Can We Talk 2

Old Sewing Machines

         I have a friend who is getting married-first time for him, second for her. She wants a formal wedding, despite having two teen sons and modest means. Her hubby is quite handy with IT stuff, sound systems, photography, and so forth, and apparently he sews as well. They need to borrow a portable machine so that he can make alterations on her wedding dress.

         I haven't been using mine, since I have access to my mom's machine in its own cabinet. So mine has been packed in a box for years. After looking everywhere for it, I finally found it. I thought I would be a nice person and lend it to her. I've had it since my college days. Unfortunately, the bobbin case is missing.

         I raced on line to find the spare part. I can get one for $55 plus shipping. That's more than I paid for the machine, which was second hand. I found the whole machine in good shape for $200. I found one that's been serviced for $50, and one that's not working for $25. The latter could be used for parts. But there's the matter of shipping, and I really don't need the machine any more. I like it, because I used it for almost 40 years and did a lot with it. I'm comfortable with it. But it's no good without the case. And I'm not paying $55 to do someone else a favor. But I can keep using the floor model.

         What I will do is keep mine, but start shopping in second hand stores and antique junk shops to see if I can find a cheap one for parts. If I had more room, I would collect old machines. I have an old treadle machine that I use as a night stand; the machine is missing. it's obvious that if I buy replacement parts, the machine would cost more than a brand new modern model.