Hello jennigens! Listed prices are what they are...you never know what a seller might really *sell* it for? I bought my 301 with a card table (woohoo!) and paid that price. Several years later? I probably would have paid that price for the machine. She is the love of my life (sorry hubby
) and is the go-to machine when I need rock solid stitching. She has gone through *many* layers of batting and fabric when I've tested her mettle.
Two cautions:
-Be *sure* the original (or a good quality repro) bobbin case is included -not impossible to find, but an extra cost.
-Finding an even feed foot can be a challenge since she is a slant-shank. I've seen some videos where folks have altered the ones they have to 'work'. I have yet to find one that truly works.
I hope you are able to get one to enjoy!
I have had some good luck using a 'darning' (free motion) foot on my 301. I'm still terrible at it, lol...but the foot can't be blamed. That's a plus for me.
You might want to look into getting one of the 'fabric guides' as well, they can either be the original style that screws into the bed/surface of the machine with a single screw, or even a magnetic one. I find it super helpful for piecing, and getting a consistent 1/4"