Tiggersmom

A new member of our small group came with a Brown and Tan Singer that her mother-in-law gave to her in the 1960's.
I would like to know what year you all think it might be and what price you think is fair?
{I like the sound of it............silly I know}.

TIA
Jennifer

sewbizgirl

A picture is needed! Many models of that time period came in brown and tan...

I have a brown and cream 403 slant-o-matic. I lucked out and found it at a flea market for $15 several years ago. If I ever sell it, I'll ask $250. Totally worth it!

BonnieJP

Does it look like my 1957 Singer 201 MK2? These machines were manufactured in Scotland. They were made from a cast alloy and are lighter weight than the 201-2, but just as tough.

bkay

Besides the 400 and 500 series, the 301 also comes in tan and brown. I have two 401s and I am happy with them. They are well made. The only problem with them is that they are so well made that old oil and grease will often clog them up to the extent that they won't work correctly. (Just takes a lot of cleaning and oiling to fix it.)The 500 series is mechanically the same as the 400 series, but has a different look (it's the Rocketeer, which as the "space capsule" look). Those machines are heavy and are best used at home and in a cabinet. Both are slant needle machines. As far as I know, the 400 and 500 series only come in tan and brown. Depending on the specific model, they will zig-zag with a built in cam stack or removable cams.

The 301 is the first of the slant needle machines. They were made to be portable and also used in a cabinet. (They have a special cradle that allows you to remove them from the cabinet easily.) They also came in a portable case. The ones that fit in a cabinet have a shorter flip up extension that is similar to the featherweight extension. The ones sold in a case have the longer extension. The 301 is made of aluminum, so it's not very heavy. I think it's the fastest machine Singer ever made. It comes in black as well as tan and tan and brown. It's often called the "big sister of the featherweight". There is no relationship between the machines other than both are aluminum and have a flip up extension on the bed. It's a straight stitch machine only.

You can find all of these machines in the $50.00 to $200.00 range depending on condition, accessories and cabinet or portable case. Last year, I bought a 301 in a cabinet for $50.00 in great condition. It was missing a set screw, so the owner obviously didn't know what was wrong. (I didn't either until I got it home and took it apart.)

bkay

edit: A black 301 in excellent condition in it's original case with the full accessories will bring in the range of $200.00 in the DFW area.. A tan or tan and brown 301 is less desirable than the black. The Rocketeer is fairly popular as it has a unique look. A really nice one might bring $150.00.The nose and flip up compartment are often broken. They cannot be replaced. The 400 series is great, but a less than perfect one without accessories can be found in the $50.00 range here in DFW.

OurWorkbench

Very good write up on the brown and tan machines. I would add, however, that the 301 and FW both use the same bobbin.

Janey - Neat people never make the exciting discoveries I do.

bkay

Oh, yes, Janey is right. The 301 uses the same bobbin case as the featherweight. They are expensive to replace with an original bobbin case ($75.00 range), so make sure it has a bobbin case if it's a 301. (I forgot to look for it on my black 301 and it didn't have one.)
bkay

Tiggersmom

Sorry. I should have explained better. It was tan on the top and brown on the bottom.

Tiggersmom

! you two ladies know you machines....put the emoji here where the top of the head explodes.........that's what mine is doing. LOL

Thank you all for your help!
Jennifer

bkay

You peeked my curiosity, so I went out to check all my machines. I would say that both the 400 series and 500 series and one of the 301s has a light brown lower area and a white (cream) in the upper area. So, I'm guessing it's one of those.

I would suggest that you can hardly go wrong with any old Singer machine. If it sews easily and sounds nice, it will work. The value is in whether the paint is in good condition, whether it comes with a case or cabinet, it's features (built in cams or not) and whether it has the accessories (extra cams, instruction book, extra feet and maybe a buttonholer). Those things, plus how badly the seller wants to sell and how badly you want the machine determines it's value.

You can get parts for Singer machines fairly easily and inexpensively, as the supply exceeds demand. There are exceptions, mostly those parts related to the Singer Featherweight. Those tend to be pricey.

Janey knows lots of stuff about all old sewing machines. I mostly know about the Singer slant shank machines. I have 9 of them. They are pretty much all the same on the inside and that's the machine I use.

Good luck with your purchase.

bkay

Tiggersmom

Thanks bkay for the extra info. Unless God drops one in my lap or I trip over one...........I need to keep focusing on rearranging my sewing!. We are moving machines to the outside wall, going through every box and cranny, drawer, utensil holder and 3 peg boards............whew, this is a lot of work! My friend is a task master but we only get together once or twice a week. It's great she is a lot younger than me or that I could be her mother, LOL.