I bought mine for $200 when it was 2 years old. At the time the salesman said, "you can always get this much on a trade-in later on. Well, I guess he was right about that.lol I sewed everything from baby clothes to leather carseats with that machine, but honestly, I was thrilled when I could get a bigger machine that didn't move around on the table. I read about what a perfect stitch it has, how easy to maintain, etc., and I would agree with everyone, but I still don't see why it is so popular. I still have mine, but I haven't sewn on it for 35 years, I'd much rather use my Janome with lots of pretty stitches and easy buttonhole maker.