Sounds a little high, and you'd probably want to have it checked out and serviced. Keep looking on Freecycle and Craigslist- they turn up fairly often around here. Usually the price is $100 and up, but eventually they might come down in price. Don't be afraid to dicker a bit- mention the cost of a cleaning and checkup (about $60 for simple machines here) and you might really score a deal. Thrift stores frequently price them high but are willing to lower the cost if you ask nicely. They need to make money, and you need to save money. The older machines are usually very sturdy with metal gears. You can search around on the internet and the vintage sewing machine thread on this Board to learn a lot about which models to look for and which to avoid. There's a Lot of good info on the Board about cleaning up old machines. It's amazing what nice machines emerge from the grunge!