Buyer, Beware!

This is a little post to hopefully help some of you who think you want to start collecting vintage machines, but are not quite sure what to watch out for.

It’s very easy to get pulled into something because it is pretty, or flashy, or because someone says  it’s “rare” and you think you’ve found a treasure.

We all know about Singer featherweights ---I’d started my love of vintage machines by picking up a couple of those in the early to mid 1990s – a black one in Boise, Idaho and a white one later in Twin Falls when we’d moved to Burley, Idaho.

And then….I bought a treadle.  I just HAD to have a treadle.

Mavis the Davis.

She’s in a BEAUTIFUL parlor cabinet –but I didn’t know ANYTHING about vibrating shuttles or the fact that this machine was going to need hard to come by parts ---and I’ve never sewn on her.  It makes me sad in a way.  I wish I’d known more at the time, but up until now she’s only been a display piece.  My hope is to get to one of the Treadle-On gatherings and find out what I need to do to get her running.

What I’m trying to say is know SOMETHING first before you buy, or you might not end up with a working or easily usable or repairable machine.

The first full sized electric vintage machine I ever acquired is my Great Grandmother’s class 15 machine :

Verna Fern, named after my Grandmother who inherited it from my Great Grandmother.

This machine is from 1941 and is SO easy to run --- it takes regular needles.  It has a full sized round bobbin – ((No funky shuttle!)) And I could sit and sew at this immediately.  And from there it was a slippery slope into machine adoption run rampant!

The first Japanese Import machine that came my way happened about 5 years ago when I first moved here to North Carolina:

Blue Wizard, 1950’s – Post war Japan.

These machines were based on the body style and workings of the Singer Class 15 machine, just like my grandmother’s machine shown above.  The only difference, besides the color is that the Japanese, with their wonderful engineering abilities were able to BETTER the design of the Singer class 15 machine --- adding the dial to the bottom of the pillar ---see the knob?  This machine can drop its feed dogs and has settings for silk or heavier fabrics.  I started a new love with post-war Japanese import machines!  The import machines are easily recognizable by the badge below the stitch length lever on the pillar.  They generally say something like “Prescision DeLuxe” or have the good housekeeping seal of approval…and it will definitely say “MADE IN JAPAN.”

Some call them singer “Clones”  But they only are up to a point….I just call them IMPORTS because so many wonderful modifications were made.

Before someone tells you that these are RARE?  Think again.  These machines flooded the states by the hundreds of thousands, if not more.  It was a way for Japan to build itself back up as a country after being so defeated in the war.  Our open trade with them was a way to help them recover.  These machines were in EVERY HOUSEHOLD.  I don’t spend more than $50 to $100 for these machines.  I have a hard time going over $50.00.

What’s the first thing that draws you to this machine?  I bet it’s the color!

And that’s what got me too --- I felt like the dogs in the movie “UP” when they’d see “SQUIRREL!!” And they are off and running in a different direction.

That’s what happened with THIS machine:

Marilyn, 1950’s Morse, Made in Japan.

See the badges on the pillar?

I bought Marilyn because of that COLOR – how could I not? 

But what I neglected to do was check her needle position.  This is an early “built in” zig zag machine – not a machine with cams.  So her straight stitch is permanently homed in the far left position.  Her zig-zag only swings to the right from the home position of left.  This means I can’t straight stitch with her needle in a center position, and when I try to get a 1/4” seam on her --- the fabric is riding on one feed dog.  This is a problem.

Now I love her – and when I need zig-zagging I bring her out and give her a work out ---but if I had known ahead of time that straight stitching was going to be hard for obtaining a good 1/4” seam – I might not have bought her.

The next day – I went BACK to the antique mall and bought the machine I had passed up – because it was not as “flashy” as Marilyn ----

Barbie, 1950’s Japanese Import.

