Who Buys My Machines?

Yesterday I both bought and sold a vintage Singer. It's just a hobby for me, not really much profit to be had (the profits roll right back into the hobby fund.)  In the last five or six years I've sold a couple dozen of them, I guess, and I always sew at least one project on each machine before it goes to its new home.  That is the fun part to me - discovering machines that haven't been used for years, and putting them back into circulation.

I started thinking about who buys these old Singers from me, and why.

I'll start with the obvious: the Featherweights.  I've lost track of how many of these I've sold, but it's not hard to see why.  They are both useful AND collectible.

I've sold beautiful ones,and shabby ones,

and many more in between.  Some are for Show and some are for Sew.  I'll say this, Featherweights sell themselves.  I list, they buy.  With one exception, I've sold all these on eBay.  They are the only machines that are light and compact enough to ship easily.

I've sold most of my Singers through word of mouth or on Craigslist.  I've lost track of them all, but here are some examples:

I've sold a number of 15-91s, including this one.  One of these was bought by a local clothing designer who wanted a sturdy, reliable machine for his studio.  

Singer 15-91

He was a repeat customer, having previously bought this 201 from me.  He loved it so much he wanted another one like it.

Singer 201

These machines have different configurations (vertical/oscillating hook versus horizontal/rotary hook) but they are both fine machines, well suited to garment construction.

One machine that was a little different from my usual line up was a Singer Stylist free-arm machine like this:

Singer Stylist (not the actual one I sold)

I remember this one, especially, because I paid only $5 for it and then I replaced the worn-out nylon gears and reset the hook timing - yes, I did it myself!  Unbelievably, I was not only able to purchase the gear set online for $25, but I found a DIY video showing the exact same model, step-by-step how to do it. (I mainly did this for the experience - just to see if I could.)  It ran perfectly after that and I sold it for a whopping $75. The young man who bought it wanted it specifically to sew a sail. I never heard how it turned out, but I do know that he got a good value compared to the "Bucket-o-Plastic" machine he could afford to buy at WalMart.

Of course I've sold several Slant-o-Matics.  They are in big demand, and many buyers mention that their grandmother sewed on such a machine and now they want one.  One customer does custom home dec sewing like drapery and upholstery, and she specifically wants these machines because they can meet the demand for heavier sewing.  (I'm not implying these are industrial strength machines, by any means, but compared to modern domestic sewing machines they are beasts.)

Singer 503

Singer 403

Along the way, I've also sold scores of accessories and attachments like zigzaggers, buttonholers, hemstitchers, presser feet, bobbins, manuals, and even cabinets.  These are items that usually "come along for the ride" when I buy a machine.  Believe me, there is nothing I love more than opening the drawers of an old sewing cabinet or lifting the lid of a sewing stool.  Treasures to be found!  

Singer Automatic Zigzagger

Singer Automatic Buttonholer

This is all in fun, and as long as I break even it's a sustainable hobby that also helps provide new homes to these great machines that have many more years of good service to give.

UPDATE:  April 2022, five years later...

Gosh, how many sewing machines have I sold?  Maybe a hundred?  I can't even guess.  Just this year, I think I've sold five already.  Don't mean to brag here (okay, well maybe I do - it's my blog, so I can brag!) but I've sold every single machine I ever listed for the price I asked. EVERY. SINGLE. ONE.

Soon, I'll add a post on tips to sell sewing machines...

The Coveted 301 Longbed with Carrying Case

And it didn't cost me a cent!

Singer 301a long bed

So, here's how I got it:  I bought the 403 shown in this post for $50, I sold it for $100, then I bought this 301 for $50.  In fact, if you look at the blog photo of all my machines, that entire collection (including all the accessories) hasn't set me back one cent.  For every machine or gadget I own, I've sold at least four others which replenishes my hobby fund.

If you're so inclined, you can do this with almost anything you collect.  It simply takes time and patience, and you have to enjoy the process of hunting for the next great find, dragging it home, fixing it up, and selling it.  I do enjoy that since there is always another model I want to acquire, even if it is only passing through.

Of course I already have the 301 black short bed in a cabinet

Singer 301 short bed

These are two variations of the exact same machine.  The "bed" is the extension leaf that folds up and down so you can access the vertical bobbin case under the machine (the Featherweight has this, too.)  The long bed, like this beige one, won't fit into a standard cabinet and usually comes with the carrying case.  The short bed, like this black one, fits into certain Singer cabinets with a cradle adaptor.  This means it can be easily removed from the cabinet - you don't have to unscrew anything - and used as a portable. (This post shows how the cradle adaptor fits into the cabinet.)

