Dear Rachel, thank you for posting your question. I was thrilled to see the title and saved it for last to read and savor. Sure enough everyone's answers are wonderful with make believe stories and love stories of vintage machines.
My DH and I buy a lot of things we need/want off of craigslist. About 18 months ago I began communicating with people who were selling what I would call vintage rather than antique machines (just for fun). The real antiques are usually out of my price likes. The histories I began hearing from each owner really got me going and I want to purchase them all... but... really don't have the room. LOL It’s sad not to purchase them because I am concerned they will just go to the dump.
I purchased an old Singer that was made around the late 40s/early 50s. (that’s not 100+ years old but it IS getting close to that!) So anyway, this machine I recently gave to my sweet DIL who has never sewn but got intrigued with quilt making when I took her to my LQG monthly meeting while she was visiting. I paid about $125 for it, it has all of the parts, etc. and decals in great shape. DIL works with the machine while her kiddies are napping.
Not too long after that I purchased one made in the 30s as far as I know right now. It had belonged to the owner’s Grandmother. A few month ago I purchased a Singer 15-91 that actually had only been sewn on by the original owner up until about a year ago, who was an avid seamstress. She had kept it in pristine condition. So much *sew* that the manual and everything looks VERY brand new. It came in a blond, very cute, concise cabinet and a bench that slides under the cabinet and has storage under the seat. That is going to become my piecing machine.
Most recently, I conferred with Lostn51 (Billy) about a Damascus treadle I located on Craig list. He asked me if it had the shuttle that the long bobbin fits into. The owner had salvaged it from an apartment complex and he didn’t think it had a bobbin. He was delighted to find out that it did have the shuttle and there was a bobbin in it. Apparently the machine is a vibrating shuttle machine sold by Montgomery Wards. My DH and I drove 2 hours one way to pick it up for $30. While I do the research on this machine and take it in for cleaning my DH will be fashioning a cabinet for it from the one that it came with. The cabinet was literally falling apart.
I think the only one I am most certainly looking for now is a Featherweight. However, I keep locating intriguing old machines that are affordable for me, *sew*, who knows. I agree with all the reasons that others mentioned about why they love their old machines. Hope this all helps you Rachel.
:D