Singer allotment vs singer production?
 

ISMACS seems to show 50,000 allotted numbers every year for vintage model 27 machines? The 15-91 I have shows 50,000 allotted and then another 35,000 allotted on December 30th 1941? Is there an actual production number for machines or just the predictions of production? I’m guessing singer was cooking the books on the stock exchange also with investors not really concerned with what was produced but what profits were earned?

No a days it's not uncommon for a home not to have a sewing machine, but back in early 1900's the sewing machine was just as important as a family car is today. I found the receipt for my great-aunt's Damascus treadle from Montgomery Ward in 1925 and it was $25.00.

[QUOTE=Cari-in-Oly;8187419]No, the lists are of actual machines produced. QUOTE]

Cari, I have to disagree. These lists are allotted to models, not produced.

OK, I see where you are coming from... But, the dates are not necessarily WHEN they were built, right?

You are correct in that they aren't the dates they were made. If you look for the next allotment for the model, it's safe to say they were produced some time between those two dates, with a possible overlap of the second date, especially if you have a number that is very close to the end of that allotment. Some of the more common models have allotments happening pretty often, and some others rarely.

I agree with Cari - if Singer allotted 200,000, they probably didn't do another allotment until they had used up all of those numbers. There would be no reason for them to allot more number if they had not used of the first group. With the exception if it was the last group of numbers allotted for a particular model.

As business people, I believe there was some level of planning which included allotting for the next batch, before the prior one was finished.

Ok y’all convinced me if it was allotted it was built. My 15-91 was allotted on December 30th 1941. Since the number is about mid way of the 30,000 allotted safe to assume it was built in 1942?

I made an Excel calculator that you input the allotment date, input the next allotment date, and the allotment size. Then it calculates based on 6 day work week and removes major holidays to figure (assuming linear production rates) the approx date of manufacture. Fun, but still guessing.

Only you SteveH, would do that. Yep, Fun.

Exactly what I was thinking.