old singer found
 

My siblings and I are going through our parent's house after the death of dad and mom in a nursing home. We found an old singer machine that is in pretty rough shape. Is there somewhere we can take it to see if it's worth saving or should we just not worry about it. It's an old treddle machine. We have all the pieces but they are not together anymore. Any suggestions?

If you post pictures here, people can help you identify what model and possibly year the machine came from, at least. And probably also give you ideas on what it'll take to fix it up back to functional. From there I'd suggest researching on eBay to see what similar machines are going for.

Sewing machines in rough condition are often not worth much unless they're rare, sorry to say.

It's very likely it's only worth saving if a family member wants it. They are rarely worth more than a $500 even for the rarer, in perfect shape ones. Singer made most of them by the millions.

I personally feel that family machines are worth saving. Singer machines are (seems to me) fairly easy to bring back to working condition. They make a great straight stitch - particularly good for piecing quilts. My brother and I refurbished the treadle my sister learned to sew on. She was quite pleased with having it usable and enjoys using it on occasion. She sent me a quilted table runner she made with it and it is beautiful. I had tried to treadle a long time ago and couldn't "get it." After doing hers and her telling me how much she enjoyed sewing on it -- I finally got a treadle and practiced on it and it really is fun. I'm not sure I would want to make a garment with a treadle, but piecing would be great.

There are lots of people here that can help bring it back to working condition and "stickies" telling how to clean and use. There are several threads that have brought old "rust buckets" back to useful, serviceable and enjoyable machines.

Janey - Neat people never make the exciting discoveries I do.

Cathy is telling you the "money" end of it, but there's more to it than that. Although Singer did make them by the millions, that was generations ago. They are no longer made and are a finite commodity. Prices vary by region and availability. For instance in Springfield, IL you can't find treadles. Most of mine came from elsewhere.

If you have all the parts it's worth refurbishing. If you don't want to do the work yourself, at least give/sell it to someone who will. Don't let someone destroy it by turning into a table.

Joe

Joe, if we had a "like" button, I would " like" your post.

Joe makes a good point about location. He lived in an area where he could not find treadles, I live in an area I can't hardly give them away (unless I want to see them turned into tables or worse). So between the two of use, we made it work and now there are several more machines in treadles where they belong.

Most of us do this because we love the old machines and want to save them. I've got around 150 of them, and I've probably paid $100 average on them. Adds up to a nice chunk of change! And then what I spent on attachments - and then the building . . .

Yes, don't let them turn it into a tractor either.
Donna

To me, there is nothing better than messing with an old beat up sewing machine. For what ever reason they sew better than the nice ones. Yes get it working.

I would kill to have my Mom's treadle. I do have and use a treadle that my husband bought for me and I love it and would never part with it-I also use the newer ones that have to be plugged in : )