My grandmother's Singer treadle machine was what I learned to sew on when I was about 6 years old. My DD has that machine in her house now. When a Sears store opened in town my grandmother went to the grand opening and bought a brand new Kenmore and I used it until I got out of high school. I never thought about her having no place to buy a sewing machine unless driving for hours back then. All machines came with beautiful wood cabinets too.