Machine Snobbery?
 

I bought a Brother SE400 from Amazon. It's a combination embroidery/sewing machine and it was on sale. I called a local sewing shop about classes and told them my machine. The woman commented about my machine being mass produced (isn't everything mass produced) so they don't sell the machine and I would have to pay $50 for the class. No problem and I attended the class today. My machine was the simplest one there and the only one a combination machine. During the class again it was mentioned about mass produced vs dealer. What's the difference and is there an "attitude" about buying machines online or at stores other than sewing stores?

She just wants to sell you one of her expensive machines. If it was me I would
go someplace else. I learned to quilt on my own and using the internet, buying
a few books and reading this board. If I'm looking for a technique I usually
google and if I can't find the answer I just ask here. There are all kinds of tutorials
here and on the web. I save my money for fabric. :o

Don't let anyone make you feel bad because you bought a machine that isn't the most expensive one out there. It is a bad shop owner or teacher that would make a student feel bad because their machine isn't the most expensive one out there. There are snobs everywhere, but there are also lots more people who are nice. If there are any other quilt shops near you try taking a class at one of them. You might find a total different attitude by the shop owner, teachers, other students. Enjoy your Brother and if you can do what you want to do with it then I hope you have it a long, long time!!!!! And by the way I have one of those very expensive machines and it is used for both quilting and embroidery-lots of quilters have machines that do both. I only ended up with it because another man talked my dh into getting it for me-other wise I would have been thrilled to have a Brother machine-Lots of quilters on these boards have them and LOVE them!!!

Kat

Our Brother dealer cannot give free classes to those who buy the mass-market, rather than the dealer line. They can't afford it.

It isn't that they look down upon the mass market machines (there are a few of the project runway machines that overlap between the mass market/dealer lines and they recommended I just buy that on amazon) it is that the dealer support is built into the price of the machine.

Our brother dealer offers a $200 package where they offer lifetime classes for a mass market machine, as well as the basic cleaning that would come with a dealer purchased machine.

It isn't snobbery, it is business. $50 sounds reasonable for most classes, IMO.

I don't think it was the price of a class but the low class of someone who would talk down to the owner of a machine she didn't consider worth buying. Some people can get very biased about what they're selling and don't realize that at some point that very person might just consider buying what they're selling. We all have to start somewhere and my somewhere 20 yrs ago is what I'm using today. Good luck on your purchase. I'm sure you will be very happy with it. Get what you can out of the class and then go somewhere else if you need more help.

some people are just like that---a different shop may (behave) differently-
a number of years ago i found a dealer who had my long-arm- and offered a class- i had my machine for over a year but had not had any classes and thought i might find it benificial- so signed up- it meant traveling 170 miles- and the class was $75-
the woman who (taught-and i use that loosely) actually had a totally different long-arm- different brand/manufacturer- and spent the entire class working on the display machine---and telling us all the difference between that one and hers---i learned more about her machine than i did about the one being demonstrated (my machine) so really felt that i had wasted alot of money, time and distance....i guess you just never know- i do know there are plenty of people out there that use brother machines---even from wally world- and do very well with them- even offer classes- maybe you could talk to someone in a local guild and find other people who do not have the (snobby attitude) to learn with.

I would guess that the dealer is feeling that the internet sales/'mass produced' machines are taking some of what he/she feels is their rightful business.

Also most likely the 'mass produced' machines referred to are actually produced in greater numbers than the more expensive 'dealer' machines. Doesn't make one intrinsically better or worse because of the volume of production of a particular machine in my opinion. I've come across or heard about 'lemons' in either category - but not very many.

If a machine fits your budget, does what you need it to do and works well for you, that's the main concern, not where you purchased it or how much you paid.

My opinion? Use what you have and can afford. Beautiful quilts don't know what kind of machines they were made with and they don't care. Neither should we.

I agree with you 100%!