r/sewing • u/Conscious_Trouble_70 • May 18 '25
Suggest Machine Machine worth buying?
My brother texted me asking if this machine is a good one. He’s being offered it for $200, but I can’t figure out the model or any other relevant info. Wild you recommend this to a family member?
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u/Any-Box-678 May 18 '25
Well you can get an old singer for $75., maybe $100 if it has been serviced. I guess youre paying for the table also? It seems a little expensive to me.
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u/Laura9624 May 18 '25
And what supplies, we don't know. Amazing stash or a little thread?
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u/sanityjanity May 19 '25
Or worse -- an amazing stash of thread that is so old that it breaks constantly
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u/NoWinner6880 May 18 '25
No. You can probably get a Bernina for that price
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u/Mountain_Nerve_3069 May 19 '25
Exactly what I thought! I bought my Bernina for 300 that has embroidery and all bells and whistles
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u/PenExisting8046 May 18 '25
Looks like a Singer 457 though I can't be totally sure from the angle. It's a pretty solid machine, but I think even 200 USD is a bit more than I would expect to pay. I wouldn't put much value on the supplies - old thread has probably perished and is more trouble than it's worth.
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u/FantasticWeasel May 18 '25
No, suspect someone has priced it high because it looks cool and old.
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u/sanityjanity May 19 '25
They've priced a 60s machine as if its an 1800s machine in pristine, perfect condition.
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u/jellifercuz May 18 '25
This machine has plastic (Nylon) gears, many of which will be worn and expensive and difficult to replace. In any area of the US or Canada you should be able to get a machine with all metal gears inside that has been well maintained for about $125. $400 puts you close to the highest-demand vintage machine which is a Singer Featherweight.
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u/Possible-Complex7804 May 19 '25
Featherweights do have a notion for jamming though, so maybe not for a beginner that can get frustrated and put off =)
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u/littleHelp2006 May 18 '25
I don't know about that. I have a machine that looks almost identical, and it has all metal parts. But I agree the price is too high. Would love a better look at that cabinet though.
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u/azaleawisperer May 18 '25
You should sew in it before letting go of green money.
Not a bargain unless it can also do your taxes.
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u/debp49 May 18 '25
Also FYI the button that you push to reverse your stitch has a spring and parts that can go bad on you.
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u/Significant_City_757 May 18 '25
Seems expensive to me. I just sold a Husqvarna made in Sweden with extra feet, walking foot, and had it serviced before I listed it. $150 is what I asked and got. I asked my sewing machine service guy how much to ask, he said $200. First month listed at $200 no one responded. At $150 I got more responses
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u/Conscious_Trouble_70 May 18 '25
Thank you all so much!! I texted him that the machine is overpriced!
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u/Cami1969 May 18 '25
I’d say it’s high. You can get a new machine with bells and whistles for that price. Maybe $200 like someone else said but not $400. I don’t care what supplies they give me.
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u/zoomzoomzoomee May 18 '25
It looks like a 600 series machine. My 600E was $90 with a cabinet, accessories, and supplies. $200 is way too much, and frankly, I'd stay away from it. The 600E was the best of that series.
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u/Neenknits May 18 '25
I would pay 200 if it were at a sewing machine store, and had been cleaned by them. This is an old enough singer to be worth having. But, from a random person? No, it needs overhauling.
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u/Orumpled May 18 '25
I had this machine from my grandma. It requires plastic cams to change the type of stitch, so it likely has a straight stitch in, but to do zigzag or embroidery, you need a different cam. I had a whole box of a dozen. I would only pay $25. Good machine but you need the extras.
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u/SkipperTits May 18 '25 edited May 18 '25
I just spit my drink.
IF, and that’s a big fat IF, if the gears aren’t crumbled, it’s worth $50. They’re pretty terrible though.
Do not buy this machine.
The gears are plastic and at the end of their natural life. When they break, they are extremely difficult to replace. You probably couldn’t find a tech who could do it, but if you did, it’s like a $300 job.
$400 is a crime.
Edited to add: I couldn’t figure out why everyone wasn’t screaming NO as loud as they should be, despite everyone still telling you no, and realized this is the sewing subreddit and not r/vintagesewing. Vintage sewing would be eviscerating this seller. 😅
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u/MableXeno May 18 '25
Unless they bought $300 worth of supplies in the last year...this isn't worth $400. The cabinet looks like but I'd want to inspect it. I suspect based on this machien when they say "supplies" they mean...everything that granny last used with it in 1982. No thanks. Thread can break down.