Keep in mind that you can also get the short bed in beige or the long bed in black.  The black is usually considered more "collectible" mainly because it is the last of the beautiful black Singers with the glossy gold decals.  The beige 301 ushered in the color scheme that would be seen in the 400 and 500 Slant-o-Matics.  Apparently this was supposed to be a more "modern" style, but they just didn't have the same glamour as the classic black and gold models.


Not that Singer didn't try to cash in on vintage appeal with their anniversary edition 160 a couple of years ago (the less said about this cheap, plastic imitation, the better.)

        So, back to the 301.  

I've raved about them before, and I have to say that this is the hands down best machine of ALL the many vintage Singers I've owned.  The other Slant-o-Matics are good, don't get me wrong, but the 301 is not only the original Slant-o-Matic, it is the only one with the vertical bobbin.  And this machine runs like greased lightning - 1500+ stitches per minute.  I'm pretty sure that beats any but the most expensive home machine you can buy today, and you can cop one of these for $100 or less.

The carrying case is also exceptionally cool and this one is in very nice condition.

And it came with SIX original Class 221 bobbins.

Hey, those original bobbins are worth $2-$3 apiece, maybe more.  They are hard to find, and I never use reproduction bobbins in my vintage Singers.

I don't know how long this machine will be around, but since I broke even, I'm not in any hurry to sell it.  I think I'll just enjoy it for awhile before I decide.

Singer 401 versus 403 (and 404)

This was something I used to wonder about - the differences between Singer 401, 403, and 404

Slant-o-Matics.  In the past year, I have acquired each of these machines and can now explain it to anyone else who is wondering.

I already covered the 404 in another post:  it is a basic, but excellent straight stitcher.  It is easy to use, practically indestructible, and fool proof.  There is nothing fancy here, just great stitching.

Singer 404 (straight stitch)

Here I will explain the difference between the 401 and 403

Singer 403 "Semi-Automatic" 

Singer 401 "Automatic"

The difference basically comes down to this.  The 403 is "semi-automatic" because it zigzags only with a cam in place (it is shown here with the "0" cam that makes the zz stitch.)  Other decorative stitches can be made by popping this cam out and substituting one of the other 22 top hat cams that are available.  This is pretty simple, and straightforward - choose your stitch pattern and pop it in.  You choose your stitch width and needle position as usual.

Singer 403 takes one cam at a time

Then you have the 401.  It is considered "automatic" because the zigzag stitch is built-in via a camstack.  This also includes a number of other fashion stitches which you arrive at by a somewhat complicated system of turning two lettered dials to get your stitch pattern.  To add to the confusion,  it also takes top hat cams to make different "combination" stitches.  (I explain that in a little more detail here.)

Singer 401 with camstack, plus takes extra cam for "combination" stitches

In all other respects, these machines are identical.  They both have horizontal (drop-in) bobbin with rotary hook, dual spool pins and dual upper tension for twin needle stitching, three needle positions, the elevated throat plate system, bobbin winder on the side, and a flip top for cam placement.

Here is a handy chart showing the 401 vs 403 stitch patterns

Now the 401 is known as the TOL (top of the line) machine for this series.  Supposedly because you had built-in stitches, this was the better machine.   

However...

If you mostly just straight stitch and zigzag - and only occasionally use any kind of decorative stitch  - then I think the 403 is actually better because it is easier to use.  With the 401 you have to dial in the combination AK3 to straight-stitch, and to zigzag you have to dial in BL + stitch width.  With the 403 you just move your stitch width lever to "S" to straight stitch, and to whatever stitch width you want for zigzag.  Easier!  And honestly, by the time you figure out which combination of dials gives you a certain decorative stitch on the 401, you could have just popped a cam into the 403 and been on your way.

While the 401 is considered by many to be the gold standard among Slant-o-Matics, just know that the stitch quality and speed are identical to the 403.  (The camstack is literally the only difference between the two.)

I love to make little videos of my machines stitching so here is a side-by-side comparison. (The 403 sounds a tad louder because it is sitting on a table while the 401 is installed in a cabinet which absorbs some of the sound.)

Singer 403

Singer 401

The stitch quality is also exactly the same, the two are indistinguishable (403 = blue/401 = red)

(NOTE:  the difference between the 500 and 503 Rocketeers is basically the same as the 401 and 403 - one has a built-in camstack and the other requires a cam to zigzag .)