I have two quilting buddies. One of them has the latest and greatest in machines and just bought a high end long arm. The other one has an older Viking machine. Until a few months ago my newest machine was a 37 year old Viking. I recently got a new machine because my Viking was showing significant wear in some areas where parts were no longer available but I still use the Viking and Featherweight too.
I was helping my friend with the older Viking who is a beginning quilter and she was so appreciative and made the comment that she wanted to learn how to quilt using the machine she had and all our other quilting buddy will talk about is how great her high end machine is and how our Viking friend should move up to a new machine etc.
I love my older machines. They have history and I have an emotional attachment to them. They don't have needle down but I have a hand that can turn the wheel to put the needle down to pivot. They don't have automatic thread cutter but I have scissors. They don't have lights up the wazoo but I have a lamp. What they do have is character. I have nothing against new machines nor people of have them. I just wish there was more understanding of the emotional attachment some of us have to our old machines.