I heard on the news this past week that Sears is struggling and may go out of business. My first machine was a Kenmore and I loved it. It is long gone now but I used it to death making clothes for my little ones and my hubby and anyone else that I could. And we still go to Sears for tools. My DH loves Sears tools. If a screwdriver breaks or gets messed up, he just takes it back to Sears and they replace it for free. You can't beat that. This new generation likes to replace everything on a whim and I guess that's what fuels the economy but I can't throw away money like that. I guess it's why I buy more of the vintage machines, furniture, etc.... that stuff lasts!!