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A very unusual weekend
Last year I discovered the joy of working on vintage sewing machines. It's a passion that hit really hard and I am having a blast finding them cleaning them and fixing them. Each one is a unique challenge and I am far from an expert but as a hobby I am enjoying it very much! I think it's a combination of the nostalgia, the solving puzzles, the precision, the research and taking something that isn't usable and giving it new life. Really, only a few people locally know about my hobby and that is because they run into me at garage sales and we chat. They always say "hey, if I see one, I'll give you a call!"
So last Friday I got a call from my dentist's receptionist and she was talking to a guy who's father just passed away recently. He was going through his things and he finds that his dad was into vintage sewing machines in a big way. As the story is told to me..the son just wants to get rid of them and would charge 5-10 dollars apiece. "He has manuals, spare parts, some in plastic cases..". Then she gives me his number. So..I call the guy and offer my condolences, tell him how I got his number and I am interested, says he will meet me at 10:00 am Saturday so I can see them. He says there must be 20 of them! 6 or 7 treadles. Some are working..he has lots of spare parts.. I wonder if they are letting any tools and supplies go too? I could maybe stock up on things I need! I'm thinking, maybe there is a Featherweight! |
I tossed and turned all night wondering what sort of prize I might find!
So I get there Saturday and the garage is open and there are sewing machines everywhere. It's a double room garage, kinda dark and moist and garage-y. It's hard moving through the space because there is just so much stuff. Machines are under shelves on the floor, in tables, in cases on shelves, stacked and packed into corners. It was a case of the family wanted them ALL to go. They weren't really up to me peeking through everything and really there was too much to see. I could tell there were AT LEAST 20. So he shoots me a figure on the whole lot. Whoa. :shock: I tried to negotiate for all the loose and boxed machines, maybe a treadle. I'm trying to figure out how I could possibly fit it all in my garage? The man is less than thrilled, they really want them all gone, but the packing begins. Hubby has a small trailer. As we are unloading the machines into our garage hubby says just take it all. He starts making room... Can you see where this is going? :D My garage is packed. It will take weeks to sort it all out. I have not even seen it all. There are tables and treadles and machines and cabinets with accessories and spare parts and even a couple sewing baskets! It's only been 3 days so I am still just trying to let the shock settle in. It was such a bizarre and unique situation where I had to make a decision. I believe I made the right one but I am still coming to terms with it! |
Congrats on your brand new shiny double edged sword! I hope you got some good finds in there, it sounds like just a bit too much of a good thing at the moment.
Rodney |
Congrats! Post lots of pics! ;)
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We'll be waiting to see this story unfold. Anxious to see photos of your new treasures!
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Congratulations! I bought one of those “All Or None” sewing machine collections back in October 2009. It was a 20-foot container full of machines on shelves around three sides and the floor full of cabinets. I couldn’t get into the container to see what all was there. I was only able to stand at the doorway on my tiptoes to see what I could from there.
It took me 7 trips with a full-sized pickup (8-ft bed) and camper shell to haul them all home. I used plywood to “layer” two levels of them for a couple of loads. At the end, I used (and filled) an 18-foot carhauler trailer for the last load of scrapped treadle cabinets that were in a separate shed that the seller threw in for nothing. Turned out to be 217 machine heads and 32 cabinets in the bunch. It sure got me into the vintage sewing machine business in a big way! CD in Oklahoma |
How awesome. I can't wait to hear what all you got.
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Well, when you get it all sorted out - I'm still looking for a Demorest, Florence and an early Eldredge made before they became National. Or any other top clamp machine I've not see before . . .
Sounds like a happy find - and post pictures of attachments if you want help figuring them out. |
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I am laughing this morning. I admit it is a lot of machines, but NOT 217! WOW!
Hubby counted 39. As I look through them it has been fun to see just what is hiding in the boxes. There really was no time to see what we were hauling out Saturday. We have a 5 x 8' trailer and it was 3 loads. I ended up with 6 tables and 9 treadles and they look to be in pretty good shape for the most part! I'll throw a couple on the list to re-finish this Summer. The sewing machines are mostly black Singers, with some other goodies thrown in. I am trying to quickly photo document everything just to have an idea of what I brought home. I have already taken a shine to a lovely green Singer 15. Come to me my preciousss. :p |
How fun!!! Can't wait to see more pics. And, I agree 217 WOW CD you had your work cut out for you.
JP |
I did that a couple years ago, too. I think I got 63 or so and most of them had cabinets. I think all but a couple actually were made to work! Well there may be a couple I haven't done much with so the jury is still out on those.
