I do not collect sewing machines; I do not...
 

I had one machine for decades. Decades, as in 30+ years.

Then DH bought me a brand new whistles and bells Bernina. I had to keep the old crotchety but faithful machine.

I was given, as in 'for free,' a Singer 42 cabinet from FreeCycle - with a lovely Pfaff 130 safe inside.

I found an inexpensive, cute, small Singer cabinet - just perfect to display a huge Shamrock plant near a window - with a very nice 15-91 inside.

Four is not dangerously obsessive, is it?

Now the MIL has said she wants me to have her sewing machine. It's a Singer 185K3, green, in a blonde cabinet, that she bought new in the mid-50s. She's already instructing me on "just one drop of oil every time you sew." She sent me the original instruction booklet so I can "study" it

I thanked her, profusely and sincerely.

My name is Caroline94535 and I am not a collector.

LOL, maybe not (YET!) but you're off to a good start! Welcome to the club!

Cari

They are addicting - it's so, so hard to stop, and we can't say "no" when someone has a poor machine that is in need of a new home.

My husband just fixed up a well used FW, and I did some test sewing on her - she's going to be for sale in the local Antique shop (traded work for something else). She sewed so sweet, I nicknamed her 'Sweetheart" and it was really hard for me to send her off to be sold, but in no way do I need a third one!

This fall we'll be picking up my MIL's Singer Golden Touch & Sew. it's something I'd never buy, but I'll take that one because I know it was her "love" for many, many years.

They do seem to accumulate. On the bright side there's not a bad one in the bunch. Please be very careful with the plant stand. I think everyone here has at least one cabinet with permanent water rings in the wood from plants.
If you do some piecing and quilting on that 15-91 you might find yourself looking for a different plant stand.
Rodney

Nah, four isn't bad at all, says the person with way more than four LOL! You've really received (for free!) some wonderful machines that many are looking for pay for if they could only find them!

Rodney, I have a "grand plan!"

The little cabinet (I'll try to get a photo) is not in the best shape on top. I do have it covered with a piece of vinyl tablecloth and I put an extra large, heavy plastic drip pan under the planter and its saucer.

I had hoped to find a large Pfaff cabinet for the Pfaff 130. Then I could move the Singer 15-91 into the Singer 42 cabinet. Next I would refurbish/refinish (dare I paint?) the small cabinet and install the Fashion Mate 252 in it.

After doing Ancestory searches and learning so much about Amy Winslow Love, the Pfaff 130/Singer 42's original owner, I don't want to break them up now. The Pfaff will have to stay in the 42 cabinet. I'll have to start a quest for "the perfect cabinet" to hold the Singer 15-91. Let's just hope it does not come with yet another machine...unless it's a __________!

Yeah, they breed if you're not careful! ;)

I think you are OK and not a collector. I have 3 sewing machine, my Singer that my Dad bought me as a graduation gift and my two Bernina that they might be old but I still love them both.

I swore I wasn't a collector either, until I couldn't count them all on two hands anymore. I just bought machine #16 on eBay this past weekend. Now that the word is out, people are giving me free machines, and I have a few friends who are junk-shoppers and garage "sailers" like me and they text me photos of every old machine they find, saying "IF U WANT IT I WILL BUY IT FOR U" :D Ahh, all my beloved enablers... :)

Now I suppose I'm a collector, although I'm just about ready to actually let go of a couple of them. I think I don't like keeping them quite as much as I like "rescuing" them. I like to buy them stuck and dirty and distressed (but not TOO distressed) and make them all smooth and shiny and happy again and learn all about them in the process. But after that I'm sort of at a loss what to do with them, so I think I'll let go of a couple that I have duplicates of, or that I just don't find very fascinating. Maybe. :D

I have the PERFECT answer for you!!!!!! (Just lucky for you that I came along!)

Start up a mending and alterations service!!! Then, you can use all of the machines that you have rescued! Really!! It works!!! (You can thank me later in a PM.)

CD in Oklahoma