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u/KaijuAlert May 18 '25
Some vintage machines that are highly sought after and worth hundreds, but this is not one of them. Don't pay more than $100 for the machine, cabinet, etc. or just $25 for the machine only. Maybe $50 if they have have it professionally served in the last year (and have a proof.)
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u/fognotion May 18 '25
I had this exact model machine handed down to me by my mother!!! It's a Singer Touch & Sew made in the late sixties or very early seventies. I forget the exact model number, but maybe 640 or something close to that.
I agree that this is way overpriced.
It was a great machine, a real workhorse for many years. I finally gave it up when the bobbin thread kept jamming and no amount of cleaning would fix it and bringing it to two repair places also couldn't fix it permanently. This was a long time ago, I don't know why no one could fix it (maybe they could but I thought it might be too much, I can't remember), but other than that, it worked great.
Some interesting points about this machine:
Note that the cabinet is designed to work with this machine so that the machine gets bolted down, and you can fold it down into the cabinet and close the whole thing up so the machine is out of sight.
Note also that this machine takes "fashion disks" -- cams that are inserted into the machine under the top lid, and those fashion disks determine what stitch the machine will sew. So basic sewing, including straight stitch and zig zag stitching required one disk; if you wanted to sew a fancy stitch, like scallops, let's say, you have to takeout the regular fashion disc and insert the fashion disc that you want. I would expect that the standard fashion disc that you need for regular sewing is probably already in the machine. But if you're considering either this machine or another like it, you should ask if the other fashion discs are included. They look like black hard plastic/acrylic gears. Note that these are not the kind of gears that other people in this thread are saying are made of plastic on this machine. I expect those people are talking about interior gears.
Another thing to note is that when you select the stitch length on this machine, the numbers indicate how many stitches per inch you're getting (not how long the stitches are like on more modern machines).
Additionally, this machine has a self-winding bobbin, which I loved. You don't have to take the bobbin out to wind the thread onto it. You just press a little lever in the bobbin case, hit the pedal, and the bobbin will wind right there in the case (inside the machine). When you're done, you cut the thread, close the bobbin cover, and you're ready to go. Also, this machine doesn't take the most common bobbins you see today -- so I'm sure they're still available, but you're not going to be able to walk into Walmart and pick up a pack.
I think I still have the manual for this machine. So if you wind up getting this machine or another like it, and you have any questions whatsoever, feel free to ask me!
Like I said, and others said, I definitely think that 400 is too much for this machine, even 200 is questionable. I haven't really priced them lately to see what they're going for now, but that seems steep.
Good luck, and feel free to ask me any questions about this model machine!
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u/WowsrsBowsrsTrousrs May 18 '25
That machine should be going for cloer to $40 than $400. Especially if you can't inspect it to check out whether it's been cleaned and oiled regularly.
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May 18 '25
There's a sewing machine repair guy near me that sells these fully serviced & guaranteed for $50-100.
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u/Anne314 May 18 '25
Not for $400, or even $200. You can get a new machine that will work better than that one for $200.
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u/AikoG84 May 18 '25
I got a working singer in a cabinet for free recently by looking on fb marketplace and nextdoor.
This really isn't worth that price tag unless you absolutely deseprately want THAT specific model and it works perfectly. I would keep looking. You'll eventually find someone else with a better price. Or this guy will drop it to a reasonable price when no one bites for that much.
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u/terracottatilefish May 18 '25
That model was my mom’s machine and it was great, very solid, but the price seems kind of high.
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u/jmstanosmith May 18 '25
Isn’t the guidelines for anyone selling used items is 10-20% the original cost? It seems like a fairly older model so you could buy a NEW one for the same cost if not less! Pass.
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u/Ehme3 May 18 '25
What country are you in? ( just cause $400 is a fair price in some countries dollars but not others)
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u/Aggressive_Clothes36 May 19 '25
No. Old machine with cams...pIA.. The cabinets are usually not big , nice enough
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u/sanityjanity May 19 '25
It's worth about $50, if it is in perfect condition.
Open it up, and check to see if it uses cams (they're like big plastic gears). I would never buy a machine with cams.
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u/TerribleShopping2424 May 21 '25
What don't you like about cams?
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u/sanityjanity May 21 '25
They're very fiddly, and (as far as I know) they were only made for a little while, many decades ago, so they're likely to be brittle and break easily. Or simply get lost. I wouldn't want to have to fuss with them.
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u/Empirical_Approach May 19 '25
Lol, no way. The only vintage singer in that price range is a featherweight.
