miriam

Go for a Singer 99 or a Spartan - nice machines, too. Much cheaper.

Jeanette Frantz

Folks, I have to agree with you (Joe). The $750-$1,200 FW prices are absolutely too high! I have one, courtesy of my son (a real bargain at $50.00). but I would never pay that much. The FWs are great for piecing quilt blocks, but I've been sewing on a Singer 403A doing some Table Runners. I love the 403A. The stitching is gorgeous! Another gift from my son! JMHO, but that's way too much money to spend for a FW! Again, JMHO!
Jeanette

manicmike

Or a 201. Much cheaper than a FW and very plentiful. They'll also stitch through anything. However none of these machines have a vertical bobbin like the fw has, and won't do free motion all that well, but boy that straight stitch is awesome.

miriam

The 201 is a fabulous machine it just isn't 3/4 or 1/2 size so isn't quite so cute.

pflum1

Look on sewitsforsale.

amcatanzaro

I bought mine from a person on craigslist that had it listed as a "Singer portable". It took me 9 months to find it and I drove 2 hours to get it. I spent less than $100 on it but I don't honestly use it too much.

ArchaicArcane

I can see people asking $750 - $1200 for the 222K machines, but not for a 221. At a glance, they can be mistaken for each other... is there a chance that some of the ones people are seeing for the really high prices are 222s?

That said - in Canada - the 222Ks seem to be coming down as well. I know of several that have sold for under $300 including the one I bought about 2 years ago now.

oldsewnsew

If you were going to make a living out of stripping and repainting FWs then selling them for $1100+, you probably are in the habit of buying well accessoried units from whatever source works reliably. Wanna hazard a guess where they are getting em? I never paid more than $100 for the 5 that I've purchased.

oldsewnsew

so if you look at it another way, if you paid hi dollar for a pink, purple or whatever, you're helping inflate the market, which can be good or bad.

oldtnquiltinglady

Just keep doing what DH and I did, and found a FW at an antique flea market type store--paid too much for it though (he is the one with the deep pockets and was tired of looking, I guess--he paid $275 for one that was in perfect condition); and it is the one that I am using for all my quilt piecing--even though I have three other black ones, and a white one. I guess it just makes a difference who gave it to me.

I read entries on this board of persons who have paid as little as $10 for one, and as much as $500. If you want to just keep looking for a FW, while you are looking, if you run across a 301, a Spartan, a 99k (heavy), or a 201 (I have one of these in a cabinet that is top of my world WONDERFUL, or as others have said a 403. I don't have one of those, so maybe that will become my next search option .

Anyway, good luck, I hope you find one soon that is just the price that you want to pay. Keep us posted.