Singer Featherweight machines
 

Where is the best place to find these Singer Featherweight machines? Is the model 221 the lightest in weight?

The absolute best place is a garage sale for $30. But, I don't think they are there anymore. The internet is everywhere and people seem to price the top price regardless of condition. I have been in the search for a while also. Nothing so far. I recommend decide on a price you want to pay and go from there. What I have noticed is on ebay they are astronomical prices. Machines that are on for around $400 or more seem to go on, disappear and reappear a few months later. The photos are the same. I think the best place, though it may take a while is simply to let others know you are looking and keep your eye out for one.

I bought mine on eBay for $202 - you CAN find reasonably priced machines, especially if you're willing to take one that is less than perfect looking. Mine is in excellent shape functionally but has some pretty good wear on the decals. I bought mine to use rather than to display so I'm extremely happy with it. I got a case in good shape with it, a manual, and a box of 20 bobbins too.

There's always an element of chance when buying online - I had no way to verify if the motor was in good shape, etc. but for $202 I risked it and got lucky - she sews like a dream and shows evidence of plenty of love and maintenance during her life, along with plenty of use.

Locally, I can almost always find a couple Featherweights at the larger antique malls. They're usually in really good cosmetic condition and have price tags around $380-425 and come with a nice case and a lot of accessories. They don't seem to sell, though - the same machines will be there for months on end.

There are a few people who restore and resell FW's at quilt shows and expos. There's one who comes to our local quilt show and he sells restored FW's as well as repainted ones. His restored classic machines usually have stickers in the high $300's (and up, for rare versions) and a repainted machine...I want to say he asks high 500's for those but not positive. I have no idea how quickly he sells them.

While I think $400 may be a bit high, if the machine is in prime condition like the one I got, it has been well worth it. Only issue I've had has been with something coming loose in the foot pedal a couple times - an easy fix

I had the opportunity to buy a white one from a dealer for around $200 over 15 years ago but I was dumb and said no. Now the white ones are the most valuable. Easy come, easy go.

Check your local paper for estate sales and auctions also. I see them a lot at estate sales but I've not had the money (300-450) and not the budget. I got my 401 Slant for $150.00 in a desk cabinet with accessories and manual, etc. But your best bet is to check estate sales and internet for people who host estate sales. Get on their mailing list. They usually let you know when the next one is coming up and often will have photos of most of the merchandise. Saw a gal try to walk out of an estate sale with one she didn't pay for. She was stopped by one of the hosts who happened to be a police officer. Yep took her to jail. You can Google estate sales in your area to see if anyone hosts them.

I have bought a few (and sold a few) and bought all but one from eBay. The other one was bought on shopGoodwill.com. I haven't paid more than $220 for any of mine, but I also don't want or need one that is pristine. I buy them to use them. It is a bit of a risk, not being able to try it out, but I've been lucky, I guess. My advice is to keep an eye on Craigslist, if there is one in your area, because I've sold a couple of mine there and always end up selling it for less than I paid for it. You can sometimes get lucky on the Goodwill site -- I bought one there for $101 that "didn't work" and it just had a thread jam that I cleared in three minutes. And there are occasional bargains on eBay. I just set up a search that has a price limit on it, sort it by "ending soonest" and keep an eye on the ones I might want with the watch list.
Oh -- make sure the machine you buy has its bobbin case, preferably an original (some of the reproductions don't fit quite right).
Good luck! They really are fun machines to sew with.
ila

Remember that those well used ones really are the best ones so buy one from some unsuspecting heir. The 221 is light weight but so are plastic wonders. I have an old domestic machine that weights in about the same as a FW except the box it is in weighs 50 lbs or so. I'm sure you can find something light weight. The 301 weighs a pound or two more than the 221. There is a little Kenmore machine that is fairly light weight, too.

My first one was purchased from ebay for $325. My other two were found at antique malls, $220 for a centennial and $275 for a 1936. Both were sitting on the floor, still in their little black boxes, almost hidden from view!?! So don't just look for a machine on display - look under tables, etc. now on the prowl for a white one...

I just "won" a 99K off goodwill.com for $50. The cosmetics of the machine looked perfect, but ad said it needed a little work to function. Hoping just a thread nest and some oil will do the trick. My 301A I paid $200 for and it was perfect.