thanks everyone. I don't have anyone to inherit- my brother has zero interest in sewing machines other than for sentimental value(he bought our mom a fw for christmas one year and got it back after she passed and doesnt' want to sell it even though he doesn't use it and wont' let his wife touch it) my friend's 7 yr old son isn't likely to have any interest.
bottom line is they DO make me happy- I've always figured I could at least set them out to look at to enjoy that way but I don't enjoy looking at 301s, 401s, 500s other than maybe 1.but I DO love sewing on those machines- they're fun(401 and 500) and such beautiful stitches (301)and the featherweights are cute and I've been using 1 of mine pretty regularly for quilting bees/sew-ins and may take one with me to retreat next month though I'd like to take a 301 with me to try out.
Rodney I dont have a super duper great paying job but it does pay pretty well - the problem is that the overtime hasn't been letting up and it's a stressful shift and the job itself has become very stressful with people I work with - not a good work environment. I keep hoping things will change but right now I feel trapped and frustrated - it's either quit and have zero income/zero health insurance/lots of free time or keep working and have income/health insurance/not much time. If the job went to no callout by hiring 4 more people perhaps then things would be different.
part of the problem was inheriting what my mom bought and feeling some kind of attachment to it though she only sewed on them enough to test them out and some still didnt' work after she had my dad fiddle with them (already found out one he rewired still didn't have good wiring - the place sold him the wrong wire- but this shop fixed that for me.
I just hate to pile machines in the closet or stuck in the room/cabinet getting dusty and going to ruin. I had this thought the other day when doing the major cleaning the college kids I hired finally cleared space to the 2 treadles I had bought early on...I had loved the New Home on site and it wasn't one the person I bought it from was really into(she was big-time treadle fanatic so it had been maintenanced but not pristine) anyways I happily lifted the cover then saw it was rusty and dusty and felt icky - and it had been stored inside and I keep the temperature pretty good in the house esp working shift and needing all the help I can get with sleep(can't sleep hot) so it got me to thinking how the other machines may not be fairing well in the closet or stuck in bedrooms. sigh...
I'm not talking drastic and the number may not even go down much but I was just thinking how I have so many 301s that are great machines (one of my favorite for ease of use and beautiful stitch but not for decorating I guess is the best way to put it - at least not to me- though I am kinda starting to like the 2 tone ones when I previously hated their looks) and how I have at least 2 401s and at least 2 500s and also at least 1 each of 403 and 503 - and I think the 3's are the same as the built in stitch models if I use cams. my mom also had 2 328ks I think is the model (kinda enjoyed sewing on one of them when Id id my initial 'let's try to test them all and make notes' a little over a year ago...I had a 99 and she found one with the same decals..I had bought a 201 that the person selling said was using more oil than he thought it s hould be using but didn't have time at the time to fiddle with it -s aid it sewed and I could just add oil if I was ok with that- it ended up being decoration as I got busy back then with my parents coming down for my dad's chemo and all and that's when my nice 8 hr evening shift ended and we went to 12 hr rotating shifts so I started being tired most of my time off. since my renewed interest I've bought another 201 from someone and I KNOW that one and the 15-91 I bought both work and are in good or even great shape - I want to use them and think they'll just need some oil and the basic stuff and be ready to go. all the 301s will need going over- I fiddled with the one my mom found in a cabinet but it's still 'stiff' sewing. not sure how the others are- I know 2 were sewing fine - one great and the other 'pretty good' about 10 yrs ago when I got them and was sewing on them more regularly.
I guess I'm just wondering if it's bad for them to sit unused (I don't want anything damaged and would rather it went somewhere where someone would get pleasure from it and keep it' healthy' than to sit and rust inside the house) and if I would someday need parts from an extra to keep one I love working. Otherwise having more than 1 of the 301s and such doesn't really bother me per se - right now I have the space. but I'm thinking it might make sense to trade some at this shop(or sell the 2 friends a 301 if they're willing to help me test them out and make sure we all end up with something working well) then use the money (or trade) towards maintenance on my top machine picks at the moment, cabinets, or towards something else that catches my interest (like the federation jones handcrank the shop is holding for me) those I could sit on a shelf and admire forever..and even dust LOL!
I wish some of you lived near me- Rodney you need to move to Houston! what I really need I think is like a housekepper/dogwalker for my machines
I've come to realize in the past few months that with my time being so taken up with work and trying to get healthy that I need to pay for some stuff to keep my house in order- a dog walk for my day shifts has helped as well as deciding to have someone come in and clean/keep up with the house(right now the college kids plan on this job but they're been on vacation with family then return to college but they plan to finish up the organization here and she'll probably clean until she goes back then help me find someone else to do it. I don't know anyone to do the machines for me though- the shop isn't far away but it's not close either and the one who does the major repairs is the woman's hubby who only does them now when he's free(he works full-time at something else but was spending every saturday in the shop doing repairs but now he's been taking off more and she has someone else she sends them to a lot of times depending on what needs doing to them). i wouldn't worry about mine so much if they had someone tending to them leaving me free to play with them as I find time
anyways just my ongoing thoughts and as you've said it's better a machine or anything brings joy and pleasure - if not to me then to someone else. a couple fo friends kept pressuring me initially to sell some and kept telling people I had machines and I got snappy finally telling them I didnt' want to sell anything and they were shocked..but really I hadn't even had time to pull any out and plug them in at the time (that's when stuff was really crowded in the house with my mom's furniture piled in etc) and these friends happen to not work at least not outside the home so I guess they just dont understand what being tired and called in to work all the time means. it added to the pressure..and hearing one refer to me as a 'hoarder' really ticked me off - I dont think I hoard- I think I start off interestedin something and keep that interest but get attached and then overwhelmed and frustrated when I realize I can't keep up with the interst or devote time to the interest. I've always loved old stuff - that whole period of time - and would live in a museum probably if I could! I've been putting my cabinets where I think I want them and finally enjoying what i have- I rehomed a bunch of instruments and am debating getting rid of the better quality instruments(gave the others away and the guy was happy as could be and has been using them and I think shared one with someone else who wanted it) and am starting to eyeball all the fabric I have and sorting through ufos...just way past due in doing and even now I've had to hire help to get it done.
hopefully the job situation will change for the better but for right now works' attitude is 'there's the gate' and 'if they were unhappy they would have quit already' I have almost 25 yrs in this place and i'm the only income - shoot if I could meet a decent man who did nothing but not spend money, take care of dogs, fix sewing machines, do housework and massage feet I'd snatch him up LOL!