SteveH

Hey folks,

I just finished having a very nice message exchange with a person on Fleabay.

They have listed an "Antique 1879 singer sewing machine"
What they are showing is a Singer 9w...

What I cautioned the seller:

"I would like to CAUTION you regarding this listing.

You have listed a Singer Model 9w.

The Model 9w is the Singer reissue of the Wheeler Wilson D9

Singer bought W&W in 1905 and THEN began to use the W&W design but marked as a Singer. The serial number that you referenced is from the "no prefix" section and is NOT applicable to this machine.

This machine could ONLY have been manufactured between 1905 and 1913.

PLEASE understand, I am in NO way interested in this 20th century machine, just trying to help folks avoid fraud charges....

http://www.singersewinginfo.co.uk/9w/
http://needlebar.org/nbwiki/index.php?title=Singer_9W"

Her reply makes the THIRD person in the last week to tell me that it was an "professional" that advised them incorrectly.

"oh wow I even had a professional look at it and received my information from her. I will remove the listing until I get the facts straight thanks for the info."


A very nice exchange (most do NOT go this nice) but a note of caution for folks taking a "professional" at their word without doing additional research (even folks here... me included)

KalamaQuilts

Who died and made you hall monitor?

SteveH

um.... No one needed to die... I just made the choice to help.

cashs_mom

The term "professional" seems to be used rather loosely sometimes. . .

oldsewnsew

Watch out for "experts" too. If they were so smart, how come they are no longer "perts"!? I try not to expect too much, that way I'm not usually disappointed. Sellers and buyers are responsible for some due diligdnce, but I probably know more than 95% of the people in my small town about old SMs, but I don't know much compared to some of the fine folks here.

jlhmnj

I see a lot of ebay auctions with Singer 9W's or parts for sale as being made in the 1870's. Many times it's a good way to find a bargain. I'm more interested in fair and good shipping sellers rather than professionals. A fair seller would be not label an item he wasn't certain what it is but mistakes can happen. Good to put an end to misinformation or at least attempt to.

Jon

Macybaby

I've talked to people and most often, they contacted SINGER corp, and gave them some number they pulled off the machine, which is obviously NOT the serial number. Singer put numbers on just about everything - so it's not hard to find a wrong number. Or sometimes the owner miss-read the serial number as six digits instead of seven, or didn't notice a preceding letter . . .

And based on the incorrect "serial number" the "professional" at Singer tells them what machine the serial number belongs on, and the date of mfg - but at no time does the Singer customer service person actually ask to see the machine to verify that it is the model quoted. And who knows- maybe the Singer employee has no clue how to tell them apart.

It is nice the person you contacted was decent about it. I sit on my fingers now - too many "That is what SINGER told me so go .... youself!" type answers.

Now that the some group of people are supplying this information for White (via Viking which is part of the group that also owns Singer) I'm seeing this happening with White machines too.

psychonurse

Steve H

thank you for helping others get their information straight. I am glad it went well, at least this time.

ThayerRags

A few years back, I made the mistake of trying to be helpful by correcting inaccuracies in auction listings that I came across. I seldom do it anymore, although I do sometimes have a weak moment, like when I notified a seller that they might want to look at their own photos that had a very clear close-up of the model number of a machine that they were hawking as a different model, and assuring the buyer that it was very similar model. He changed his auction.

On another occasion, I notified a sewing machine dealer that the photos in an auction were of a different brand of machine than described in the auction. I never heard anything. The auction disappeared.

I did notice back several years ago when that auction site went ga-ga about “Buyer Protection”, that auction descriptions began getting smaller and smaller, until there was hardly any text at all to accompany the photos. I guess that minimized the “Not as Described” possibility.

I see a little more text coming back these days, and many, many inaccuracies. I guess it’s all about the money, and sellers don’t have time to be accurate. I don’t say anything. Let’em be wrong. It’s not worth getting chewed out over.....

CD in Oklahoma

oldtnquiltinglady

Most of the time, in my estimation, if I see someone touting themselves to be "professional" I will listen to the spiel, nod and smile, and keep on walking. Then I come back to the forum first chance I get and go through posts until I find information about that particular machine, and make a determination about that "professional" I recently talked with, and didn't purchase. I probably didn't want that model bad enough anyway, huh?