old machines
01-10-2015, 09:20 PM
#11
Super Member
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: Mendocino County CA
Posts: 1,976
Originally Posted by Rodney
If you place a value on your time: No.
Let's say you start with a $20 thrift store machine that looks like it's decent but average. You get it home, spend 2 hours cleaning it and checking it out, then spend another $10 on a belt and bobbin tire. At this point you have $30 invested not including gas or cleaning materials. You might be lucky to get $50 for the machine afterward. Yes, you made $20 at that point but how much effort did you put into it?
You can make some money sometimes if you luck into a machine that has a higher resale value than average but mostly people who flip machines do it because they love playing with them. It gives them a chance to mess with more machines than otherwise and maybe even cover some of the costs of their hobby.
As far as making money, you're better of working at McDonald's.
Rodney
Let's say you start with a $20 thrift store machine that looks like it's decent but average. You get it home, spend 2 hours cleaning it and checking it out, then spend another $10 on a belt and bobbin tire. At this point you have $30 invested not including gas or cleaning materials. You might be lucky to get $50 for the machine afterward. Yes, you made $20 at that point but how much effort did you put into it?
You can make some money sometimes if you luck into a machine that has a higher resale value than average but mostly people who flip machines do it because they love playing with them. It gives them a chance to mess with more machines than otherwise and maybe even cover some of the costs of their hobby.
As far as making money, you're better of working at McDonald's.
Rodney
01-11-2015, 05:36 AM
#13
Power Poster
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Somewhere
Posts: 15,507
I see old machines up for sale all the time. Who buys these machines? Is it worth my time and efford to clean them up and resale them?
You better be doing it for the love of it...
Originally Posted by mlmack
Depends on the machine and how much you can buy them for. Since you are in Indiana, I would probably say no, though, according to what I've read from Miriam.
01-11-2015, 06:50 AM
#15
Super Member
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Kansas City, Missouri
Posts: 1,040
Originally Posted by Rodney
If you place a value on your time: No.
Let's say you start with a $20 thrift store machine that looks like it's decent but average. You get it home, spend 2 hours cleaning it and checking it out, then spend another $10 on a belt and bobbin tire. At this point you have $30 invested not including gas or cleaning materials. You might be lucky to get $50 for the machine afterward. Yes, you made $20 at that point but how much effort did you put into it?
You can make some money sometimes if you luck into a machine that has a higher resale value than average but mostly people who flip machines do it because they love playing with them. It gives them a chance to mess with more machines than otherwise and maybe even cover some of the costs of their hobby.
As far as making money, you're better of working at McDonald's.
Rodney
Let's say you start with a $20 thrift store machine that looks like it's decent but average. You get it home, spend 2 hours cleaning it and checking it out, then spend another $10 on a belt and bobbin tire. At this point you have $30 invested not including gas or cleaning materials. You might be lucky to get $50 for the machine afterward. Yes, you made $20 at that point but how much effort did you put into it?
You can make some money sometimes if you luck into a machine that has a higher resale value than average but mostly people who flip machines do it because they love playing with them. It gives them a chance to mess with more machines than otherwise and maybe even cover some of the costs of their hobby.
As far as making money, you're better of working at McDonald's.
Rodney
01-11-2015, 08:12 AM
#16
Junior Member
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Samsonville, New York
Posts: 268
Originally Posted by J Miller
OK,
I figure old is at least 50 years old. Ancient is 75 or older and antique is 100 years and older.
Joe
I figure old is at least 50 years old. Ancient is 75 or older and antique is 100 years and older.
Joe
01-11-2015, 01:02 PM
#18
Super Member
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Not Here
Posts: 3,817
On the average, I don't even find that flipping the odd machine even pays for itself or frees up any cash. Typically something else comes up around the same time that I want and uses up all of what I "made" on the machine I flipped which means I just paid for the parts on the machine I flipped out of my pocket.
The other thing I noticed no one has mentioned is that rarely is a flip sale a fast one. You either have to show them how to use the machine - an hour with questions - or a couple of hours while they decide on a machine then want you to teach them to sew.
The only way I've made anything is selling parts and quilting accessories and servicing other people's machines.
OH! And speaking and teaching.
The other thing I noticed no one has mentioned is that rarely is a flip sale a fast one. You either have to show them how to use the machine - an hour with questions - or a couple of hours while they decide on a machine then want you to teach them to sew.
The only way I've made anything is selling parts and quilting accessories and servicing other people's machines.
OH! And speaking and teaching.
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