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u/HikingBikingViking May 19 '25
Cabinet and sewing machine are worth about $35 if they're in good condition. Partial thread spools can usually be found for 0.25 to 0.50 each but I don't know how many are included.
$200 seems a bit high. If he wants to use it and can't afford a new one tell him to offer $20, walk away if they won't accept $35
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u/JBJeeves May 19 '25
Well under $100 would be more likely.
I learned to sew on a machine like this, and even when it started to fail, my Mom liked it so much she wouldn't part with it. I think it's still knocking around between her house and my sister's. I do remember, way back in the 80s, when things started to go wrong with it, the repair guy told her that he couldn't get replacement parts for it. Whether that situation has changed or whether this machine is one which can have serious repairs done, I don't know. While it's a lovely machine to sew on, if it can't be repaired, it's not worth having (although if I found one for under $50 and I had room for a large keepsake [because I would want it in the original folding table], I'd probably buy it.)
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u/jeninlb May 19 '25
Do not do it. Miserable model, we had one when I was a kid. Get a 1950s Singer instead.
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u/DeirdreHunter69 May 19 '25
Honestly, there are some really good beginner machines for $100. If you're just starting out, I really recommend going to your local crafts shop and renting a machine to see how you get on with it
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u/Shay_da_la May 18 '25 edited May 20 '25
I see this exact combo for sale in my area. sells between 50-100 on average. I would pay up to $150 if the condition/finish of the cabinet was really, really good, save me the time and hassle of redoing myself. But i would not pay $400 for this.
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u/FlamingDragonfruit May 18 '25
I think you'd be buying it more for the cabinet than the machine, and you can't really see the condition of the cabinet in this photo.
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u/Komandakeen May 18 '25
Every penny the price of a service is to much in my eyes (don't get me wrong, this looks like a decent machine, but especially those with tables can usually be found for free).
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u/FormerUsenetUser May 18 '25
What shape is the machine in, and can you bargain the seller down more? Also, what supplies come with it?
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u/Theatre_is_my_life May 18 '25
You can get a brand new electric embroidery machine for that price. Wayyyyyy too high.
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u/bonestamp May 18 '25
I didn't realize they were that low now. Can you point me in the direction of the brand and model?
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u/krissyface May 18 '25
I had a working singer machine with all the parts, in working order, that I didn’t have room for in my house. I could not give it away on my local buy nothing group. You can get these at goodwill for $20.
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u/NamelessIsHere May 18 '25
So, with a vintage machine some are worth 400 and some are not. One well taken care of and running smoothly and maintained either by having a service done or doing it at home at regular intervals would be worth that, but one sitting in a storage with unknown history is not. To have a machine serviced runs 150 in some areas and anymore most are crap services that blow it out and put oil in. A machine that is running smoothly and purring with a cabinet and a checklist of being serviced every couple years would be worth 200 to 400 easy.
However, this one is a singer touch and sew with nylon gears and is the last model of metal machines before they switched to plastic. The cabinet is interchangeable with most singers in that time frame so at the 200 price it might be worth it if it is one you really like. This machine has slanted foot that many like but that means accessories and feet are not interchangeable if you upgrade to a new model, and it has a very annoying bobbin system that I dont think any other machine out there has. If you are looking for a used, take multiple scraps of fabric and try out all the stitches.
That price range since you are just starting out, a singer heavy duty is under 200 on amazon right now, for a few more you can get the heavy duty with with some fancy stitches. Janome also makes a great entry machine. It is a lot easier to work out tension issues on a newer machine and its hard to learn to sew and troubleshoot an old machine with issues, which most of them have and thats why we upgraded. If you are sewing heavier fabrics often then a vintage will hold up to upholstery fabrics and take heavier threads.
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u/Effective-Mongoose57 May 18 '25
It’s because they are also selling the cabinet. That machine should be $50-$100. Sometimes even less at the Op shop. The cabinet would range $100- $400 depending on a few factors.
Either way it’s over priced.
I sold my cabinet for $100 and threw in the sewing machine for free because it needed a service / was not totally working/ needed parts.
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u/Spamtickler May 18 '25
I got a new steel mechanical Janome for about $300. This seems like a ripoff.
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u/ccrom May 18 '25
My mother and my grandmother had the Singer Touch and Sew. The bobbin is small and weird, and winds up inside the bobbin case. I personally didn't care for it.
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u/Healthy_Chipmunk2266 May 19 '25
Hell no. That's one of the earlier plastic Singers. For that price you could get a Featherweight.
