Lori S

I agree with Jan. I would also add some people really can't say no to a sales pitch. I have seen many fall to the "just let me show you what this machine can do" ! My mom has a machine that's way more than she can use partially because "it was so easy to use" as the demonstrator said.

happylab

I'm one of the people who bought a quilt machine, couldn't figure out how to put the table together. It had a lot of nuts and screws and small pieces. We had 4 people try to put it together and we were never able to get the table steady enough to hold the quilting machine. The machine is still in the box. I still plan on using the machine and try another table to put the machine on. Just haven't gotten there yet. Time flies, that was 5 years ago. I bought another quilting machine, which was more user friendly, and use the newer machine in the mean time. Thanks for this topic and for a reminder I have this machine and need to get this going.

Hulalulu

This truly does happen all the time -- I work at a LQS which sells machines -- we even offer classes for new owners. Some owners never come to class, and if we see them out and about, even months later, and ask how they are liking their machine - some will say "haven't used it yet" - or - "haven't had the time". I think of a impulse purchase as a sales item I see at Walmart -- like a tee shirt or a little kitchen item....guess some think of it as a new sewing machine. Do agree with many posts here too - must be very careful on Craigslist or other online sales sites -- there are definitely scams out there. Had a machine come in for repair -- brought on Craigslist locally -- we had seen the machine before -- it wasn't worth fixing when the prior owner had brought it in!

Terri D.

Yes, I believe it; things change, circumstances change. It could be she liked the idea of sewing as a business, but the reality is another thing altogether. The Bernina tech in my area says there is a way to determine how many hours of sewing have been done on a machine, if you decide to see if her story checks out.

quiltingbuddy

I did the same exact thing and love my Bernina 435. It even came with a very expensive FMQ foot (the BSR) all for like $1,200. I couldn't be happier.

I never see anything on CL.

oldtisme

Terri D, this is an older post but wondered if the machine had to be taken into a shop to see how many hours it has been used or can someone check that out for themselves before they buy it?

BETTY62

Years ago I went to the state fair, saw a serger being demonstrated, thought it was the coolest thing ever, bought one thinking I would whip out a lot of awesome things using it, however, that did not come to pass. To make a long story short, I really didn't use it more than a few times because it was to difficult to thread. So, here I am years later with a vintage age serger that is in like new condition just taking up space in a closet. I don't know why I didn't return it to the store within the 30 day trial period that they gave people back . Just stupid I guess.

MaryKatherine

My sister bought a new machine about 10 yrs ago. She took it out of the box and couldn't figure out how to thread it. So it went back into the box and has sat in her closet ever since. She could have gone to the store or come to me, but I guess she didn't want to sew that much!

citruscountyquilter

I bought a nice sewing machine for my daughter-in-law from a person who thought she wanted to learn to sew so she bought a machine from a sewing machine store. She used the machine a couple of times and found out she hated sewing. It sat around for several years until she decided to sell it. I found out about it from a friend who knew the person. It still had some of the accessories in their sealed packets and all the sales receipts etc. My daughter-in-law loves the machine. I have sold things on Craig's list and my daughter has purchased quite a few toys and such for her children off Craig's list. Like anything you have to be careful but there are deals to be had out there.

callen

Totally agree with you on this one, Jan.