chris_quilts

The 1st Seattle ad http://seattle.craigslist.org/est/atq/3993559531.html is for a 301 in a cabinet for $125. I would consider that and even clear out some of my acquired NTMOS (new to me old stock) if I could get it.

grant15clone

I read that too. How do I contact Singer for appraisals? That would be awesome!!! I wouldn't have to even show them the machine either! Airfare to China these days is expensive. So is shipping. Do I call the same # to have my Chevy, my jewelry, and paintings appraised too??? I need to know!!!
Sorry to say that a less informed person might believe this BS! I hate it when I see people blatantly LYING in ads.
~G~

mlmack

I'd go with Sears, like that one guy did. They appraise Singer at a higher value.

ArchaicArcane

I have a sneaking suspicion that the people saying that are talking to a Singer dealer in their area. The dealer would likely say something to the effect of "a fully serviced machine is worth about xx" and they hear "It's worth xx(X2)"

miriam

There is an old dealer in our area that think$ hi$ $tuff is gold plated. Maybe they went in there and looked around and $aw one like the one out in their $hed and figured their$ might be worth that much, too.

ArchaicArcane

There's at least one of those here too. I went into one of the shops yesterday looking for something, and looked at the used machines while I was there. $299 for an Elna SU, $175 for a 15-90, etc. Maybe they didn't ask anyone, just compared what they saw to what they had.

miriam

Around here he wants $500 for an Elna SU... It may be where people get their ideas...

frudemoo

Wow. Just wow.
http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/south...ble/1024739519

Macybaby

We have one of those too! He's an older dude that we refer to as the "Troll" He looks and acts the part. Friendly enough unless you want to buy something from him. The he gets all crafty looking and refuses to give a price. And if you make an offer, he's smirk and say "you'll have to do much better than that".

His shop is filled with neat old machines and just about every old Singer attachment out there (all covered with a layer of dust too). He's been in business for about 40 years, and bought it from someone else so he's got a lot of "new, never used" items. We got to talking to him and he wanted us to consider buying his shop - but I expect he'd want someone to pay for that imagined pot of Gold in the back room too.

Cecilia S.

Just some thoughts on the 'really expensive machines' in shops. Granted, the $500 mentioned for an SU is way out of line, and certainly someone like Miriam knows what she's looking at at and what things are and are not worth. Also, caveat, I am the first in line to want a good deal, and generally one to scorn Fad-Mania pricing, honestly!

However, the one thing I do want to say is that there can be a big difference between a $40 Craigslist machine and the "same" machine from your OSMG with triple the price tag. While one's instinct is to balk at the expensive Shop Tag, in an ideal world, the one in a shop has been tended to and brought up to snuff by Real Person Labour, and also comes with some sort of trust, standing behind it, etc. There is something very valid to be said for keeping local people in a job. It's good for everyone. (As I said, ideal world... I know there are sheisters out there, having recently paid too much for something myself from a local shop and in the end having been royally hosed. And it really stinks when there are trolls out there masquerading as nice shop owners. Grumble.)

Here, we tend to be tinkerers. So we are happy to get a $25 machine and tinker away for HOURS to get it up to snuff, because it is our hobby. However, if you took that same machine to someone to have cleaned, de-linted, baptized in Tri Flo and annointed with SM oil, polished, etc etc etc, you can bet that the labour there would cost a pretty penny. A good example of this is my $20 Pfeffer 130 knock-off. I spent -hours- cleaning, re-wiring, etc etc... And it easy to balk at the "same machine" with a $200 price tag, but if that same machine has been given the Royal Treatment, that may be a different story.

Anyhow, it's all very interesting to me, this whole concept of "worth" as applied to these wonderful old machines. I see a lot of confusion and mania over the intrinsic value of machines, the "List Price", the "going-for-on-eBay" price... I think sometimes we tend to be guilty in both directions, under-valuing one thing, over-valuing another. I'd love to know what others here think as well!

(And I will also be the first to admit that I will be vulnerable to non-sensible thinking when I finally land my eyes on a RLPSM*. I also broke my fifty-cents-per-pound rule when I bought my Featherweight.)

-Cecilia

RLPSM = Real Live Pink Sewing Machine