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WOW - that is what I dream about!!! No kidding - when I am having trouble going to sleep I make up a scenario just like you are going through. A whole garage full of sewing machines (or fabric) is going to be mine. Before I am done looking through it, I am asleep - LOL
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Well, Well, is that the pit's. I have to drive 5000 miles round trip in June to pick up one Standard treadle w/ cabinet and CD and Mrs. SewNsew have cornered the market on all the older machines. I think this may be illegal. Remember when the Hunt brothers tried to corner the silver market back in the day, well folks, I think we have a similar situation here and now I know the reason for the shortage of vintage/antique machines!! lol really LOL.
Rodney in Ponchtoula, La. PS-These are 2 spectular finds and I wish that I could be so lucky. You were at the right place at the right time. |
Ohh Rodney, 5000 miles?? That's a drive! That's a fear for me, these treadles don't fit in a mailer lol! Hopefully there will be people close enough to drive that want them once they are ready for new homes!
Honestly it wasn't all part of a dastardly plan! It took me quite by surprise! Day one, I couldn't even think straight, Day two I was overwhelmed but the amount of work that lay before me. But now on day four I am realizing there are all mine to sell or to keep! Eeeeee! ;) I can't wait to get a treadle working and give it a try. I've never used one before. |
Wow! Sounds like you will be busy for a while! Looking forward to seeing more pics! :)
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Originally Posted by Mrs. SewNSew
(Post 6656598)
Hubby counted 39.....6 tables and 9 treadles.....trying to quickly photo document everything....
39 is a good bunch of machines. I didn’t have a garage, so I had to rent two rental units to put them in to sort, document, and photograph them. I shot 5 photos of each one. That took some time, and not all of my photos were that good because I got tired and started hurrying things. I had a few people come by and pick some out while I still had them there, and then I had to “make space” to store them at our shop and home, stuffed into every nook and cranny that I could come up with. I gave a few of them away at TOGAs to help pay for those events, and parted-out a couple of dozen of the worst ones. I think that the part that I enjoyed the most was what you mentioned. Finding out what was in all of those cabinets and cases! It was like opening birthday presents! CD in Oklahoma |
A green 15! That's exciting!
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CD what is TOGA? You are the second person I have heard that from recently. Thanks for that last photo! Geez! Where was my head? I can put some of them under the cabinets to save on space! Right now I have mousetraps under the cabinets to be extra sure I haven't adopted any new pets!
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Here are a couple more. A Pink Atlas and a Portman. The "Portman" is an unusual little machine. It' looks like a miniature of the Elna Grasshopper.
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this is going to be one of my favorite threads to follow for a while... too cool!
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TOGA is a vintage sewing machine get together. It was started by the TreadleOn email group and stands for “Treadle On Gathering and Academy”. Hosted in homes first by sewing machine collectors, now usually in rented venues, machines are hauled in to work on, show-off, trade, buy, sell, and play with. Treadles and handcranks are usually in more abundance than electric machines at a TOGA.
They’re taking place all over the country during the year, and they usually have some type of raffle table of goodies to raise funds to pay for the rent and sometimes a meal on the final day. Most of the ones that I know about over the past couple of years have been 2-3 day events. A “Mini-Toga” is a term used for the meeting up of 2 or more people to swap a machine or two, either over lunch or in a parking lot somewhere handy. Your Portman-designed machine was marketed by The National Sewing Machine Company, and also sold through Montgomery Ward, and can go by the names “N-50” or “Model J”. I’ve got one that I’m wanting to convert to treadle operation, but I haven’t been successful yet. I can't wait to see what else you got.... CD in Oklahoma |
I’m not much for PMs, so I’ll answer the questions that I got in a PM about my purchase, so maybe I won’t get more PMs asking the same thing.
