I learned to sew on my mother's Singer Featherweight (now my 40 year old daughter is the proud owner) In 1959! the bobbin section fell apart and needed repair. At that time Singer Co would give you a 'spare' machine to use while your machine was being repaired. The Singer salesman left a Singer 401A Slant-O-Matic and I would come home from school every day excited to use it. When the time day came to receive my Mother's repaired machine and return the Slant-O-Matic I thought it would be sad but to my surprise both machines were sitting there in our dining room/sewing room. My parents decided to buy a new machine for me (only) I became the proud owner of this new Machine and I still use it every day. My mother stated it was my Christmas Gift, my Birthday Gift, my Graduation from High School Gift. I was so happy. We often joked that instead of changing thread we would change machines. My High School just celebrated our 50th Reunion so my machine celebrated 50 years also.