Definately listen to SallyJ. That will tell you what kind of dealer they are. You also may want to ask where you would be sending it for service and what would they expect in down time (if that might be important to you). Also, what kinds of classes do they offer. They should have a 'getting to know your machine' class. See if they charge for the class. My Bernina dealer offers that class for free as many times as you need to take it. Very nice if you take a break from quilting and want to go back.