Sandygirl

read up on machines on the company websites. Janome does post their MSRP. No one pays...MSRP. Their prices are comparable to similar models/features/size of other mfgrs. The point here is that you can “shop” and compare similar machines knowing that pricing will likely be comparable. If your “budget” is X, you can look at the other models and decide if you want to stretch your budget to buy a more feature rich machine ...: I love my Serpentine stitch for quilting small quilted projects. The stitch is usually in the higher priced machines. Auto cut is another feature I love...same situation. Be informed of the options out in the marketplace. Don’t get caught off guard, bring nots, print out machine models and the features that interest you. Doing some upfront research always helps me determine what I have strong interest in looking at. I do this when I am in the market for new car. It just helps me narrow down my options etc before I check out the models in person. Good luck!!