Friar_Tuck

I just picked up a great looking Simplex 15 clone, and when I opened the manual the first page lists the full cash value at $189.50. When I entered that into an inflation calculator with a guessed date of 1955 it is 1782.90 in today's dollars. I suspect that it may have been given away as an incentive or something and then listed at that cash price, but I have no idea. Just curious if anyone has some mid 50s sewing machine prices to compare.
Jim
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NZquilter

Wow! Goes to show that sewing machines have always been pricy.

My husband's great grandmother had a Singer Centennial 201-2, 1950. It was her pride and joy. It cost her the equivalent to $5000 in todays currency. It is still in the family and my DH and I had the fun of rewiring it and restoring it.

Funny thing is, when Singer first started making their 99s and Featherweights , they were both the "cheaper" machines!

Tartan

​Cute machine

pocoellie

Great looking machine.

wesing

I have a Compac 15 "clone" that lists a similar value in the manual.

bkay

I have the original receipt for my featherweight. It was purchased in October 1950 (does not have the day). It was $149.50.

bkay

sewbizgirl

I'm thinking that was a greatly over-inflated price and they didn't actually sell for that much.

Friar_Tuck

That was my first thought, hence the term "Full cash price."

John Sand

I think there is a similar price on the instructions I have from an early 60s rebranded Koyo. I'm not sure the instructions are original to the machine.

wesing

I was looking for something in the sewing room and had to move my Compac machine, and it reminded me of this thread. Here is a copy from my manual. Wording and price are the same. [ATTACH=CONFIG]607013[/ATTACH]