Singer 201 find with cabinet and attachments
#12
Everytime one of those accessory boxes comes up on Ebay, I bid on it but it usually goes way beyond my budget every time so still waiting to get one. The 201 is a machine I would like to find but haven't yet. You were very lucky on getting this beautiful machine and all the accessories with it! Enjoy!
#13
Member
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Iowa
Posts: 20
I have the sister to your 201 and cabinet. She was originally bought by a well-to-do lady in 1941 who took wonderful care of her. She was gifted to me as long as I would give her a good home. What a lovely addition to the family.
#14
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Middle Tennessee
Posts: 360
I Just found the same machine at a thrift store in Illinois. I like the light wood in yours better. Mine is mahogony and walnut. I am refinishing it. It will be pretty when done. The drawers are hard to remove as they have spring steel retainers that have to be depressed. Check behind the drawers for more treasure. I found a years supply of pins and needles back there as well as some bobbins. The accessory chest is worth from $20 to $40 per Ebay without the actual accessories. I am upgrading the controller (foot pedal). DH is an electrician and took the vintage pedal apart and found it was ceramic and the resistor inside was a piece of nicrome wire. It didn't test well on his meter so he felt it would be safer to get another one which was ordered from Sew Classic. The machine is wonderful. Check out a site from Great Britan by an aclaimed sewing machine repairman, Alex Askaroff. I will have to find it again and send it to you. Your machine cost a month's wages in the 30s. That would really be expensive today. Singer finally found them too expensive to produce and discontinued them on that account. They were designed to last a lifetime and that became several lifetimes. The history of the 201 and 201-2 is really interesting. Sew Clasic.com has a free download for the 201-2 when you order a part from them. It was helpful. Found out Sew Classic charges $2.50 to wire the foot controller, extra, but DH can handle that. It would be good for wiring impaird, like me to have Sew Classic do it if he couldn't. Did you say you had a manual? If so, that will save you $5 to $10. My machine is a 1938 also. Maybe they are sisters. We may rebuild the foot pedal at a later date, but I want to really sew now. Sounds like you have some great attachments too. Congrats. I will find the web address for Alex and send it to you. He has some wonderful stories and is an author of books about Great Britan. He has a fabulour collection or rare machines, some we have never seen before. The stories are a good read.
#15
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Middle Tennessee
Posts: 360
I found Alex's site www.sewalot.com/biography.htm . Just Google Alex Askaroff and it pops right up.
He has other sites for his books. He is from Sussex, in the south of England, near the White Cliffs of Dover.
He says the 201 was one of the finest machines Singer ever made. The pictures of the old machines are interesting too. Try the Sew Classic site for info. and parts. They sell needles, bobbins and all kinds of accessories at quite reasonable rates. I had seen them recommended on QB several times and they were right. The free download was great. Happy sewing.
He has other sites for his books. He is from Sussex, in the south of England, near the White Cliffs of Dover.
He says the 201 was one of the finest machines Singer ever made. The pictures of the old machines are interesting too. Try the Sew Classic site for info. and parts. They sell needles, bobbins and all kinds of accessories at quite reasonable rates. I had seen them recommended on QB several times and they were right. The free download was great. Happy sewing.
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