That "finite number" may well be over a billion. If you look at Singer documents, millions of machines were cranked out every year. And they were made to last forever and they will unless left out in the backyard to rust. Never fear, there will always be PLENTY of old Singers around... for the rest of our lifetimes. We love them and seek them out because they are part of our history-- we learned to sew on one, or Grandma had this other one.... The current generation did not grow up with those old machines (for the most part), so as Patrice mentioned, they will not value or demand them.

Cari, if you are lacking in old Singers, please come to my house and take some home!

Just looked at the picture again... I can see why someone would do this, from a financial standpoint. They can probably get $100 or more for them as a tractor than they would get for them as a sewing machine. Especially if the machine no longer worked or had missing parts... maybe worth $20, if you could even get that.

Can't rescue them all! There are much more important things in this world to be sad about.

Yes, there were gazillions of them made. But gazillions were also destroyed over the years by dealers. Did you know that for many, many years Singer salesmen were required to destroy every trade in machine? Think about that. There were thousands of Singer stores, and every one of them had a mountain of destroyed machines out back.
The end of cast iron sewing machines won't happen in our lifetime, or our childrens', but it will happen someday. I just will not advocate anything that helps it along. I don't want to own them all but I do want to save as many as possible from becoming anything they aren't supposed to be.

Cari

I wonder how many VS2s, 201s, 99s, W&W No 9s, there are left? Its' hard to esitmate. I would rather send my machines to someone who cares and treats them well.

I no longer even try to recycle older (Kenmore, Sears etc.) sewing machines. I just tell the donors to please take them to the thrift store since I can't even give them away.

How would you convince someone that a black or tan older machine is "better" than a new white one right out of a box that was made within the past year? And the more it cost, the better it should be???

Especially if the person did not have any history of sewing in his/her life?


One keeps hearing "You get what you pay for." So by using that 'logic' - a $12,000+ new machine should be MUCH better than a $25 dollar vintage machine.

And - depending on what you want it for - it may be.

But there are other times when a machine that performs one function perfectly is a better choice.

People in other countries, like third world countries, are very grateful for these types of machines.

I would think that a treadle machine would be very welcome in places with little or no electricity.

One of our repair shops regularly donates non-computerized machines to a mission in Mexico. And I know that there are other places that utilize hand crank machines.

At lest they aren't boat anchors.