELAIR. It has some accessories, attachments, manual, all it's parts and a nice case. And it's sitting at $93.32 as of a few minutes ago.

What are they thinking? Or are they thinking? It's a nice machine, but not that nice. As much as I want a blue clone I will not pay that much for one.

Joe

Whoa! I guess if it is what they want......I have a similiar one , same color, Morse, and paid alot less.......

I've bid on four blue clones and been outbid on three. With all the machines I have, and all the clones that are out there, it's senseless to bid that much. At least to me it is.

Joe

I got my blue clone for free via CL. They're cute and obviously someone wants blue machines or the bids wouldn't go so high. There will be more for sale-there always are!

I paid $30 for my clone . . . finally used it the other day. Still not sure I like it.

Last week I purchased the same model #202 (only a really pretty green) badged "Dressmaker" in very good condition, shiny paint and it makes a wonderful stitch. Seems to really like heavy material best! I am thrilled with it and paid $29.00 at Goodwill.

Joe,

That one is exactly like my blue Universal which I purchased for $15.00 at a church sale. Nice machine, makes nice straight stitch. To anyone who does purchase one of these, don't do what I did. Tried to take light apart, can't remember why now, but I cracked the light case all to pieces, so I may have to order one. Do thay still sell these light holders? Thanks for any info.

Kitsy,

You can buy new lights at Sew-Classic, and spray paint to make it match at most any hardware store or Hobby Lobby.

"Some", but not all of the plastic bodied lights will come apart. It's hard to tell which is which though.

Joe

Thanks Joe, I will check with Sew-Classic. I am a very impatient person and if I had just studied the light for a while before I took the screw driver to it I may have been able to fix it. Must learn to take my time and enjoy the process and not be so anxious to get to the finished product. By the way, I love reading your posts as well as those from Charlee, Muv, Miriam, Candace, and Caroline and everyone else. Such great knowledge from you all, so very helpful.

I have one that is almost identical but it is badged as a Capri. I found mine at a local thrift store. It's one of my favorites....a quiet machine and a really nice stitch.

BLUE light assy
 

The blue is a gorgeous color, the faceplate is ornate, lots of accessories present. I'd pay more than that, if I was in love with the machine.

I'm still crying about the turquoise-blue Morse Fotomatic IV that I passed up on CL because I thought they were asking too much. I still wish I hadn't chosen that one time in my life to be a tightwad.

i understand what a clone is, but what model is the blue machine a clone of?

Singer Model 15-90 or so. They are not "exact" clones, but are based on the Model 15s. The Japanese added things like feed dog drop knobs on the bed next to the base of the pillar and a rainbow of gorgeous colors.

Joe

Echoing Joe here. That's the fun part. Trying to figure that out. The Japanese took the basic design from the Singer 15 and then added other features from White, Brother, Necchi and others. They did a darn good job of producing excellent sewing machines.

So do I. It is amazing how much you all know. I long to learn a lot.

I would gladly pay that if I were in the market for another clone, it is beautiful and has so many accessories with it. I paid 100.00 for a badged Japanese 15-clone. My Grandson had it given to him while helping a friend's family move. It was brand new had never been oiled or used. No manual or anything. Just one foot. I bought a light and 5-6 belts until I got one that fit, oiled it up and it sews perfect. I just finished sewing strips together for about 1 hour 15 minutes.
I got help from Joe and another man here and some info on it. This board is great with knowledge everyone is willing to share.

thanks! i check in here more and more frequently. you are enticing me and that has to be illegal!LOL next thing you know i'll be looking for vintage machines and a good divorce lawyer( one who quilts, preferably!)

My clone is a blue Morse purchased for $19. I didn't get the manual but ut's available online. It sews great. What I learned about auctions is that sometimes "emotions" drive the price. I saw a very ordinary but nice ubquilted top sell for many times more that it should have because 3 bidders got a little crazy. I forget how many clones were produced but there are a lot around. Definitely keep looking.

Well, I was outbid again. This makes four I've been outbid on. I was bidding on a nice SEWMOR 202 in purty metallic blue in a nice case
http://www.shopgoodwill.com/viewItem...temID=11321235 .
At the last 10 minutes we were out bid. Then we bid again running up 20.00, then before my wife could get in another bid, (we're on dial up) two others snipped the auction in the last seconds running it up to $52.00. Not a terribly bad price, but more than we can afford right now.

