Pink Atlas in Clinton
 

I ran through the GW store on my lunch hour today and saw an old SM case. Lifted the lid and there sat a pink Atlas machine. It had all its plates, bobbin case, and at least one bobbin. It even had the pink pedal, and the original case with Atlas on the outside. I was going to plug it in til I saw the price tag: $99.99. I will keep an eye on it and see if anyone buys it before they mark it down. I don't really need it, but with all the original parts it would be fun to have in the collection. I'm thinking I would pay up to $45 if it sews.

Few machines are prettier than a pink Atlas. $100 at GW? Seems high, especially when it was donated. But maybe that initial price will ultimately work in your favor.

May your predator/prey instincts be rewarded and may the sewing machine gods smile upon you!

Having all the plates is a super bonus. I agree though that they priced it high. The most I've paid for a machine at Goodwill was $50 and I don't think I would do it today unless it was something special. Yeah, I'd pay $50 for the Atlas though. If I was still buying. Which I'm not. Really.

Cari

Silly me. I probably would have taken it at $100. But then I'm not a regular GW shopper so I wouldn't know better. A pink Atlas is on my "want" list.

It might be a bit of a drive. An Atlas is well worth the money if it is in good working order.

I paid a lot more than that for my PINK Atlas. But only because I really, really, really wanted one.

Our GW prices high, also. If antique, priced as such. Absolutely no deals. Like, hello?????? I really am going to pay $5 for a used Walmart shirt that I can buy on sale at Walmart new for $2 ????? I scored though the other day. In the blankets/quilt area was a blanket that looked like an overwashed polar fleece material. No,no,no. Not pfleece but Merino Wool and beautiful! It wasn't marked which meant between 5 and 10 dollars and would not know until got to register. Well, my goods -- a little cracked crock priced 2.99, a measure cup marked .99, and the queensize blanket/spread all rang up to 4.99. Go figure! I came home and washed the spread and my, oh, my how beautiful! But scoring like this at our GW is very, very rare.

Nice! There's nothing quite as satisfying as finding great deals on stuff you'll actually use.

I began thrift store shopping (including GW) in high school in the '80s. (I was going through an 'alternative' phase, complete with punk hair. Don't ask.) During this period, I noticed that prices suddenly began rising and I assume that word got out that thrift store diving was becoming cool.

It used to be that you could find screaming deals at GW but since everyone is wired and thus eBay is now setting the prices for everything, those days are pretty much over. And if someone sees a Singer 15-91 for $250 on eBay in fair condition, then GW's $99 price is a steal, right? (Doesn't matter that the eBay Singer will never sell.) CL is the best source in my area, i.e. people needing to sell things quickly for cash, free stuff, etc. and I've found other deals at smaller thrift stores and Value Village (a national chain of thrifts that includes Savers).

Another eBay effect has to do with those who buy at GW and other thrifts, then turn around and throw it on eBay for 400% markup. I don't fault anyone for adding to their income but this contributes to the upward spiral of prices on used goods.

And as I implied above in my earlier post, GW is supposed to be a THRIFT store, not a hoity-toity Ye Olde Antiques Shoppe. They're getting this stuff for free because tax law allows write-offs and it makes more sense to donate and make a claim on one's return than try to sell it. (I should add though that our family accountant has mentioned that the federal government is cracking down on write-off valuations. Just a word of warning.)

I'm betting there are bureaucrats in some non-descript office building in suburban Washington, DC cooking up some scheme to make all CL transactions taxable. You saw it here first!!

/rant over

I hope you are able to get this machine. I found one on CL for $50 with the original pink pedal and Pink & Black case with Atlas written on it. But I was wondering what you mean by having all of its plates. Here is a picture of mine. I just love it.

I do not understand our Goodwill and their pricing schedule but I hear some of your getting screaming deals on machines at 5.99 and am amazed! We are also overpriced on shirts and such. Sewing machines have had a variety of prices and the most I have paid is 50.00. That seems to be the going rate on a black Singer. I was lucky enough to find a 201 and another day a 99 there. I usually see Kenmores there and no matter how badly beaten up they are priced at 39.99. ??? Anything else I have seen there has been cheaper. I saw a nice White Rotary in a nice table for 25.00 last week. I didn't have any interest but someone did as it sold fast.

$50 or $100 - it is still cheaper than new - now or then AND it WILL hold up a LOT longer than new. If you can use it buy it.

The least I've paid for a sewing machine at a thrift was about $4 with a store discount and I've picked up a few free machines from CL.

Value Village usually starts their machines at $39.99, then discounts them every few days. But there doesn't seem to be much of a pattern. I found a mint Morse 4100 there at $49.99, then it was discounted. I came back and there it was for $19.99. The same store had a Morse 4300 (again, mint) for $9.99. ?? (Don't worry, I bought both.) A Kenmore 1913 for $7.99. (Another purchase -- one of the best, too.) But a crinkle Singer for $99 in a crummy table and someone bought it. I guess all of Isaac Merritt Singer's effective marketing still pays off.

The name Singer is synonymous to sewing machines, like Eversharp was to mechanical pencils.

You are right, marketing sticks sometimes.


Joe

Most of the machines I've seen at our Goodwill have been $25 or under. I've seen and bought a couple cabinet machines for under $10. I was in a few days ago and they had 2 machines, neither anything special. One was $17, the other was a really beat up Riccar 303 like mine for over $30. I don't understand that one at all. I didn't even bother to open it up because the outside was in such obviously terrible condition. I did walk out of there with a couple sewing machine controllers for $7 total though.
Rodney

If you can afford it, get it. Pink ones don't come up that often and the money won't be important a year from now though you might still be kicking yourself if you pass on it.
I used to drink a lot. I use the beer comparison on value. How much beer will the money buy? $100 is 4 cases of quality beer. The machine will last a lot longer than the beer and there's no hangover. ;)
Rodney

But both involve bobbin' (and maybe weavin').

snicker :shock:

I definitely got a good deal on mine then. I have my mom's Pink Atlas and I found one at GW in a cabinet for $9.99. Hopefully they work- haven't taken the time to check them out.

My local GW never has any machines.

I know they have to be in Texas like anywhere else. I wonder where they're hiding?
Rodney

I was at a thrift store this week and asked if they ever get sewing machines donated. The clerk said very seldom and we don't take old ones in cabinets - too heavy. This wasn't a GW but a little bit of an upscale store so-------it seems everyone is jumping on the bandwagon. I do agree that prices are on the rise in these stores. If you have auctions in your area this may be a good avenue for old machines also - especially at farm auctions.