Last year my friend from Louisiana came for the Houston Festival Quilt Show.She had been looking at an Elna machine for two years. The local dealer had quoted her his best price for $2000+ for the machine. We went to the show on preview night and we scoped out the Elna Vendor display. There was the exact machine she wanted. $1268 including the cabinet, and all accerories and shipped to her home in Louisiana. It got home before she did. The whole transaction took about 10 minutes and we were on our way looking at quilts. If the dealer at the show made money who ever you were dealing with was into plundering and pilliageing. I bought one new machine in my life...it was a Pfaff and I bought it at the quilt show. Last year I bought a Viking Mega Quilter for $600 which has a large throat. It was my Mother's Day gift to me. I bought my daughter a 20 year old Bernina and it has more gadgets that she will never use. Pick out the 4 or 5 main things you want without fail and buy a machine you like. Put the rest of your extra money into fabric....