Why Old vs. New?

I love old sewing machines.  I think it is because I learned to sew on my mother's old, metal, blue JC Penney Penncrest 2550 machine.  That machine made my dresses, quilts, toys, pillows, curtains, you name it!  When I grew up, I tried to sew on a new machine and it was so foreign to me that I gave up. Until I found an old metal Elgin at the thrift store--then I was back up and running.

But besides that, vintage sewing machine enthusiasts will tell you that metal mechanical machines are far superior to the new plastic ones they make today.  They were built to last a lifetime and beyond.  There are no computers inside to go obsolete, and if they break down they are nearly always fixable.  Metal gears and strong motors, no electronics besides the pedal and motor, means they are workhorses.  New machines have lots of decorative stitches, but do you ever really use those? I don't.

Keep your machines oiled!  I cannot stress that enough.  We recently repaired a Singer 301A that was completely frozen, no movement at all, and it looked as though it literally had never been oiled, ever.  It was dry as a bone and there was not even that old oil scent to it.  Thanks to the info on the online groups, we were able to get it running by using heat and a lot of oil.  I will use this machine for a couple of weeks and then it will be up for sale.

Beginnings

My husband and I love to rescue, repair and refurbish sewing machines.  Did you ever watch those house-flipping shows back in 2007?  Well, we couldn't afford to flip a house, so we started small, with sewing machines.  We are not official servicemen, but with Todd's mechanical fixing talents and my sewing knowledge as well as bargain hunting, we are able to bring these oldies but goodies back to life and find them new homes.  We always sew with them for a while before selling them, and offer a money back guarantee against any unforeseen problems.  We have never had a return!

Yesterday, I had a call from a woman wanting a Singer 301, and she asked if I had one for sale.  This led me to remember that I did have one downstairs tucked away.  I couldn't remember where I got it or how much I paid for it, and this led me to decide that I needed to start documenting these machines and this blog was born.

I will post about our new finds, as well as try and "catch up" with the ones we have already sold.  Hopefully this will become something of a resource for others.  We are very grateful for the assistance of kind people on various sewing machine boards, which I have listed on the sidebar.  Thank you!