Is this a good deal?
 

Last week found a 500A (1961) in a wonderful desk for $25.00. Machine is pretty gummed up with some white stuff on the gears. Serial #172503. Is this a Rocketeer? I didn't buy it at the time and am so afraid it won't be there when I go back. Have a 401A, 185J, FW centennial, Kenmore model 158.14300, Bernina Deco 330 and a plastic Singer (ugh!) Seems I have become a vintage snob. If it is there, what is your opinion on adding this to my babies?

For 25 bucks, BUY IT! You can cry later if you can't fix it, but it's worth the $$ just to see if you can repair it and make it run. Do you have any idea what the white stuff is? Do you have a decent repairman close by? You can find out exactgly what it is by going to ISMACS.net and they'll tell you a lot about it. Good luck!

Yes, I would buy it (especially for 25 dollars). The only problem that I know with the Rocketeer is that the door that opens at the front of the head breaks off of the machine easily. I think if a person is careful with that door, then they shouldn't have any problems. In fact, I would pay that price for the desk alone. I may be wrong (because I've never had a 500A) but I believe that your 401A will fit into the desk. If I remember right, the 500 is just like the 400 except for the shape of the head. I have two 401s and one 403 because I like the way they sew.

You should be able to clean up the white stuff on the gears. One of my 401s was like that but we were able to able to get the cams unstuck and everything cleaned up.

No, you shouldn't buy it. What you SHOULD do is email me the address for the machine.

Let me see, after she emails me, I can be in Salisbury in a couple hours and I can stop by an ATM on the way. Oops, wait, did I type that out?

I would strongly suggest that you go to Yahoo and join the Vintage Singer group and the Singer Slant group, there's tons of info there on how to clean it, oil it, and take care of it. I now have a 500 and a 503 and have learned a lot from these groups.

By the way, the offer to email me the address is still open.

Tate

Any time I have extra money and a machine is less that $50, I buy it!!

Sounds like everyone is in agreement - buy it!

Thank you to everyone who responded so positively regarding the 500A. I'll go tomorrow and see if it is still there. It had the original manual and a boatload of attachments and cams. I pray it is still there, but if not, I have learned a valuable lesson: Go with your gut iinstinct!!!!

Worth it- even as parts! Too far for me, so you could send me the address and I "promise" I won't tell Tate! I've seen women fight over fabric, but never over a machine. Could be interesting.

Yes it is a Rocketeer and YES you should buy it, especially for $25! If it is a mess, I know a guy in VA who can fix it. He's been shipped machines from as far away as Hawaii to refurb and they turn out gorgeous and useable. Good luck and you can pm me if you want his info.

I realize my mistake now. I should have offered to go and look it over for kitsykeel and let her know if it was worth buying.

Kitsykeel, even if you can't make it run (which I doubt), for $25 you could use it as a parts machine for your 401. As I understand it, the 401 and 500 are mechanically very similar. I recently bought a 503 so that if I have to make any repairs to my 500, I'll attempt it on the 503 first. Sort of like making a muslin before making a shirt.

Tate