Old 01-25-2014, 07:24 PM
  #14  
Monroe
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Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: New York
Posts: 1,571
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The clothing stores are called All Saints something. Amazing displays of sewing machines bolted to wall high shelving. Awesome and saddening when I look in the internet.

I hope you find the FW of your dreams, maybe from someone here. It's hard to shop when you can't test drive one for yourself. Prices vary a lot by location and lunacy. Blacks are the most common, whites less so, then tan, and finally the rare 222 for a queens ransom. Just remember they have many interchangeable parts, like old VWs, so balance completeness with the price of repairs. The problem is the secondary parts market is quite inflated- for example a bobbin case at $45. I acquired several FWs over the past 10 years, but haven't really gone over any but the one I use. I'm not an expert by any means- had this one checked over by a shop for about $45 years ago which included a light surface cleaning and removing a thread jam behind the race hook assembly. Will get them out in a few weeks to see what's what. I've since learned a lot about the FWs from books and good folks on this site. Good machines are easier to find than good cases. I use a nice swivel wheeled luggage case. Machine in the bottom, padded by the fabrics I'll be using for the sew-ins. I wasn't a FW lover, but they've grown on me. Good luck.
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