How do you find out the value of an old machine?

Like beauty - it's in the eye of the beholder....

or

what someone's willing to pay you for it! :)

I could have any item that I think is worth say $100 - but that's only if there's someone out there willing to pay me $100 for it.

Sentimental value is something else.

The values of old/antique machines vary from area to area too.

It depends a lot on exactly what machine it is, what condition it's in, what part of the country it's in, and even where it's purchased. At thrift shops and garage sales where I am, old machines can usually be purchased for $25. I have bought several old working machines in good condition that way. A couple of these machines were actually worth quite a bit more to a collector.

Once you know the brand and model, a look at "completed sales" on eBay can give you a ballpark value for a specific machine. You do need to look at several listings in case someone got lucky in an auction. You also need to look at "completed listings" to see what machines actually sold for -- not what the sellers may be listing them for (which is sometimes far more than they are worth!).