SewNewGirl, All of these recommendations are good, but finding them is the tricky part. Why not try this - go to a local sewing machine repair shop and see what they have in used machines? These shops often have trade-ins for sale. You'll want to try and find an "old time" shop, where the repairman looks older than Moses. That's the guy you want, because newer repairmen (or women) don't know how to work on older machines and think that nobody would want one.
Tate