Miz Johnny

No need to use a sledge hammer--I'm sure it can be arranged, but first I have to be able to FIND my machines!! I'm working on it. Also, I'd have to have pictures PROVING you're a terrible housekeeper. No judgement on my skills!

I do occasionally have people in to play machines. I usually have a mid-winter sleep-over with a few good buddies (including McKenna of "Your Grandmother's Sewing Machine" fame--her site has been listed here several times), but I think this year I'm going to have to put it off until later in the year, as the weather is really unpredictable and the husband of one of the group has had a major heart attack.
We've also met at a cabin for the weekend, and I've mentioned the TOGAs here as well. If you can get to a TOGA, it's an amazing amount of fun. The tagline for a TOGA sometimes is "More fun than is usually legal." If you're interested, PM me and I'll give details.

Miz Johnny

Sort of--the Minnesota machines were made by various companies, badged with the Minnesota name and sold by Sears. The Kenmore machines are also made by various companies and sold by Sears. That's why some of your Kenmore machines were great, and some were piles of doo-doo.

Miz Johnny

Great!!

Miz Johnny

The drive-in pins are available for about a buck. If you can't find them locally, let me know. I have a whole box. :-)

chris_quilts

Thanks. Always a lifesaver. Blessings for your generosity.

BoJangles

Miz Johnny or Billy or anyone else, do you have a thread guide sitting around that is like the one I am missing on my Davis -- it is the one right next to the tension disk -- that you'd sell me? Maybe, from an older machine used for parts? That is the only thing I can see wrong with Betty. She is missing one thread guide. My Davis is posted on page 474 -- you can see where there are two holes where a thread guide used to be.

Nancy

BoJangles

[quote=Pins n' Ndls]Thank you everyone who has been rooting for me -- I could tell! I feel like a kid in a candy store today with a new toy! I think that is why we all collect these old girls. They are just so much fun to have, they sew so amazingly, they were built to last! Unlike all of today's stuff -- I have a perfect example of that with my very expensive modern machine that is no good now unless I decide to have it fixed for $500 bucks -- and it is only 6 years old! I think I will stick with the old machines. The treasure hunt is so much fun, the refurbishing is a blast, and once you get these thrown out, thrown away, abused machines up and running again -- it is just exhilarating!

Who cares what they are worth to most people -- what they are worth to most people is pretty obvious when we find these old ladies that have been put in barns, outside, whatever. I don't do it for the monetary value. I do it because I love them. I am proud of what they survived. I guess, we need to put some kind of monetary value for insurance purposes, but they have a very high sentimental value to all of us or we wouldn't be doing this. I can't wait till garage sales start again so I can get back into the hunt! It is history, it is our heritage. Besides, it is so much fun!!!!!!

My two cents worth.

Nancy

vintagemotif

[quote=BoJangles]Nancy, I'm so happy that you got "Betty" working. Have fun with her!
And have fun hunting for those special machines at the garage sales.

Lostn51

I see how it is around here, I go back to work in the studio and all the sudden there are a dozen pages of unread post!! :shock:

As far as the value of the machines Johnny is right, just because it is old does not make it worth a lot. I only have one machine that I would consider very valuable and that is my 1871 FC Henderson. But its not valuable enough to have a writer on it. And if you included my entire collection that still isnt enough for a writer on my policy.

Billy

BoJangles

Billy since you are on line, do you have a thread guide for my Davis VF2?

Nancy