One exception to this rule is some of the early models. The Encyclopedia of Early American & Antique Sewing Machines.Search for: Search Archives Archives CategoriesAs a rule of thumb, more than 90 of antique and vintage Singer sewing machines are worth between 0 and 100. Although we cant provide you with an exact value for your machine, we can provide you with some ways to help you discover it for yourself.A vintage Pepsi-Cola vending machine, circa 1940s or 1950s by the Vendrolator. Depending on a number of factors such as age, limited production runs, and condition, the value of your machine may differ. With 160+ years of history, there are an abundance of genuine SINGERВ® machines out there.

This was because of a general mistrust of German engineering and, of course. In the period between 18 many German companies produced machines with no reference to their origin. Distributors in those countries gave them various western-sounding names to help sales. Saying Farewell: Highlights from the Who We Are seriesShortly after WW2 the new Japanese sewing machine industry, funded by US aid, flooded machines into America and Europe. When it comes to antique Singer sewing machines, even avid collectors tend not to mince. For example, Singer Model 1, also known as Singer Patent Model.Shop for-and learn about-Vintage and Antique Singer Sewing Machines.

I asked you, dear readers, to share your experiences sewing vintage in our fun mini-series! In this post, I present you with a tiny sliver of the richness of vintage sewing вЂ“ collecting vintage machines.Like most of you, I LOVE to sew. One world I have become very interested in (as an outsider looking in) is vintage sewing. From quilting to costuming to RTW dupes, there really is something for everyone. Saying Farewell: Sewcialists InterviewsShort N Curvy on #AllButtsWelcome: UnmentionablвЂ¦Sara Elita Gauthier-вЂ¦ on Zero waste sewingThe wonderful world of sewing is filled with many different niches. This Polynesian tapa, possibly of Samoan design, is from the 1950s on cotton barkcloth.

I had a few minutes to spare before I was due to meet my husband and kids, so I popped in for some solo thrift time. Maybe itвЂ™s because IвЂ™m a sucker for old-world quality, or because I love to spend an afternoon browsing thrift shops, eitherВ way, finding vintage sewing treasures to gaze lovingly at, and sometimes even use ,В is one of my many quirks that makes my sewing practice that much more fun.One particularly awesome vintage find I scored was at my local Value Village thrift store. Vintage sewing is one of those вЂњnicheвЂќ areas that I tend to lean towards. I enjoy learning new skills and perfecting basic ones to further transform my journey.

Betty here is a reproduction of the Singer 128 and sheвЂ™s fully operational. To my astonishment (and major delight) the machine hiding underneath was a vintage badged White, from post WWII!When I brought it home and had the time to go through it, I learned a lot about shuttle bobbins and the era of badged вЂњDELUXEвЂќ Japanese-made machines. As corny as it sounds, my heart was pumping and palms sweaty as I unclasped the latches and lifted the lid. My mind was made up as soon as I saw the $20CAD price tag, but thought still needed to take a peek to be sure.

However, there was no real emphasis on fit, so that interest has come at the end of my sewing journey. Then came school and a whole different ball game! Everything had to be checked at every stage and done вЂњproperlyвЂќ вЂ” read slowly! I am an impatient sort of person so this didnвЂ™t really suit me, but I have to admit that I learned all the skills, including bound buttonholes, welt pockets and seam finishes. Follow along on YouTubeВ and Instagram.IвЂ™ve basically been sewing my whole life, making things by hand until I was deemed safe enough to use a hand crank, then a treadle and finally an electric machine! My mother was a maker extraordinaire вЂ” there was nothing she couldnвЂ™t turn her hand to, and so I learned by watching and experimenting. SheвЂ™s living what some would call an вЂњalternative lifestyleвЂќ with her husband and their 2 young kids. Shuttle BobbinsKate is runs local sewing classes, a custom garment business and her YouTube channel, Sewing from Scratch. I canвЂ™t wait to get all my pretty vintage pieces out where I can properly admire them daily.

I have instruction books for most of these machines, as well as a whole collection of feet for many of the machines. I have several childrenвЂ™s sewing machines too. I have three treadle machines and many hand cranks, most of which are put away as they are so big and heavy, but they are all operational. I have two Elna Lotuses and an Elna Stella (one Elna Lotus is used whilst camping and I use the Elna Stella at home). These machines are used constantly and are reliable and sew beautifully. A love shared by my mother, which means I have all her stuff too!I have more than 17 vintage machines at the last count! Most of them came from my mother who was a serious collector, but IвЂ™ve managed to acquire a couple without her help.Pride of place for me are the Singer Featherweight and Elna Lotus, both bought for me byВ me by my husband and transported across the continent.

I source it online from a vintage machine shop. I do use proper motor lubricant for some of the older ones rather than just sewing machine oil. Vintage machines have this effect on people, and I love that kids seem to love the engineering and therefore feel more of a desire to learn to sew.They are always astonishingly easy to maintain as the parts are accessible and most machines come completely apart.

My advice to people is to check the secondhand market but to know what to look out for вЂ” research is everything when buying an old machine!Sue lives and sews in Western Australia. There are still bargains to be had with some brands, but the prices of these machines is rising as people realise how good they are. If I was going to advise anyone on buying a sewing machine I would suggest starting at the 1960s and 1970s as these have buttonholes and zig zag features, andВ not much else is really needed. I also have a vintage Bernina, but still prefer to use the other machines. I have a very modern Bernina and to be honest, itвЂ™s not nearly as good as the Featherweight or the Elnas, all of which will sew anything, from leather to fine silk (not sure why I even have that Bernina, really!).

Every family has one in their garage that was handed down to them and very few seem to know what to do with them. Vintage machines are accessible AF in Missouri. That, somehow, owning the vintage machine and mastering it would make my newly sewn wiggle dress wigglier. It felt like a rite of passage, and, the only way I could take the intention of sewing my own vintage-inspired wardrobe seriously. I have not yet been to enough therapy sessions to tell you why I have felt the immense need to collect vintage sewing machines вЂ” but no one asks Indiana Jones why he does what he does, so I digress.When I began sewing my own clothes I had to use a vintage machine. I imagine this rush is the way archaeologists feel when they happen upon an excavation site, or, the way my husband feels when he happens upon the clearance snack food aisle at the grocery store.

Are you feeling overworked like Grandma yet? When I said that I wanted to feel like a nostalgic 1950вЂ™s housewife, this was not exactly where I thought my vintage sewing journey would take me. Oh, wait, you need a zig-zag stitch? Better hope to Besty that you have that cam disc somewhere in the musty box of thingamajigs that came with your machine. For the vintage sewing machines I own that are in working order, I was able to find a copy of the user manual online, though, this mostly just informs you that you do not yet possess all of the necessary parts to use your machine.

Vintage Sewing Machines 1950S