Yup you could buy a car for the replacement price of an older machine but it's what you want and deserve...I'm a Husq Viking fan and invested for the first time in their SE model in 2007, not for the sewing part but for the embroidery part. At that time it had the ability to transform a photo into stitches and I was interested in doing a Geneology Family quilt with family photo's and written history. List price was 7500 and I got a deal on an open box for 4500...Yikes...I debated and finally my husband said "buy it you deserve it"
I'm happy to say I've since not only completed that Family quilt but many others and still have my
SE and wouldn't turn that in for anything and pray everyday it conts to live on, never had any issues other then reg cleanings.
If I had to replace it w/another with same capabilities and more, we are talking car...15,000....OMG I don't know if I could or would do that but I use all it's capabilities and sometimes "a girl just deserves it"
And yes I enjoy the older Singers I collect them and use them on occasion but there's nothing like using a machine with allot of 'Perks" and the possibilities of creativity are limitless....