It is funny nobody wants one when they buy a machine. But they do buy them to repurpose/redecorate.

I kind of like the top,.. I think I've seen that process before, but I don't recall what it is. :)

Decoupage...layers of paper and glue. My 401 is in the same cabinet. It says to call the sewing cabinet police.

Miriam, I had that exact same Riccar. My husband's ex-girlfriend found it on the street, then abandoned it in his apartment. It was missing its bobbin case. I took out the bobbin case base (or race?) and wandered around Chinatown with it till I found a place that would sell me a case. (OSMGs are few and far between here -- Chinatown is within walking distance and has shops that service industrials.) I think I paid $5. It was a nice straight stitcher, and strong. The oil holes were painted red. I used it for years then gave it away when I bought my 401. I kinda miss it. It never gave me any trouble. It had a sister I found at a yard sale for $7 that was a pretty green and white and could zig zag, but the left-homing needle drove me nuts. (I don't miss her -- she was a looker but I'm not *that* shallow ;) I gave them both away at the same time. End of reminiscence.

Is it repurposed or depurposed? It had two purposes before and now it has one.

It is a neat color but I wouldn't pay $400 for it...
http://ontario.kijiji.ca/c-buy-and-s...AdIdZ528873353

I know it's not a popular opinion around here but I have one that might get redone just like that. Depends on how it comes out if I can save the sewing machine function of the table. It was pretty abused over the years and I would rather save it then landfill it but it's past simple refinishing.

However, book pages make me angsty and I wonder what happened to the machine.

Only $1000. yep, that's right...I wonder if the flip flops are included?
http://grandrapids.craigslist.org/ppd/4097309376.html

Oh! That one was done with the actual paper? The process I was thinking of was a transfer of some sort. I saw it at a painting shop. They used it to put a medallion (looked like a travel stamp) onto a chest of some sort. Looks great on the right piece of furniture (and no, the sewing cabinet was not the right furniture. ;))

Don't know which is worse - what they did to the cabinet or what the did to the book! Hmmm - maybe I could buy up a bunch of cheap old sewing manuals and them apart and put them on the top of a cabinet.

I know there may be some cabinets out there not worth saving, but I've also seen a lot of nice benches and cabinets get painted just because they were cheap.