Cari-in-Oly

http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/atq/4722454796.html

Isn't this for carpet?

Cari

ThayerRags

No. It's a $250 Chinese patcher. Go get it.

CD in Oklahoma

Mrs. SewNSew

I don't see anything wrong with flipping machines either, so we are in agreement. I would disagree with your assessment of those buying machines being flipped for higher prices are "ignorant". Certainly there are less than honest people out there. There are people who are unaware of average prices and that can be easily hoodwinked. But there are also people who are more interested in getting a machine that has already been worked over by someone more interested in or capable of doing that end of things. Someone like that is not "ignorant" but is willing to pay more for a machine that is now working and has good wiring.

I am "thrifty" for the most part. I love the challenge of bringing a machine back to life. I am willing to take in machines without foot controllers, bad wiring, boxes that don't fit and parts that don't move. I expect to pay a minimal amount for such a machine and enjoy working on it to get it into shape. If I decide later to sell the machine am not going to sell it for the small amount I paid for it, because now it is in much nicer condition.

I believe there are a wide range of machines out there from rust-buckets to near perfect condition. There are also machines that are harder to find making them more desirable due to age, or type or even location. I think price will be discussed but is going to vary wildly from person to person depending on what they want and from machine to machine depending on that particular stitcher.

Even people on the forum that don't wish to discuss price will be pulled into it from time to time because it is just another aspect of buying, servicing, and using vintage sewing machines.

KenmoreRulesAll

I agree. I should have been more clear. Not everyone who pays substantially more (5x to 10x what we ourselves might pay) is buying because they don't know better. There are those on eBay who state in their listings that servicing a vintage machine will cost quite a bit (and on average they're right), so that seller who is charging $165 for a 15 clone is actually offering a great deal because the buyer won't have to have the machine serviced. It's a convincing argument for some.

Mrs. SewNSew

"Vintage Singer Hand Held Sewing Machine"

http://www.shopgoodwill.com/auctions...-18459958.html

Cari-in-Oly

One of the gals at the Toga paid over $100 each for the Japanese hand crank machine and a long bobbin machine just for this reason. They were serviced and ready to use, she could just sit down and sew without having to fiddle with or fix anything. And she was happy to spend the money on quality machines.

Cari

Cari-in-Oly

But I don't want it. I just wanted to know what it is. Actually, it looks a lot like a little plastic dollar store toy fishing game thingy Shye has.

Cari

mlmack

I wouldn't trust an eBay seller saying that a machine has been "serviced" any more than I would the ones that describe a machine as "heavy duty" or "industrial strength", but some people will believe anything.

I'd rather pay less for one and service it myself, or have someone local service it.

Rodney

What constitutes service? One guy that was on here thought spraying a machine down with WD40 was servicing it. Others may think nothing less than a complete teardown and removal of all dried oil and gunk qualifies. The truth is somewhere in between. If the machine is reasonably clean, works correctly, worn out belts and bobbin tires replaced and has been properly lubed then it has been serviced as much as it needs to be. Dried oil on parts underneath the machine where it doesn't affect function doesn't necessarily need to be removed though I would expect a spotless bobbin and hook assembly and no lint in that area or around the feed dogs.
The machine that sparked this discussion may have been serviced competently. There was dried oil on the bottom but it may not affect function, the belt looked strange but also looked new, it could just be a style I haven't seen before. Sadly though, nothing less than an in-person check can verify that it does function correctly and that the areas that need to be clean are clean. That's where individual judgement comes into play and the seller's reputation becomes important. I can at least do basic maintenance on my machines so I wouldn't pay extra for one that has been serviced but there are plenty of people who either can't or won't service their own machines and buying one ready to go is important to them.

Flipping machines? Why not? There's absolutely nothing wrong with buying a machine, servicing it and selling it for hopefully more than you have in it or for buying anything cheap and turning around and selling it for a profit even without servicing it as long as you're not lying about it. It's not fair to expect someone to buy a machine for $20, put another $25 into parts then sell it for only $45. Their time is worth something just like ours is.

I saw that green machine too and was wondering. With only a partial picture it's hard to tell what it is.
The castings do have a cheap course grained Chinese look to them though. CD is most likely right. Old cast iron was made to much higher standards than most modern stuff.
Rodney

Rodney

Here's a really pretty Windsor:
http://seattle.craigslist.org/sno/atq/4724863380.html

Decals are far better than average on this Sphinx model 27
http://seattle.craigslist.org/tac/atq/4724409349.html
Rodney