Some of the best machines I've seen have been machines that have been USED and USED and USED. I don't think 'well cared for' is a top necessity as long as it has no rusted parts - dirt and grime can come off, dried on grease preserves it from rust - My mom's of FW sewed everything, looks terrible but still works like a new one. On the other hand... I have gotten machines that looked like they were fresh out of the store - more than once, there has been something that was never set up right - the machine did not get used. Yeah, basically a new machine but no character... and a lot of repairs.