I used my Mums old Victoria/Victory (forget) when I learned sewing at 12 yrs old at High School and was hooked. It was electric, we even made my formal gown when I made my Debut, It lasted forever,and when she got a new Singer we used the old machine to sew yard and yards of reinforced pvc waterproof fabric to make an annexe for our camper. When I married I didn't have a machine until I was having my first baby and my granddad saw me making a maternity dress out of woollen fabric by hand, he found an old Werthiem 'desk top' machine that you had to turn the wheel by hand, a few years later he gave me a Singer Treadle machine which my Dad eventually converted to electric. When my kids started school I bought an Empisal, (which my daughter still has,along with a new Brother), I have had Janome machines since,but recently got a S/H Singer Futura embroidery machine and a basic Elna because my 8 yrs old grand daughter want me to teach her to sew. As I've got new machines I've handed down old one's to family members, think all that sew have one now. Actually if I'm honest, lol, the hand downs have been an excuse for me to get new machines I think.