I think I'm gonna :(

Joe

Aw... that's too bad. I hate computer snafu's. :(

Are there any sniper programs that will work on Goodwill auctions?

I use bid-slammer on "the bay." I just set the highest price I'm willing to pay for the item and then I forget it. I don't indicate my interest in the item by bidding early and I don't get caught up in emotional bidding. There's a lot of psychology in bidding - when you've placed a bid, you have a certain feeling of ownership which you might be drawn into defending.

Because I've set the highest price that I'm willing to pay, I don't have any regrets either way - if I get a winning notice from eBay, that's great - I don't pay more than I wanted to.

If I see that I was outbid by someone else's proxy on my bidslammer list, that's okay, too. I didn't pay more than I wanted to and another one will come along eventually. (Usually in a VERY short time. :) Good luck!

I agree 100%! I NEVER bid early on anything...it just drives the price up. I don't use a sniping service but I only bid once...the highest price I'd go in the last minute (preferably last few seconds) of the auction.

I do something similar on ShopGoodwill. I don't bid early and I place a bid for the highest amount I want to pay considering the cost of shipping. If I win, I won, if I lose, well that's OK too. The key is to not get caught up in "Auction Fever".

But ... but .... but .......I WANT A BLUE ONE Waaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!! See Joe stomping his feet, holding his breath and turning blue as he throws a temper tantrum........

For some silly reason I want a blue clone. Preferably a SEWMOR 202. That would go really sweet with my SEWMOR 404 and eventually the 606 I'm gonna get. :D

So yeah I guess I jumped the gun and bidded early.

Joe

Now Joey (pat, pat, pat on head) calm down. Maybe Santa will bring you one for Christmas. So, just be a good boy and go play with your other toys, I mean sewing machines.

Polyparrot - if my Morse Fotomatic IV is like the one you passed up, and Mars is anywhere near California, I might be enticed to make a deal with you.

QuiltnCowgirl,

Ooooooo, that is one purty machine. It or one like it would be welcome in my hoard ..... uh 'er collection any time.

Joe

wow-great machine-wish you lived near me.

I bought the same blue machine for $25 a a yard sale and just love it the way it sews.

THAT'S THE ONE!!!! Isn't that one of the prettiest machines you've ever seen? Oh, how I wish I hadn't been so dumb!

:::sobs loudly into towel:::::

I was stationed at NAS Lemoore in the early 80's, but I'm in Texas, now, so unfortunately, it's not pick-up-able. (still sniffling) But thank you for the kind posting. Darn, I love that machine. Please tell me that she doesn't sew worth beans or that she's temperamental or something. :D

Interesting. My brother was stationed in Lemoore for maybe 6 or 7 years. I drive past Hanford taking my daughter to and from Cal Poly.

I can't see how it is worth that much, but if it is what they want . . .

Check out on here!! I've ordered a foot controller from here for my sewing machine before. They have awesome customer service & great products.

http://shop.sew-classic.com/Lights-Bulbs_c11.htm

I wish you guys across the water would stop posting these!:) Here, that would be a screaming bargain, especially in such good condition and with accessories. I actually looked to see if they would ship overseas.....fortunately they don't....Husband getting a bit antsy about machines, fabrics and various quilting stuff oozing out into other rooms. Mind you I'm safe for a while, he just bought in a huge pile of art supplies for himself:)

I'm on the other side of this one. If I see something that I decide I want I figure out my high bid and place it. Then I walk away. No regrets - if I win it I paid what I deemed a reasonable price, if I don't then some one else wanted it more than I did. I don't think of it as a contest to see how low a price I can pay, just a way to pick up things at a reasonable price.

i just bought one last weekend just like that . it is a royal deluxe japan.. for 15.00 .. no light on it but i will find one and also a new belt i need to look for as well.... other then that it sews beauitifully...:thumbup:

I got a similar one absolutely free. Picked it up from in front of a dumpster at a Goodwill store.

http://www.quiltingboard.com/vintage...e-t172166.html

It is a beaut and sews like a dream!

The metallic blue looks like it was in super condition. I'm sure another one will come along for you!! KOKO ( keep on keeping on)...:thumbup: