I've bought a few and it's always a gamble. Shipping by far seems to be the big issue - shippers don't seem to understand how HEAVY a sewing machine can be (especially a vintage one) and they are often damaged in shipping. Sometimes the machine makes it OK but the case gets smashed to bits. Sometimes everything is wrecked. And sometimes everything is perfect.

I recommend reaching out to the seller and asking them how they will ship your machine. If it's a vintage machine that comes in a wooden case, I recommend that you ask them to remove the machine from the case and ship it separately, and yes that will cost you more. Otherwise, expect it to arrive broken - those wooden cases are fine for carrying your machine around but they are not designed to withstand the kind of banging around a shipping box often endures. Those heavy machines will come loose in transit and break the case from the inside out.

On the Victorian Sweatshop forum, there is a pinned thread dedicated to "how to ship a sewing machine" - if you're buying a vintage machine I HIGHLY recommend reading that post, and forwarding it to your seller. Be prepared to pay more in shipping, though.

When I'm looking at machines on eBay, if the shipping is anything less than $30 I usually give it a pass unless it's a machine I just want for parts. That price tells me they have NO idea what it's going to take to get that machine to me safely and it's probably not worth the hassle. (I buy heavy vintage machines, proper packing & shipping is going to cost at least $40. If you're buying a modern mostly-plastic machine, shipping will be less and probably doesn't need the intense packing a cast iron machine requires.)

I bought my first Brother PE-770 Embroidery machine on eBay. I was thrilled to learn that the company was located less than 10 miles away. A terrific experience.

I certainly appreciate all the responses....now I just have to decide what I need to do...It is a fairly expensive machine - and a heavy one as well. Great to hear from all of you. Thank you for your assistance.

Always use credit card or paypal

I bought my featherweight from a facebook group. This seller was posted on several groups. In contact with her she made every effort to assure me I was getting a machine from someone reputable...even to the point of private messaging me a video of the machine sewing and how she was packing the machine. I trust this more that ebay. I got a wonderful machine.

I've purchased 2 vintage machines and a PQ1500s off Ebay. In each case I did a lot of checking into the seller. I made sure they had rating of at least 98% and lots of reviews as a seller. I also checked out the written reviews to see how what buyers had to say about the items they received. And, I paid with Paypal. eBay has a lot of safety features in place to help protect the buyer from bad sellers, but they do sometimes get through. If you do have a bad experience on eBay there are mechanisms in place to help you get your money back.

Rob

I have purchased 2 Featherweights and had a great experience with both dealers. Both machines were well packed and had no damage from shipping. Not sure that they could have moved at all the way the sellers packed them. Make sure you check the seller's ratings and ask any questions you may have. Enjoy your new machine if you decide to bid on one.

I have a Husqvarna Viking Designer 1 and a Designer Diamond that I want to sell. Have thought of using eBay and am concerned about problems. Think I mention to quilting friends and try selling them direct. I purchased a HV Epic because the price was great. My dealer did not a trade-in.

My husband and I have purchased probably 15 machines on e-bay. Only one bad experience (happened during shipping but was poorly packaged). Paypal stands good for a bad purchase. I would buy another one.

Well, first I will give you my horror story. About 8-10 years ago before e-Bay covered bad Sellers, I purchased a heavy duty sewing machine for $280.00...the machine did arrive, but not as pictured. It was broken and rusty. Never got our money back and she was removed by e-Bay from selling anything more. :(...Now coming to April of 2015, I took a chance and purchased a PFAFF Grand Quilter with Inspira Frame for $1,010.00 and really worried, but the least price wise I had ever seen. It arrived, mint condition, except for an awful yellowish in color and wreaked of nicotine, but after going through 3 magic erasers, beautiful machine and it runs beautifully. So happy I took the chance and didn't pass up that bargain.