Nancy,

A lot of those come out of India too. { http://www.singerindia.net/Straight_Stich.aspx?id=1 }

I'm looking for one that's a treadle machine.
And yes I would have told her. She didn't get taken too much as those do retail for more than she paid.

Joe

Miriam,

I didn't have to put in an alternator today and I didn't get anything done either. Well, I worked on the HOTHER and the 15-91 and cut out a few J Miller Whacky Bag squares. But I didn't get anything "finished".

Joe

Nancy, You need to tell her that the machine is a reproduction, but you can also spin it in a way that doesn't look like she got a bad deal. There are folks that prefer these 15s over the older machines for FMQ since they state the Japanese made machines sew better. Plus the box and lid look to be in very nice condition, worth some of that extra $40.

Yeah and at least it isn't a plastic wonder sewing machine.

:) For real!

Nancy,

That machine is a Singer and technically that is not a reproduction. It is a modern machine made to look like the old ones. It's "nostalgic".

I do however think you are between the rock and the hard place. This is not a win situation. She will not be happy when she finds out, whether or not she finds out from you or anyone else.

I probably would tell her, as gently as I could. Do remind her that it is a Singer.

cathy




[QUOTE=BoJangles;55883 this is just sad. My girl friend called me so excited. She'd found a Singer sphinx at an auction. It had been auctioned off before she had a chance to view the machine. She talked an "antique" dealer who had just paid $50 for the machine to sell it to her for $90. She thought it was so pretty that she was willing to give him the $40 extra. Well, she sent me a photo! Geeze, I didn't know if I should just keep my mouth shut about what she had, or tell her the truth? Anyway, I decided to tell her that she didn't have a vintage HC at all, but a modern reproduction of the original Singer model 15 with a Sphinx decal - probably made in either Taiwan or China. What do you guys think? Do you think I should not have burst her bubble?

Nancy[/QUOTE]

Oh, And the bobbin winders on these machines usually work better too.

You had to tell her. You're the expert and she respects your opinion. If you didn't say anything you wouldn't be much of a friend. Besides, auctions are places where you have to make split second decisions. My DH and I love going to auctions and have gotten some fantastic bargains but we've made a mistake or two as well. It happends. I'm sure she will be a little disappointed but lesson learned and for sure, she won't make that mistake again.

Thank you Kathy! I'm curious most as to what dates they were made and what part of the country. The one I'm looking at is not a fiddlebase model and from what I could find on Needlebar it looks to be a later machine. "Later" is relative though to what years the machines were produced! Lol* Does later mean 1890's or does later mean 1930's? Lol* ISMACS shows that they were produced by Provinence Tool Company but I don't know much more than that. Any help is appreciated! :)

The Davis was a great save...it IS amazing what people will scrap.

I agree with those above who said tell her, gently. I didn't even know such a thing could happen...good to know!