Welcome from Southern California! I agree with you that it is more fun to use the antiques than to just look at them. My grandmother gave me one of her treadle machines (it had belonged to my great aunt Mae) and I couldn't wait to get it home and use it. (It was in Kansas and I brought it home to CA.) She had old items repaired because what good is something if it doesn't work. Antiques are fun and some are better made than items today, so why not use them? I would also like to have the Singer treadle that belonged to my Great Grandmother, she was a seamstress and used it for her work. But it didn't have the book with it, the Damascus did so I brought the Damascus home. My aunt has it now, not sure what will happen to it.