How to determine value
 

I am new to sewing machines, but I seemed to have gotten hooked quick. After working on my wife's Singer, I started hunting for others to work on. That's when I started running in to trouble. I do not have the history with these machines to know when something is priced reasonably or if it is priced sentimentally. Singers are easy enough, I can look on eBay or CL, but when I run across a Morse or Free or one of the Japanese clones, I have no basis for what it is worth. I realize in the end, they are all only worth what I am willing to pay for them, but I want to be able to have a little left over for the next one.

Is there some centralized source for valuation, like a sewing machine NADA?

Thanks
Ken

Read and read and read here Ken, you'll get a huge education in pricing and fixing up if needed.

"value" in anything is what the market will bear mostly. If you are willing to pay XXX dollars, that is what it's worth.
We get tons of threads here about picking up machines for next to nothing. That's great, I've been given my Singer 66 treadle, my 128 LaVincadora hand crank, and my lovely White Rotary blackside. Can't beat that price, but I was prepared to pay $100.00 for a good basic treadle. On the other hand I paid $300.00 each for my celery and black featherweights. Turns out I don't care much for Featherweights, so sold the celery and the other just sits under the table. :) That expense gripes me :)

Welcome to the board

Ebay "Completed Listings" and "Sold Listings" are a good start. There are so many variables it's tough to pinpoint an exact price. Buy what you like at a price your comfortable with.

Jon

Thank you. I have already learned much from reading these forums. I had been searching eBay for comps, so I will continue that process, and come back here when I have more questions. I have already picked up my first vintage machine (Kenmore/White 117.560) and am having a blast cleaning and working on it. I can understand how it becomes addicting.

Ken

Prices vary widely. What seems reasonable in one area may be high or low in another. Ebay gives a good idea of what top dollar is on machines. Watch your local Craig's List. After a while you'll get a feel for what's a reasonable asking price in your area. You'll start seeing what the range of asking prices is and what ads hang around forever. Most of my cheapest machines are thrift store finds.
As KalamaQuilts mentioned we do like to brag about getting machines for cheap but that's not the whole story. My own experience is I'm a bottom feeder. I buy cheap machines. Generally there's good reasons why they're cheap. Something on them needs to be fixed for them to work and the cosmetics aren't that great on most of them. You get what you pay for. A complete machine in good cosmetic condition is worth more than a beater that's missing parts, same as anything else.
Rodney

Be careful with cheap machines. They multiply more quickly than the expensive ones. :)

Jon

They do tend to come in 3's. :D

LOL :- )

A clean good condition machine in working order is allowed to cost a bit more. A newly rewired tend to cost a bit too. Serviced and with a form of guarantee, they tend to be $150 and up here; which is often what seller wants for a machine any condition. They very often go for a reduced price a few weeks later. With all accessories and a few attachments they they can cost a bit more too, often not much. A dirty unchecked machine straight out of ten to fifty years storage, should be considerable less than a clean one. As mentioned prices vary a lot, it's not a marked where there are any firm guidelines on pricing.

I like to think of the machines that need some work as machines that are low in price but high in sweat equity.

Often there's a lot blood sweat and tears in them for me. (the tears are often related to the blood part...)

Here's how I figure worth:

My last 2 machines were $15 and $20 respectively. The $15 was an RAF Singer 15 and the $20 is a 15-91.

The RAF has all of its wiring cut, no pedal, a missing slide plate, a missing stitch length lever and really needs a good cleaning and several adjustments. Normally, I wouldn't buy a machine like this but it IS an RAF with a spoked handwheel to boot!

The 15-91 has failed shellac and is rusty. The motor and light were rewired but I don't usually trust it, so I'll be doing a thorough check and servicing the motor (had a peek inside - needs help)

All told, there will likely be easily 4 hours into the RAF and probably double that on the 15-91 once I finish french polishing it and reassembling. Now, my time is worth something, even if I am working on a hobby. I like to be paid more than minimum wage so factor in my time, parts and "shop materials" and both of those machines are over $100. That's just for the heads. Any sort of case or cabinet should be factored in on top of that.

That's how you can value a machine that's already been taken care of and is ready to sew. If a machine is attic fresh, determine what you would pay for it if it was completely ready to sew, and subtract the parts and the labor you would put into it to bring it up to that standard. That should give you a starting point.

The value is still subjective - what you'd be willing to pay for it - but this helps keep it "reasonable".

Expensive Featherweights
 

I know what you mean about the expensive Featherweights. At our recent quilt show, a vendor had a FW that she wanted $550 for. I have one that I can't even get $300 for that is just as nice. Hers wasn't anything special, just hers, I presume. They are light weight and cute, but that's just it. They aren't even all that rare. Some people have 5 or 6. You can probably get $300 from the right buyer. Someone will want your machine. Think of it as an investment or for your retirement. There are better machines out there and I hope the FWs don't go out of style for a while.