I paid $25 for mine, with reverse, about 40 years ago. I bought it to teach my daughters how to sew. The machine I used had way too fast of action to teach 7 & 8 year old to sew. Since then I have taught dozens of girl scouts to sew on it. I regularly sew on it. I bought a spartan that was about the same equivalent machine. They are durable and they last forever. Heavier than a featherweight but doable. I keep both of them set in my sewing room for quick repairs. Since you don't feel that the money you loaned would ever be repaid, take it and enjoy.

My daughter bought me mine for $ 15 ...... The machine is a 3/4 machine...not full size...the 99K were made in Clydebank, Scotland at the plant in Kilbowie :) They are wee work horses and I love mine....I hope you love yours as much:)

I paid $65 for mine. It came in a cabinet. Perfect condition. Decals are perfect. It's a really cute little sister to the bigger Singers and can sew up a storm.

I have had mine for 30+ years... before that it was my father's and before that it was his grandmother's. I love it, and not just because of the family history. It's a terrific machine and I have been tempted to get another so that my baby could go into semi retirement and still have lots of life for the next generation to know and love!

Take the machine and don't look back!!

I paid 35.00 for mine in a great cabinet. It has reverse. I do love to use it. It is heavy, but mine just stays in its cabinet. I'd get it and have fun with it!!

I know I'm a little bit late in answering this, but I have 2 Singer 99's, a 1924 99 with a foot petal and a 1928 one with the knee bar. They both have the lovely bentwood cases. I paid $75 and $50 for mine. Neither one came with an instruction book, which you can download from the net., and all of my short shank attachments for my other machines will work with them. They are quiet but heavy little machines and I wouldn't trade either of them for anything else. They were both made in the US.
So, if you can get one in trade for the loan that you gave and never expected to receive back, you are getting a good deal, in my opinion.

Well I went to look at it and it had a problem with the bar that moves the feed dogs. There was a crack in the metal so I didn't take it. I don't think it is fixable.

I have a bar from a 185 if you want to fix it...

Can you show me a picture of the bar? How much do you want for it? I don't know anything about old machines so is it something I could fix myself? I am handy at fixing things, I just don't know much about what machines parts are interchangable with another machine.