HELP!! I just got a Gritzner Durlach handcrank sewing machine!
 

Today I bought a Gritzner Durlach handcrank machine at a yard sale. I have read that they are patterned after the Singer 12, but know little more than that about them. Any one know where the serial numbers are found on the machine?
My machine is black and has most of the gold trims worn off, but the Mother of Pearl flower design is in the center of the machine and has a little chip out of the design. There is a Mother of Pearl border around the base of the machine. It has more of a fancy coffin case top rather than just the bentwood cases of the Singer 99's.
I am sorry that I can't post pictures of it. Any information that anyone can give me as to how to date it and where to get the threading instructions for it would be helpful. I went to the Singer site and asked for the Singer 12 instructions, and it showed 101-12, or something like that. What size needle does it take? Where can I get some? I NEED HELP!!!
Thanks, Janis

I did find out from Mizkaki, Cathy, that I can use an industrial needle DBX1 needle in my machine instead of the 12-1, which is supposed to be a lot easier to find. I put an e-bay link on another thread here showing what my machine would look like if it was in worse shape. Mine doesn't have all of the chipped paint that the one in the picture does.
Janis