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So you want to buy a Vintage sewing Machine?
If you have decided that buying a vintage sewing machine is right for you, you might be wondering where to start.
Here is a list of considerations
1. Do you want a machine ready to sew with OR are you able to/interested in restoring a machine?
The answer to this question will help you sort through the machines you see for sale and will help determine your budget and expectations. Fully serviced ready-to-sew vintage machines are easy to find, but they come at a premium (and rightfully so as someone has spent considerable time working on these machines). Untouched machines are easy to find but can be challenging - you win some and you lose some.
2. What do you intend to use the machine for?
This will help you decide which machine would be best for you. Do some research on the models out there based on your intended use. Here’s a few suggestions (not an exhaustive list by any means)
For quilting - Singer Featherweight 221/222, Singer 301, Singer 201
For heavier duty straight stitch sewing - Singer 15-91, 15-90
For bag-making - Necchi Mira BU
For smaller machines, mostly ¾ size - Singer 99, Bernina 707/717 also 807/817, and Singer Featherweight 221/222
All purpose sewing - Any Bernina zigzag model, Any White Zig Zag model, Any Kenmore Zig Zag Model, Singer 237 and 327 (plus related), Singer 401/403, Singer 500/503
3. What brands/models are you interested in?
The answer to this question may come from the intended use. Or it might be that you are interested in a certain machine as it’s super cool looking. Both reasons are good reasons to buy a machine.
Also consider the availability of spare parts in case you need to replace anything. It’s harder to find parts for obscure machines. It’s easy to find parts for vintage Singers and Singer 15 clones. It’s also not super difficult to find parts for Kenmore machines.
4. What is your budget?
Set yourself a reasonable budget. Do a search to find out what the machines are listed for on Kijiji, Marketplace and Ebay. Note - make sure you look at the prices machines actually sold for on Ebay, not just the ones listed.
Based on my experience, here’s what I normally see machines sold for (Ottawa, ON area, Fall 2021)
Singer Featherweight: Completely serviced $400+. Unserviced and/or incomplete $275-$375
Singer 301: Completely serviced $130-$200. Unserviced and/or incomplete $75-$100
Singer Rocketeer (503): Completely serviced $150-$200. Unserviced $75-$125
Singer 15-91/15-90: Completely serviced $125-$175. Unserviced $75-$100
Singer 201: Completely serviced $150-$200. Unserviced $75-$100
White Zig-zag machines (various models): Completely serviced $75-$125. Unserviced $50-$100
Singer 15 Clone (ie off branded machines): Completely serviced $75-$90. Unserviced $50-$60
Kenmore (various models): Completely serviced $75-$150. Unserviced $50-$100
Singer 99: Completely serviced $125-$175. Unserviced $75-$100
Bernina 707/717/807/817: Completed serviced $225-$300. Unserviced $170+
So now you’ve decided on a few machines that are of interest to you. How do you go about finding and purchasing one?
Where to find machines?
The most abundant and easiest place to find machines is through Facebook Marketplace or Kijiji. I buy most of my machines through these sites. You can also find machines listed in local auctions like MaxSold. You can also find machines on EBay and Etsy; but this is the last place I would buy a machine, to be honest. They are usually overpriced and shipping is risky and expensive.
Note that there are scammers out there - a common scam is a popular machine (Featherweight) listed for a low price. The seller asks for the buyer to transfer money to hold the machine, and you never hear from them again. Or after you contact the seller, the advertised price increases. If it’s too good to be true, it probably is!
How to do a preliminary assessment of machines you see posted online
In my experience, there are 2 different groups of people selling machines on Marketplace or Kijiji: those who have extensive knowledge of the machine or vintage machines; and those who are selling the machine they found in their basement or their grandma’s basement. You can usually tell which seller you are dealing with by looking at their ads.
Sellers who are knowledgeable about the machine they are selling will have ads that contain relevant information, including brand, model number, condition, if it’s serviced. However, the biggest tell tale signs are usually in the pictures:
- The pictures will be clear
- The front of the machine will be prominent in the picture,
- If the machine is threaded, it will be threaded properly
- If there are attachments, they will be clearly displayed
- The ad will contain relevant information like model number and serial number.
In addition, the machines are usually appropriately priced. For example, you won’t find a knowledgeable seller selling a machine worth $400 for $50.
