Featherweight Machines Prices
 

Can anyone tell me why the Singer Featherweight machines are so expensive? I find them for anywhere from $400 to $800. I understand economics and supply and demand but I guess in my mind, if they made millions of them, they should not be that expensive. Any thoughts?

What people ask and what they receive can be 2 different things. And some people believe ask for the moon and settle for less. The first one I bought I did pay $300.00 after all the shipping charges, and the last one was $180.00. A lot of people pay nothing or very little $20.00 to $50.00. But if the machine has recently been re-wired and serviced they are going to ask for more than the ones that are "sold as is".

The Singer 301 can be found for less money and are a better machine.

market of any item is driven by what a person will pay...lots of people find these machines- think... ' oh-wow' this has to be an antique- and it's pretty---I will try to get $1000 for it! I think it's worth it....then they may find- oops- guess it's not 'that' valuable...and lower that price---or they may get lucky and have that right person come in the door, fall in love with it and pay that price...then they tell their friends---I just got $1000 for a sewing machine...their friend decides---well I should be able to get $500 for this one then...and it goes on & on...if people would 'stop, think, research, be patient' prices would come back down- if you see the machine you like- but don't like the price- don't pay the price- keep looking...I spent 3 years looking for (my perfect) vintage machine- looked at many in a vast price range....then found my perfect oh so wonderful machine for $20 !!! the best $20 I ever spent! but if a person decides- well I am willing to pay up to $300 for that machine- everyone has their own 'budget' and feelings about what a machine is worth *to them*

I agree, I think they are unreal expensive. That's the trouble with ebay and other sites. People look at them and think" wow, I can get alot for this and put up those prices for a machine that has been sitting in the bottom of a closet, unserviced, untested and not clean. But do I want one? Yes. One of the days one will come along with my name on it.

They go for high prices because they are popular, especially amongst the quilting crowd.

If no one used them, you could pick them up for peanuts, like most of the other machines out there.

Real value is an elusive thing, remember Beanie Babies, Cabbage Patch Kids, and anything else "collectable". The mystery of FWs is that they"re not really rare at all. But as long as enough people think they have value...they do.

They seem over-priced compared to other machines but they have a lot going for them-especially the cute factor. I agree with Miriam, I would buy a 301 first but I wouldn't turn down a featherweight for the right price.
When you think about what it would cost to buy the same machine new even featherweight prices aren't that bad.
Rodney

I was informed the other day about a party that had a FW for sale. I called and nearly choked because it needed work. They wanted $1200.00. Was told it was an antique. Really didn't matter because it didn't work and I was not about to pay that price.

They have that cute factor and are very light and many people attending classes and sewing groups like them. Often, I've read that these folks like them so well than they own several of them - 6 or more. They are a popular machine to have custom painted in fun colors such as purple, pink, etc.. I feel that prices have fallen somewhat in the last few years but it seems to me that some people have discretionary income to spend and are happy to spend a few hundred on these machines which keeps the prices up. JMHO