Singer 503A
 

So, I stopped in at my local thrift store and saw a sewing cabinet and peeked in to discover a Singer 503A. She's pretty dirty with minor chips but I plugged her in and she runs really smoothly. No Cams. Just the machine, a cabinet I think doesn't go with the machine and a manual for a Singer 99. This for $25.
I walked away but am really tempted to go back. Are cams expensive or hard to find?

Thanks

For $25 I would've taken it. I'm sure there are enough people who have cams for a 503 and manuals are easy and free to get by just downloading. Go back and get it before it's gone and so you have no regrets.:)

Thanks! I went back this morning and haggled them down to $20. Turned out that the zig zag cam was in fact in the machine, which was really good. I cleaned it up and not bad! Also a bonus, my husband took the new member of the herd in stride. Poor guy.

The manager also said she had some recollection that the donation had a box of attachments that wasn't put out with the machine. She took my info and said she would call if/when she came across it.
So, fingers crossed!

It's not the 401 that I want to happen across for $20 but for now, the 503 will do!

Lovely score! Slant needle for visibility and a drop in bobbin

Congrats on the 503. In case you don't have the manual you can download one at http://www.singerco.com/support/instruction-manuals Just put in 503 (not 503a). As you can see from the cam that you have you need what is called "top hat" cams. A good resource for information about the various ones for Singer is http://www.singersewinginfo.co.uk/pattern_cam_list/

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

That's a real nice, clean looking machine!! I was expecting to see something much "yuckier" for only $20. Plus a cabinet??

Oh, she's beautiful! Makes me feel like sprucing up my first machine which is a 404. Got it back from my daughter a few months ago.

Great find, I went to my goodwill the other day and they wanted 49 and 59 for their machines an none were in good shape! I think you got a great deal.

This was after an hour+ of elbow grease, cleaning wipes, polishing compound and metal cleaner. Wish I had taken a before picture! Truth be told, the thrift store people didn't even know what the machine was. It was wedged into the cabinet in a way that made it hard to open and so they just didn't. Even after I had it out, they offered that they had something "newer" (plastic) in another part of the store. I lucked out, for sure.

Congrats on the great find! Great price too~ :)