Ooooooooooo gotta see gotta see. The photo's are not showing on this end..

you know, I find alot of machines now days that have very little use, 3 have never been used. I understand why way back when sewing machine where a gift, you graduated high school ya got a machine, got married ya got a machine, she got mad at you she got a machine ..it was like getting a sunbeam mixer. or one of those new thing that were electric and opened cans .

I've moved a whole of sewing machines around that have never been out of there cases. fact two weeks ago dug out a kenmore that I know has only been sewn on 3 or 4 times.

every machine I see in these now days mom & pop type thrift stores are $100 up, cause they looked it up on the net ..

Hmmm. I can see the pictures. I wonder what's wrong. I know that the dimensions are larger than the pictures I selected to post.

Yeah, the eBay effect has raised prices generally, I suspect. Many CL listings say something like "These are selling for $600 on eBay so $300 is a great deal" (and it's a 15-90 in decent but not great shape). People (want to) assume that just because an eBay seller lists something at a certain price, it's selling for that price; they're merely trying to inflate bids. And there are a lot of flippers on CL.

I've found great deals in the larger thrift stores, though. They need to move inventory so the prices come down after a while. $9.99 for a Pfaff 130 in this condition? Amazing. What's so odd is that other folks who saw it before I did didn't recognize its quality. Makes me feel like I'm strange, in a way.

The pics aren't here for me either. I have a little competition for old machines near me. The better ones don't stay long. I'm not too surprised the Pfaff didn't move quickly though. I think most people don't want older machines and appliances because they don't know how to work on them and there's no guarantee. They go buy something at the big box stores with the idea that if it breaks they'll just get another.
Corporate America has decided it's more profitable to sell cheap throwaway items and we prove them right every time we buy one instead of buying something of quality or getting something repaired.
Rodney

I can't see the pics either. Yes, we have become such a throw away society. Household items used to be built with the thought that it ought to last a lifetime. Now obsolescence is planned into the making of new items. My dad was a repairman for Sears for over 30 years. Back when he first started in the 60s, they were still repairing appliances from the 30s and 40s. By the time he retired, they only want them to repair items that are less than 5 years old. My oldest DD just had to buy a new washer because they wanted over $500 just for the parts to repair her 8 year old one plus labor, so she got a new similar one(with newer! better! features) for less than $400.

Cari

And it is the desire for EXACTLY this which drives the quality down... (more features, "better", features, LESS money)

The only way that can occur is if the labor in the process makes VERY little money and the components are farmed out for the lowest price (again labor to produce paid next to nothing)

The quality difference between an 1880's Singer and an 1880's "new home" is significant, so was the price...

My research into the sweatshops of the day (and today) has really opened my eyes to the self-induced down spiral of price and quality that we created and are living through still.

Let's see if these pictures show up:

http://www.quiltingboard.com/attachm...d=491330&stc=1http://www.quiltingboard.com/attachm...d=491331&stc=1http://www.quiltingboard.com/attachm...d=491332&stc=1

WOW! Nice!

Thanks! Not as nice as yours (and not free, either) but I like it and the price was nice. This morning I ripped it out of the cabinet with my bare hands, pins and all. I was afraid it wouldn't be supported for long as the screws and mounts were crumbling.

Wow! Color me green. I bought a 130 for $45 off CL, but not in nearly as good condition as yours, and with an after market motor. I still haven't had it looked at by our Pfaff guy, but he thinks he has a motor for it.

$45 is a great price, though. In my area, CL Pfaff 130s are usually around $100 - $200. I have another I bought for $80 (? -- I think that was the price) and in very good condition but it took a lot of cleaning. I mean seriously, it took me weeks to get it clean. I'm beginning to realize that Pfaffs are worth paying a little extra, both in asking price and in refurbishing costs. Really wonderful machines.