I am an educator for a local sewing machine dealer and fabric retailer. We are dealers for 4 lines of machines and service all makes and models. The comment about "mass produced" machines I think is being misunderstood. Sewing machine companies produce machines specifically for the "mass merchandisers" (Walmart, Target, etc) that the dealers do not have access to. The dealers are also limited in their access to parts and service training for them. For the dealer who offers service on machines, I have seen a lot of people with machines purchased from the mass merchandisers leave our store very upset because we are unable to get parts or even service the machine and then blame us for being "machine snobs". As an educator, I try to not to take offense at these emotional moments because I have owned less expensive machines and try to help those who need to learn their machine, whatever brand. Yes, there are dealers who are machine snobs, but the very machine companies who they represent have sometimes forced them into that position by their own making.