You should take a look at the Vintage Sewing Machines Shop thread on here. There are well over 1,000 pages of people who love the vintage machines.
Stroll through and look at the beauty of these old machines. They were real pieces of wonderful craftsmanship and imagination. The fact that a machine made in 1909 still operates as well as the day it was made is just a wonder to me. A testament to the quality of the piece. Plus, they are really beautiful to look at...the decals and details of the machines are just wonderful.
I have several vintage and true "antique" machines now, and I treasure each one.