I went to my local sewing machine shop where I'd purchased my machine, my serger and my 2 daughters a machine and explained I didn't want to spend a lot. Knowing that I was a faithful customer they gave me a deal on a trade-in that he had refurbished and they even gave me a 1-year warranty on parts and labor. I walked out with a Janome 300E with 2 hoop sizes and only spent $500. I absolutely love it and don't even plan on upgrading any time soon.