This machine is based on the class 15 machine. Straight stitch only, which means it stitches in center position – it only HAS one position!  The feed dogs are narrower and that helps me feed the fabric for a nice 1/4” seam.  I learned my lesson.  I prefer to have a simple straight stitch machine for doing my patchwork, and this is mostly what I hunt for.  Simple.

For instance…Someone was posting about a Brother machine they wanted on Ebay.  And I made the comment…"Be sure that the straight stitch is in center position if you want it for patchwork." I saw that they won the auction, and I hope they are happy with their purchase.  But look what I found the other day:

Beautiful two-tone robins egg blue and cream Brother machine.

See the badge on the pillar?  Made in Japan.

The missing bobbin cover is not a problem, those are replaceable.  What is a problem is THIS:

Running on one feed dog!

Someone had replaced the zig zag foot with a straight stitch foot.  This machine does straight stitch only in the “far left” home position.  That straight stitch foot covers only one feed dog.  You are not going to be able to get a good 1/4” seam on this machine because the straight stitch is only done in far left…..and it’s no good to only ride on one feed dog!

This is why I wouldn't buy a machine by mail order if I was unsure of WHERE the straight stitch position was.  I'd need to see it in PERSON first.

Now if you were a garment maker – the far left position is great for obtaining a 5/8” garment seam.  But for patchwork? I’d say no to this machine, no matter how cool the blue and cream and chrome is!

I also came across this little goodie the other day:

Montgomery Wards shuttle bobbin, friction pulley driven in a cabinet.

$20.00

It’s got the old crinkle finish, popular in the 1930’s and 40’s ---and it’s a 3/4 size machine which is nice….BUT.

There was no way to plug it in and test it --- and I don’t have any more room for cabinets in my house.  It was knee controlled.  Shuttle bobbins are not my favorite, I like the ease of round bobbins.  I want machines I am going to use!

Close up of balance wheel

This machine does not run with a belt, it is friction drive….it’s got a rubber pulley that is attached to the motor…the motor turns the rubber pulley, the pulley turns the wheel.  I can’t even convert this machine to a treadle --- there is no groove in the hand wheel, it is completely round.  And those pulley, or bushing driven machines can go bumpity bumpity bump if the rubber wears off unevenly on the rubber pulley that turns the wheel.

It’s an interesting machine, but not for me!

This one also stayed behind:

Macy’s NY.

See the edge of the badge on the pillar? Made in Japan.

A bit blurry—sorry!

This is a basic black class 15 machine, Japanese import – 1950s.  These were made by the hundreds of thousands.  It is not rare.  It is not particularly unique in any way.  Yes – it has pretty gold decals….but this stopped me:

$99.00???

The case was broken.  There is no cover.  The light cover is broken.  The wiring was cracked and would have to be replaced. They evidently thought this was something special, but it is in fact just simply ordinary.  I wouldn’t pay more than $35.00 for a machine in this condition.  I left it behind.  Macy’s or not.

The only thing this machine has going for it is that it straight stitches ONLY ---in center position.

BTW, this is what is called a “Badged” machine.  Machines were made in large lots – and then the sellers could have their own “BRAND” put on them….such as with my blue Wizard above.  Badges can be decals – or metal plates that are screwed into the machine.  There are many hundreds of different badges out there.  The brown Montgomery Ward machine  shown above is also a badged machine.

This post got kind of long --- but I hope it helps those of you who are searching for vintage machines and actually want to USE them know what to look for.

Have fun shopping – the hunt and the find is exhilarating!

PS -- while puttering around I found a great page with several PDFs showing how to clean and refurbish Singer machines ---Specifically the Singer 66 and 99.  Click HERE to view.  The page is linked to the Tools for Self Reliance site, which provides working refurbished hand-powered machines to Africa in an effort to provide jobs and a future to those in need.

I am also adding this link to the bottom of my Vintage Machines Tab at the top of the blog...at the bottom of the Vintage Machines page is a whole list of resources you may find helpful including how to date your Singer Sewing Machine by its serial number.