I know that people have very strong opinions about which machine to buy, but you can't beat a free one. I have a friend that would like to try sewing and maybe quilting, but there's no way of telling if she'll stick with it. I learned on a super cheap Brother. I have now not only upgraded, but I have also upgraded my backup machine, and have no further use of the Brother (except as a possible backup to my backup), so I've decided to give it to my friend. I am a strong believer that no one on a budget should spend more than a little bit on a machine if they don't even know if they'll like the hobby. Any idea how much it might cost to ship a machine across a few states? If it's too much, she may as well buy a new one, as new they only cost $89. Any suggestions on how to ship it? UPS? USPS?

TIA!

Pack it real good I got a featherweight from TX and the thread spool made a whole in the case lid. It was not packed good. News paper balls would of helped as well...

Weigh it and look up, USPS or UPS, or FED EX they all should have a freight charge if you have the weight. It would give you a rough estimate anyway.

I actually have the original box and packing materials.

Yes, I got a 99K for a friend of mine and the motor casing was broke because of not packing well.

Well you shouldn't have a problem with that then. At least it should get there safe and sound!!

Ask Billy, lostn51 in the virtual machine section or pm him. He ships machines a lot I think.

If you check ebay you can sort of get an idea what it costs to ship a machine. And sadly, it's pretty expensive.

I think she would be better off buying the 89.00 machine and you give yours to someone closer to you or donate it to Goodwill or Salvation Army. Just my opinion.

I was just thinking about bidding on a machine on eBay. The shipping from the East coast to Northern Michigan was less than $20. A seller in NC quoted $25 flat rate anywhere in the US.

I've shipped a small Janome, and had a couple of machines shipped to me. The smaller one was about $20, larger up to $30. Those were USPS prices, though - generally, for larger/heavier packages, you can get better pricing through UPS.

As long as you have the original packaging, I think you'd be able to get it to her for less than what a new one will cost. How kind of you to share with a friend, it's a great idea as since you said, who knows if she will end up liking sewing or not.

Thanks. I'd like to share the joy. I know she won't spend the money herself, since she's unsure if she'll stick with it, but I know she'll love it once she gets started. She just needs a push. I would much rather she use the machine, which always treated me well, than it sit unused in my closet. I know some people are down on cheap machines, but I've made some beautiful quilts (if I may say so myself) on it. It may not be as enjoyable to use as a Bernina, but it works great.

What an awesome friend. Be proud of yourself for shareing such a great gift..

[quote=Mattee]I actually have the original box and packing materials.

It should be fine, I had one shipped to me from Texas a few weeks ago and it was bubble wrapped and in a case then boxed with packing peanuts and it came fine, you have the original box and packaging so I am going to say that it shouldnt be any problem.

How nice of you to give it to her .

What a wonderful, thoughtful thing for you to do.

Shipping costs will surprise you. UPS charges for not only the weight but if the box is not one of their standard sizes. The last time I shipped a machine (Janome 10001), it cost me over $100 with insurance. I didn't have the original box so had really packed it well but apparently the packing was heavy.

I sent my bernina 153 to my daughter in Australia, by UPS. Used UPS because they packed it and were within the same ridiculous price range as the post office. She received it in perfect shape. The downside was that she still had to pay duty, but it was cheaper to her than buying one there.

I had to ship my Bernina 730 and went to FedEx and it was about $36.

I just shipped an embroidery machine that I sold on ebay.
Big shock!!! Over $$80 from Massachusetts to New Mexico.