We also live in a much more disposable society then before. The amount of stuff people own today is INSANE. I'm frequently embarrassed about the amount of things I own, let alone the fact that I can go out to buy something and come home with $100 worth of nothing.
I have placed wanted: sewing machines ads on freecycle before. That's how I got my Spartan from a lady that only buys featherweights and she was just going to throw it away. In this area the free machines I have received (6 if you count the one that was the family machine) were all pretty much destined for scrap. The attitude of most of the owners was, "oh, that piece of junk? please take it."
I only know one person in real life that doesn't turn up their noses at vintage machines.