Conversely, sellers who do not know much about the machine they are selling will often post obscure listings, including statements like “make me an offer” or “best offer”. The pictures are often the back of the machine and unclear. If the machine is threaded, it is incorrectly threaded. There’s usually little usable information in the ad. These sellers often have priced their machines inappropriately - either a machine for $400 for $50, or - more often - they believe their machines are worth a lot more than they are worth (e.g. they believe their machine is worth $800 when that model might normally sell for $50).
In my experience, it is much harder and riskier to deal with the less knowledgeable sellers. Sometimes you get a deal, but sometimes, you also get a machine that’s full of problems or missing critical parts. Assess what level of risk you are willing to take.
You should take into consideration the type of seller you are dealing with in deciding what you are willing to pay and the risk you are willing to accept. I am not saying don’t deal with the second type of sellers (I have purchased many amazing machines from these types of sellers), but you should do so understanding the potential risks and downfalls. Also, you should think about whether buying a completely serviced machine is worth the extra money to you or not. Note that most routine servicing by a local sewing shop will cost over $100 (taxes in).
Try to find a free online copy of the machine’s manual, when considering a VSM. Singer manuals are especially easy to find online. A quick review of the manual will let you see a diagram and or good description, which photos in ads may not show.
Inquiring about the machine
There are also a number of questions you can ask the seller to help you decide if you want to buy the machine and what it’s worth.
- Do you know when the last time the machine was used or serviced?
- If it hasn’t been used or serviced recently, are you able to turn the hand wheel or is it stuck/seized?
- Do you have the power cord and foot pedal?
- When you look at the power cord, the wires going into the motor, light etc, do you see any damage on the wire? Or bare wiring?
- If the machine takes a bobbin case, does the machine come with one? (Is it an original bobbin case or aftermarket? - this question might be important for certain machines)
- Have you recently tried the machine? Does it sew?
- Are there any accessories that come with the machine?
- If the machine is in the higher price category, consider asking for a video of the machine turned on and doing a test sew.
Some sellers won’t answer your questions - but their lack of response is telling - they are usually selling grandma’s machine that they have no clue how to use. Serious sellers who know about their machines will happily tell you everything.
Closing the deal and bringing home your new baby!
It’s always a good idea to bring a friend with you when picking up your machine. Most are heavier than you expect, and some require 2 people to lift (especially machines in tables and treadles - I still have a lump on my finger from a treadle machine I attempted to load into the back of my car myself - I don’t recommend doing that). It’s always a good thing to have company from a safety point of view too. I always ask that machines be placed in the garage or somewhere where I do not have to enter the house - both from a COVID and personal safety point of view.
Do a quick once over on the machine before you take it and look for any missing parts that might be in another box - power cords are often missing and forgotten. Also look for anything that might change your mind about buying the machine - there’s no shame in leaving the machine behind if the seller wasn’t truthful in their description of the machine.
Once you arrive home with your machine
I know the first thing you want to do is to plug in the machine and try it. DON’T!!! A lot of old machines have wiring that needs to be fixed. You will want to carefully inspect all wiring - the plug, the foot pedal, the wire into the motor and light. If the top of the machine comes off, open it quickly and peak at any wiring inside). Also look for electrical tape on wiring that indicates a previous issue. DO NOT proceed if you find any of these things - this requires a trained technician to look at and repair prior to proceeding.
If you do not find any electrical issues, install a new needle into the machine and then turn the handwheel and see if there’s resistance. If there’s any resistance, and particularly if the needle is hitting anything at all when you turn the handwheel, do not proceed any further. You will either need to troubleshoot the issue or have it looked at by a trained technician.
If the handwheel turns without issue and the needle doesn’t hit any part of the machine, then plug the machine in, and you can try it out by slowly pressing down on the foot pedal. Remember that some of these motors haven’t turned in years. Slow and gentle is key. If you notice that the machine is working very slowly - it could be the motor needs time to wake up or the machine itself needs cleaning and oiling. At this point, you should unplug the machine and either clean and oil it yourself, if you know how, or take it to a trained professional.
Note that some motors will smoke after sitting for some time, or if the machine has been over-oiled. While most of the time, the smoking stops on its own once the oil or residue burns off, you should really have these motors looked at by a professional to make sure there’s no other sinister reasons for the smoking.
If the machine seems to be working ok, you can wind a bobbin, thread it up, and see if she sews. This test sew should only be a couple of lines on a cotton fabric - don’t push the machine at this point. You are just trying to see what some of the potential problems are.
Once you have completed this sew test, you should then perform (or have someone perform) a service on the machine. Service will include cleaning, oiling/lubing and adjusting anything that needs adjusting. With vintage machines, unless someone has abused the machine in the past, a vast majority will only need tension adjustment.
