Talk about passing up on a good deal... I have one of those stories.
I went to a garage sale of an older couple and I noticed that they had a Singer sewing machine in one those old wooden portable round boxes they used to come with. The box itself was in great condition. I asked them if I could see the sewing machine inside. This couple, they had to be in their late 80's or early 90's, looked a little embarassed and said that they couldn't open it because they lost the key. They also explained they had another Singer in the same type of box that also didn't have a key. This machine they said was an old crank sewing machine. They said that they could sell them to me for $25 each. Unfortunately, I didn't think to ask them if they could hold them for me, as I was already late for a doctor's appointment. Being in a hurry, my mind doesn't always work on all cylinders, and I couldn't think of how I could open the boxes without deystorying the cabinets. It was all too much for me to put together, as I was really, really late now for the appointment. After the appointment I went back and of course they were gone. Come to find out years later from a locksmith, that even though you didn't have a key, all you needed was a screwdriver to turn the square lock open. Found this out after I locked an old Singer pedal machine and couldn't open the drawers. He said that all of the old locks for the Singer were like that.