Franklin Treadle
 

I have a chance to purchase a lovely Franklin treadle in an oak parlor cabinet for $150.00. I have no idea whether this is a good price or not. Can someone help?

Jane Smith

I have no idea if that is a good price or not, but I have a very similar one in my living room. It was my grandmother's and was rarely used. The cabinet is beautiful. Everyone asks me if it's a liquor cabinet :shock:

I'm not versed in all things "treadle", so don't know what models are going for. I also don't know anything about the Franklin brand.

I do have several vintage sewing machines. Based on what I see, I think it's a pretty good deal, if you are buying it for your own use. The machine appears to be in great shape, with the decals intact. The cabinet doesn't appear to need refinishing, either.

Like most vintage machines, I don't think you can resell it and make a profit. Maybe some of the die-hard treadle people can advise you on the brand and what to look for. If you do not get a satisfactory answer here, go over to http://Victoriansweatshop.com. That's where many of the die hard treadle people are.

bkay

Franklin is a badge for Sears. The origin of the machine has several possibilities.

Nice looking parlor cabinet. That is an OK price for Kansas, USA IF it has all the pieces. Some treadle drives have disappeared in a century. Also make sure the head has the vibrating shuttle and the bobbins.

https://www.quiltingboard.com/member...38-579298.html

If it's what you are willing to pay and the machine makes your heart go pitter patter then it's a good price. Would I pay it? No, but I'm not looking for a Franklin treadle.

Cari

I doubt it, that looks like an electric cabinet not a treadle.

Cari

Cari is responding to a post that I deleted because it was the wrong Franklin cabinet. She is right.

This is what I hoped to post. GF's treadle in a parlor cabinet.[ATTACH=CONFIG]597630[/ATTACH]

That's a purty one Leon.

Cari

If it's just another old electric sewing machine, no, I wouldn't pay that for it.

After Cari said it was electric, now I see there are no holes for the belt (holes should be under the hand wheel on the bed of the machine). If it has no irons inside the cabinet, it cannot be converted back to a treadle (if it ever was one). I bet it would be very difficult, if not impossible, to find a set of irons to fit that cabinet.

bkay

Id try to haggle and get closer to 100
Someone near me was selling one for $50 and i missed out

On the first picture, I see the holes for a treadle belt under the handwheel on the right. $100 to $200 is a common price range here for a treadle in very good condition. Franklin is also fairly common and not as collectible as some brands. If you are thinking that is a fair price, ask for a picture of inside the cabinet. Make sure the pedal, fly wheel, pitman and other connecting parts are there. Also a picture with the front slide open showing that the shuttle and shuttle carrier are there. If this matters, remember that enclosed treadle cabinets might have a little narrower space for treadling than some of the open work treadles.
For that price, I would also expect the manual, attachments, extra bobbins, and no silvering on the decals. But that's just my criteria because I already have three treadles in acceptable condition and I paid much less than $100 each. As Cari says, if your heart flutters when you see it, that is an indicator!

Bkay I said that about a pic that Leon posted, then he deleted it. I wasn't commenting on the OPs Franklin.

Cari

yep, Sorry bkay.

I just bought this same sewing machine. Did you end up buying it? If so, did you find a model number on it. I can't find a number anywhere on mine.

From what I have read:

The Franklin brand of sewing machine was a model line offered by the Domestic Sewing Machine Company of Buffalo NY after winning a 1899 National Export Exposition award presented by the Franklin Institute of Philadelphia.

In 1911 Domestic sold both their 'Franklin' and 'Minnesota' labeled sewing machines through an agreement with Sears & Roebuck. The machines were nearly identical copies of the Singer model 27/127. The Franklin models remained mostly unchanged when White purchased Domestic in 1926 and continued sales of both the Franklin and Minnesota to Sears.

So there may not be a model number on a 1911 or later treadle Franklin machine because "The Franklin" was the model. White didn't change it and only replaced it with The Franklin Rotary in 1932 (which bombed in sales, and was renamed to become the first Kenmore labeled sewing machine in 1937).

Of course, what I've read may be sketchy in facts.

Someone has done a great job of refinishing the cabinet, that work alone would be worth $100. $50 more for the machine is a bargain if you want to sew on a treadle. IMHO