I was born in 1972, began sewing on my grandmother's Singer bought new in the early 1960's, maybe a Touch n Sew? in a cabinet. Then in my teens, I had a portable, maybe slightly newer Singer my mother had made maternity clothes on. She was born in 1949 and learned on a treadle! I worked at JoAnns for a few years as a teen and bought a Singer 9410 for about $200 in 1990. It was my only machine until 2010. I knew about other brands, but could never afford them. I specifically remember wanting a Pfaff 75xx in the 1990s. There were many times in those 20 years that I did very little machine sewing due to work or travel or childrearing. Usually had a top to drag around and quilt on. Have a few that were quilted in multiple states, countries, and continents! Got serious about quilting again a few years back, but piecing was still ok on my crappy Singer (or so I thought). Finally upgraded to a Babylock Quest Plus last year, and caught SMAD. I had no idea that a machine could help you sew better or hold you back! So then I wanted to buy what I had lusted after when I was a more prolific quilter in the 1990s: Pfaff 7510? check!, vintage Bernina? check! new Bernina? check! Featherweight? Check! Check! Check! So twenty years of sewing on a $200 machine, then thousands on new and new machines in a year. Am I done? Not likely. My sons can say their first machine is a Brother they shared with their brother. But they got their eyes on my machines. When I die, I hope they are still quilters and they divide up my stash, books, machines, and tools. There's a FW for each!