You might find a junky sewing machine in a nice cabinet on CL or GW or a garage sale. Then use the good cabinet for the machine of choice and put the one you don't want in the cabinet or case you don't want and resell... I have cabinets begging for homes around here - I bought a couple at an auction for not too much - nobody else wanted them... I think cabinets are harder to get rid of than to find at least around here.

It seems prices are a bit higher in my area, in general. I see so many posts about such good prices - and when I search for the same in my area - so much higher! Think it will take more time to find better deals here. It is amazing the pricing differential! Though one machine that seems to be pricey everywhere is the FW. So cute, would love one of those. But looking at the prices - wow.

Thanks for the explanations about cabinets. I had to take my 15-91 out of the cabinet to take it to the shop. I didn't get how the cabinet supported all of that weight, how it was hooked in. But now I see how it works. So I better know what to look for should I find a 201 without a cabinet.

Still have a hard time seeing how a sewing machine attaches to the empty cabinet I have. Probably because I haven't seen the right type of machine meant for that cabinet. My Janome has a smooth base, so nothing to screw onto the base in the cabinet. No matter. I find the cabinet useful for other things (like supporting the weight of a quilt on my left as I FMQ). :thumbup:

I think I saw where someone cut a hole in a kitchen table to make a sewing table - I guess you just might have to get inventive if all else fails. I see bargains all the time - I just can't take home all the strays.

Yes, Eleanor Burns has a video on her site detailing how to do this. The thought has crossed my mind that if push comes to shove, could build an inexpensive base for the machine, and then find an inexpensive kitchen table that could have the hole cut out to fit the base. Since a kitchen table isn't labeled for *quilting*, should be able to come across one of those for a good price!!! Refinishing is easy enough too. Or, if the machine doesn't need to sit in a base, then that eliminates that step. Not sure how it would look best. But that is way getting ahead of myself! And I might get lucky and find the machine I want in a useable cabinet. Feel like I got lucky with my 15-91 and the pretty green floral cabinet it came in. :-) I would like for some strays to find me!!