Originally Posted by BuzzinBumble

Thanks to the direction and advice of you vintage sewing machine enthusiasts, I started searching in earnest. Did a lot of reading in Vintage Sewing Machine Shop too. I found I was leaning most toward the Singer 401.

The exciting news for me was that it didn't take long to find a great one! I found her on eBay. She's more expensive than a lot of the rock bottom bargains I found, but she has been professionally serviced and adjusted by an authorized Singer Repair Service, which would have been at least another $100 in our area. The seller is also a sewing teacher with more than 60 years experience and she ran this baby through a few projects to make sure everything was functioning beautifully. And the seller is a little nuts about her two little pugs - which always warms my heart. Then, when you add in the fact that the machine came with everything and what those things would cost if I bought them separately... cams and accessories out the Whazoo!...Well, I'm elated to be this Singer's lucky new owner! Look forward to working on projects with her too!

So thank you everyone for your kind and funny words and friendly advice!