Buying a sewing machine in China
 

A good friend is moving to China and wants to buy a sewing machine there. Does anyone have any tips or suggestions?

She should be able to find any brand she wants as most all are made there. LOL. It depends on what she wants to sew. A mid size computer machine would probably do everything she needs it to do. If the prices are way lower there I would buy the top of the line machine of any known brand like Janome, Brother, Viking, Baby Loc, Pfaff.

Janome is made in Japan, not China.

She is a beginning quilter and has made a few tops using a Singer from Target that cost less than $100. But, you can buy the brands we buy in the US, in China?

Pfaff is made in Japan. I would be careful about a machine made in China.

She may have more difficulty finding a machine than we think. When I was in China I found it very difficult to find consumer goods - most are exported. A friend of mine recently moved to India and all she could find was a treadle machine for her quilting - probably a good idea since power outages are common in other countries.

It's really amazing because I live in Germany where all the best quilting stuff is made and can't find any of here. Plus the dollar is way down. 1 euro is $1.40. Check the exchange rate because we all buy from the states, with shipping it's still cheaper. 220 is easy to overcome with a transformer which are fairly cheap in country.

Maybe she is better off bringing one with her to China? But wonder what their plug outlets voltage is? It could be different then what she needs on a machine she bought in the states.

When my husband was stationed in Italy, we used a catalog called Peter Justesen to buy whatever we wanted in whatever voltage. I wanted a Singer and all we could find where we lived was Bernina, so we ordered through PJ. Not everybody can use them though. Here is what it says in their web site "Our core business is the supply of goods to the diplomatic community worldwide. I.e. diplomats in various embassies and consulates around the world, the UN and any other International Diplomatic Organization. We also supply to private companies and organizations and individuals who enjoy tax and duty free privileges."
If your friend belongs to any of the above I would keep Peter Justesen in mind. Good luck!

You are right! We have just converted one of my sewing machines that I bought in Europe to 110. We actually bought a separate motor. We are keeping the old one just in case we move back to Europe. Be aware that it is not just voltage but also frequency (50Hz vs. 60Hz) you have to take into consideration when it comes to using transformers with electronics.