The collector that I got the machines from was formerly an Antique Tractor Collector that switched to sewing machines when the tractor parts and handling the tractors got too heavy for him. His favorite thing was to get the sewing machines working, and once he sewed a stitch line with them, he moved on to the next one. He wasn’t much into cosmetics. Most of the machines were “beaters” that didn’t look too good, and there were several parts machines that he’d robbed parts off of to get another one sewing. I got the lot at a really good price, and I won’t state how much. It was a Craig’s List Ad that I responded to, and I paid the asking price in the Ad. Then, I used the IRS flat rate for vehicle mileage to calculate the transportation cost (7 roundtrips), and added in the cost of the storage units (2 months for one and 8 months for the second), to come up with my total cost. I reached the break-even point in two years to the month, with about 3/4 of them still on-hand. No, I haven’t checked them all out, only the ones that I wanted for my own collection. I kept 20 of them, and over the past 2 1/2 years, I’ve found new homes for more of them and pulled parts off to ship to needy machines around the country. I probably still have about half of them, mostly common parts machines, since the nice ones and unusual ones went first. It has been a lot of work, but for a Vintage Sewing Machine Enthusiast, it has been about as exciting as it gets! And I’ve met a lot of really nice folks that also like old sewing machines because of it. CD in Oklahoma |
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Thank you CD! It's good to hear a bit more of the story! There is also a Sewette, I believe this is what you would call a Japanese clone? And Ward's Signature, a Singer 185k also in that lovely green.
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What a haul! Have fun discovering your treasures.
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Wow, oh wow, I love getting the vintage machines, I try for all Singers...I have gotten 10 in the past 3 years, and figure that's about my limit. I can SEE how stumbling onto this kind of a deal would be so exciting. I would simply have to pass because of space issues, but I'm hanging on every entry you make to this thread, You'll have to live this for the rest of us ...lol... Hurray for a hubby who understands. Mine found my last three of mine and there were at least 7 more in the booth that I passed on. Thanks so much for sharing with us.
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Hope it's ok to hijack this thread.....lots of enthusiasts reading here so,....there is an 1883 Davis currently online auction with goodwill I think ends in 3 days?Don't know anything about these but it sure is pretty cool...
[ATTACH=CONFIG]469833[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]469835[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]469837[/ATTACH] |
I'm finding that some machines other than Singer are very well made.
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Hi,
Pictured is a Davis Vertical Feed model New High Arm or VF1 made in 1883 (SN#264288). This is a needle feed, walking foot machine which Davis made in different models until 1924. This example appears to be missing it's shuttle and bobbin which might prove more costly than the machine. Fascinating machines and manufacturers. Jon
Originally Posted by Cogito
(Post 6657458)
Hope it's ok to hijack this thread.....lots of enthusiasts reading here so,....there is an 1883 Davis currently online auction with goodwill I think ends in 3 days?Don't know anything about these but it sure is pretty cool...
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Oh goodness, i woild love the Atlas. Lol its on my machine wish list. Im definitely going to be watching this thread. :thumbup:
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I snapped a few more pics. It was a pretty long day. I found 4 Singer 66's today all with Red Eye decals some in better shape than others. This was one of the nicer ones. Also a Singer Genie, this is snapped without the cover. A black 301 too!
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There are four Bentwood cases. Three contain Singer 128's and one had a 201. OF the four Bentwood cases three of them look like this! :eek:
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Gahhhhhh. Should sand off... right?
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No idea yet Anastasia. Sometimes you don't know whether to laugh or cry!
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Originally Posted by Mrs. SewNSew
(Post 6657638)
No idea yet Anastasia. Sometimes you don't know whether to laugh or cry!
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You must feel like you are in a wonderful dream you don't want to wake up from! Congrats!
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I would say that by some beautiful time-warp, you got a chance to pre-view heaven, right here on earth.
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It's exciting for me to page through and see the photos too. :) When I am out there with them it's still a lot to deal with. I haven't posted the really bad ones. In many cases even what appears to be bad might be a diamond in disguise. I have ones like this Singer 15, that is coated in grime--is that cigarette smoke? But I rubbed a bit with sewing machine oil and it started to come off. The decals look intact underneath as long as I can clean it without damaging them. The garage was not airtight, and critters certainly visited a few that were placed low to the ground too.
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Price not mentioned, I'm betting the 301 and 201 have as much value as you paid. The rest is dream-land gravy. Wow, I'd be like you, not knowing to laugh or cry. You're work is cut out for you. Enjoy.
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Wow, what a find! I have people tell me all the time, If I see one, I'll give you a call. Glad it worked out for you! Seems like you are having fun going thru them. Good Luck with your hunt!
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Originally Posted by Mrs. SewNSew
(Post 6658001)
It's exciting for me to page through and see the photos too. :) When I am out there with them it's still a lot to deal with. I haven't posted the really bad ones. In many cases even what appears to be bad might be a diamond in disguise. I have ones like this Singer 15, that is coated in grime--is that cigarette smoke? But I rubbed a bit with sewing machine oil and it started to come off. The decals look intact underneath as long as I can clean it without damaging them. The garage was not airtight, and critters certainly visited a few that were placed low to the ground too.
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