What is your personal collection style?
 

We all love vintage sewing machines. Some of us have 1 or 2, some collections in the 'teens, some have much larger collections. :p What do YOU focus on for your collection?

I am trying to find my way in figuring out what I look for! At first it was anything with a cool retro look. Very quickly for me, I stumbled into a bulk buy, so I took in 41 machines that were machines that someone else had chosen to take in. It has worked out well for me. I have learned a lot and continue to learn whether it is a machine I really like or something I never would have bothered to lug home. Sometimes the ones that are going to be stripped for parts can teach as much or more as the ones you are fighting to save!

As I work through these machines, fixing them, parting them out, attempting to sell them and even sewing on some of them I am learning more about what I like and what I look for. * I also get a feel for what other people might be interested in having and that helps me to tailor my shopping to what I want or what I WILL be able to sell.

I haven't messed with the treadles I took in at all. I will. It's not time yet. I learn that I love power. I like high powered strong machines. I like a hard look...oooh that Pfaff 130. THAT's a machine! The more parts on it the better. The more industrial or robot-like I can get it will be the best! *insert Tim Taylor grunting here lol! I also like machines that take cams. Cams are plastic types of materials but because they aren't a part of the machine, the actual sewing machine is not damaged if one breaks or is chipped. They allow a simple straight stitch and zig-zag machine to suddenly make lots of useful and decorative stitches.

I know I am attracted to Elnas, Pfaffs, Singers...and some day want that Adler 189A *more Tim Taylor...I know I'm hopeless!

What do you collect and why?

I'm just starting out, but I can already see a trend where my tastes lie. I seem to go mainly after mid-century models. I do find the treadle machines beautiful, but when I saw a Singer Rocketeer I knew I'd have to get one some day. I also want an Elna Grasshopper. I know Singers will always have a special place in my heart.

Alright - now I just need to win multiple mega-millions lotteries so I can buy a big old Victorian house to store all my machines in ;)

I tend to go mid century kenmores with the cool sleek looks and various colors. I love my Singer 15-91 because it's quiet and understated elegance and power.

I've learned not to have a lot of preferences because I can be very pleasantly surprised when a non Singer, non-unameit is a delightful machine but there are some I like more than others. I'm always happy to see them re-homed to someone who will use it.

I'd take them ALL if I had more room. I really love the "dashboard" style and if I hadn't gotten into the treadles, I'd go after them.

For now - I've got a collection of Singers, I've tried to keep them all unique in some way - and I've got a few I'd bring home if I found them, but I'm not seriously looking.

My other goal was to find one of each that fit the 12 Boye shuttles offered in the very early 1900's. And while looking around I found a book with a list of the "Major" manufactures in the early 1900's, so decided to get one of each of those too- but there was a lot of overlap between the two lists.

I also love lock stitch/chain stitch machines, though the hard part is usually getting the chain stitch adaptors for them.

But my real obsession is with attachments. I've only got a few of the rare/expensive Singer ones that I'm missing - but I keep finding more older attachments I've not seen before.

I'm trying very hard to keep my interests in the "modern" style of sewing machine - the ones that most people wold look at at easily tell it's a sewing machine. The oldest of these are from the late 1800's. My collection sort of takes up where SteveH's leaves off. I think the older ones are very neat and love looking at them.

My goal is to get a decent setup and then start going to quilt shows and vintage shows with a display of working machines.

Well I'm afraid my obsession is a bit on the flaky side. If I find a vintage machine that is cosmetically flawless, it comes home with me. They're easy to fix and it's rare to find one that can't be made to run like new. I did run across a Singer Rocketeer that was absolutely perfect the other day and walked away though... still can't believe I did that. Probably because it came right on the heels of finding a perfect Bernina 830 (which did follow me home) that I paid a pretty penny for.[ATTACH=CONFIG]480563[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]480564[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]480564[/ATTACH]

I seem to be drawn to companies, in this country, who didn't join up with Singer in the end. Unfortunately, they were forced offshore. I like Eldredges, Nationals, Davis and things that tie into that. I would like to eventually have them going back to their beginnings, up to the time they were no longer a US mfr. So I have a varied mix, from Willcox & Gibbs rebadged as a New Home, and would take the same as an Eldredge. I have pleny of Singers, and a couple Singer clones, I have New Homes from every decade since the early 1900's. I intend to display them for historical interest and sell of the ones that don't really interest me as much. (Singers, Kenmores, later Whites, etc) I have a few toys, especially like ones made by Eldredge.

cjtinkle, I don't find your preferences flaky at all! That's a fabulous Bernina and who wouldn't want it?? I have my mom's Bernina 830 and am blessed to have it. It's not perfect but it's perfect for me. ♥

Cathy, I am an attachment whore...love them! There is a Kenmore in town haunting my brain right now mostly because of all the attachments it comes with whoo! I don't know enough about them all though. So many of you have such vast knowledge of the accessories, the machines, companies and histories!

Jim, I know next to nothing about the history of those companies. I know the Davis machines I have seen look pretty cool though. It's all so complicated to me how sewing machine companies bought and sold each other, copied each other, contracted and re-branded. My education is still so very shallow. I hope by hanging out here I will learn more and more of the histories and it will begin to become clearer.

Oh, I forgot. I seem to be getting (at least) 1 of every color. Orange and purple aren't represented yet, but that would mean buykng more Japanese vintage zig zags and I find them too frudtrating when they don't work right.

I can't pass up anything that runs. With that said my go to machines are the 201 and 500A. I have a 401 but I like the 500 better.

My treadle preference is a White machine but I think that's because it's the machine I learned on.