Originally Posted by
sjdal
I buy a lot of things on eBay and have recently bought 3 - Singer 301's. I can't say they were cheap at all. I have only had one problem ever and I have bought 6 Singer 221/222's off of eBay. My one problem was with the packing.
sjdal, if all the buyers were like you, more people would still be selling on ebay.
I could also try Bonanza. I've heard good things about it, as compared to Ebay, though they use Paypal too.
Originally Posted by
cricket_iscute
Here's an idea for you. Connect with a sewing group or guild. Offer to do a free lecture on vintage sewing machines with the understanding that these machines are for sale. Explain the various features and tell why vintage machines are better. Show the differences between the various machines. Allow people to try them. Explain what you to to recondition them. See what happens! At worst, you have lugged some machines. At best, you have a bunch of customers. Christmas is coming, and this is a good time for gift buying.
I'd be interested to know what you have for sale.
Cricket
I -love- this idea!! I was supposed to do a talk on featherweights and maintenance at one of the guilds, but I haven't heard back. I should follow up and see if I can expand it to vintage machines in general.
Basically, I'm keeping the 15-90, a 411G (I picked another one up last week though), one of the 301s, all of the featherweights, 27, VS2, 201-2 and the serger. There are a few machines in time out too that I'd love to see someone fix up - Pfaff 362, Elna something or other - I think it's a Supermatic, but it's not labelled and it's a candidate for re-painting, a 127 that I was supposed to part out, but didn't have the heart to do it - needs slide plates and a tension spring, but otherwise works, etc. There are a few that I don't know that anyone will want though - A Singer 247, a newer Kenmore - Janome made, etc.
Originally Posted by
Lyncat
Kinder eggs...we discovered them in Canada this summer. They don't sell them in the U.S. because apparently someone thinks they are dangerous!
I was just gobsmacked when I read that they were banned. I think I heard about that a year ago..
Originally Posted by
tenngal
I know where you're coming from. I have bought from Goodwill online and been pleased and I've sold quite a few FW's on our local Craigslist - but - most people just want to see the photos and try to talk you down. Billy who used to be on the QB told me he had shipped many of them with few problems - and told me how to pack them - but warned me that you have to be prepared to have them fall off of a 36" counter at the post office as well as the other delivery companies. So, I only sell in my local middle TN. area and do not ship. I wish I could, though.
There are a couple of great write ups online about how to pack a sewing machine. Basically a box within a box and a styrofoam layer between, and you should be able to shake it and hear nothing moving. The head should be packed so tight in the case with bubblewrap that the case should be hard to get on, but obviously not to the point of damage. A good pack job will take about an hour or a bit more.
The reason for the 36" fall criteria is that most of the carriers use conveyor belts. Sometimes a package gets "bumped" the wrong way and things fall. (Think corners at the airport luggage claim) The conveyor belts near the floor are fine. The ones that go up over the garage doors are scary to have things fall off of. DH used to work for DHL / Loomis. He told me about one driver who was going into the shop and had a box smash his windshield. I'd have needed the day off to go home and change my shorts, and you probably wouldn't get me in that door again.
Originally Posted by
Sheluma
There was a story about a year ago, I think where someone wrote about almost being arrested at the Canada / US border for having "contraband". It was the dreaded Kinder Eggs.
The thing I can't figure out is that the toys inside have always been in a "capsule", as long as I remember, and as an adult it was a challenge to get them open. They couldn't have been that dangerous, with a little adult supervision.
Originally Posted by
Sideways
I've been thinking about this. Quilt guilds rent spaces to vendors at their annual shows. Why not be a vendor at a small quilt show? I would not be able to resist you,
Often all that I see at quilt shows are featherweights, lol, even I a featherweight lover, get tired of seeing just featherweights for sale!!
Have your machines set up, demonstrate, explain their history --SOLD$$$$$
This would be great, as long as the cost of the table / portion of the table wasn't too bad! I thought about it for a quilt walk and sale that happened earlier in the year, but then found out it was a town garage sale with a quilt walk shoehorned in. Wrong venue for the quilts.
Originally Posted by
miriam
The same people that think vitamins are dangerous think everything else is dangerous. Don't breathe - you might die... yup sooner or later you will if you don't.......... don't teach kids to sew - they might sew their finger. Don't ride a bike you might fall off. Govt is just looking out for all of us......
Personally, I'm up for a little natural selection being reintroduced. I think the gene pool's getting a little contaminated...
Originally Posted by
Sideways
I could find out what our guild charges, but you would not need a whole booth you could do a half booth, or a quarter. And yes they carry cash, lots sometimes and credit cards.
I would put color front and center draw them in like bees to honey. A sweet little green 185, class 15 clones in various colors! 301's in all colors, that would be a big seller. .
I'm always amazed at what I see ladies leaving the quilt shows and such with. They must be well armed as far as purchasing power.