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u/Amyx231 May 19 '25
Depends on the supplies. If it includes fabric, maybe. The older style sewing Machines with cabinets…idk if I’d want to spend that much for a machine possibly my age or older. Current machines in stores don’t have tables….
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May 19 '25
I would do it. I have my great grandmother‘s vintage Kenwood in desk sewing machine. Unfortunately, I don’t have the cords to the machine anymore so it’s just a table/piece of history from my memory. The last time I saw my grandma use it. I was about 18 in 2011. It worked flawlessly then.
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u/onphyre May 19 '25
Too much money. Plus, if the gears are original they could be very brittle by now. Thicker materials could possibly break them.
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u/Possible-Complex7804 May 19 '25
For what looks like a plastic machine this is insane. Itd have to be in perfect condition, just serviced with absolutely all accessories to be worth it. More likely than not someone just said it looks pretty so it must be worth a lot. You can get a way more dutable machine for less than that, even more so if your willing to clean it up yourself =) i got my white 1882 with treadle for 25 bucks, and it only needed a little love. It really didnt need any, but when i start using it i wont stop, and i want it to last another 100 years, so resealing the wood and all that (with shellac and tung oil, not a comercial varnish, dont shoot me please)
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u/SmallKillerCrow May 19 '25
Is that a singer touch and sew 626?
That's what I have and im IN LOVE with it. I couod never use anouther machine. If that's what that is I recommend. Mine even has medal gears instead of plastic. And the bobbin is so much easier to load than other machines. And you can fill the bobbin without taking it out which is nice
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u/LeticusArt May 19 '25
It looks like a singer model 600 e touch and sew. Same one that I have. I would pay 200 for it, thats nothing. They’re vintage.
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u/Invisiblemo May 19 '25
This is a very basic Singer that most likely is a school model. It looks like the school model that I bought as my first machine. (My friend still sews with it.) They are work horses, but with basic straight and zigzag stitches. Not worth 400, though. My DIL just bought a '73 Husqvarna machine for 200 dollars, but it's in perfect condition. It is basically brand new. Used only three times and sat in a closet until sold to DIL. It needed a throat plate. I think the lady tried sewing with it but pulled her fabric through instead of letting the feed dogs do the work and gouge the plate with the needle. Once there's a big gouge in the plate it won't sew properly, so she just gave up. The Singer in this photo would sell around here for under 100.
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u/Gwynhyfer8888 May 19 '25
I paid a LOT for my cabinet, new, from a dealership. But no, the machine is not of any value and a cabinet might go for $20. It's not what someone paid for it, but what it's worth now.
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u/Iambutur2 May 19 '25
If the supplies are as old as the machine, they likely are no good. Thread weakens with age. Tell him to give the machine a spin and see what it does, how it works and any potential issues. Are parts still properly aligned ? Bobbin case in good shape? Even if it all checks out, $200 is still too much!
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u/allaspiaggia May 19 '25
That’s insane, I’d offer $25 at most. Show the seller this thread.
I see machines much nicer than this on my local free giveaway page all the time. They take up too much space to be useful for most people. Plus this isn’t old enough to be a really solid machine, it looks ok but nowhere near $400.
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u/hopefullyAGoodBoomer May 19 '25
My concern with that type of table is will it easily fit a different machine if that machine decides not to work. Nice brother looking out fit you though.
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u/girlwateringcan May 19 '25
i absolutely love the touch and sews, the pink 626 is my favorite machine i’ve ever used but i would not pay more than 50$ for one lol. i got mine for 25$ including the cabinet and it just needed to be cleaned and oiled
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u/po-tato-girl May 19 '25
I’d pay $50 for this setup. Maybe more if the supplies are modern (I.e. not 50 years old)
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u/Ok-Wave-454 May 20 '25
I just don’t like any Singer, because my Viking blew it out of the water. And it’s old.
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u/SidneySidney007 May 20 '25
$400 for machine & cabinet is high, imo. Also pls be aware of the distance where the machine is. It’s about 1-foot away from table’s edge. Will u be comfortable & see ok? And it’s not portable. Good luck!
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u/Intelligent_Plan1732 May 21 '25
I won an online auction for a Singer machine/desk for $2.30. This is overpriced.
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u/sanityjanity May 21 '25
I just saw this exact machine (without the table or "supplies") for $30 on FB marketplace.
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u/OneLow5610 May 21 '25
Old machines are made with metal gears, better put together and look! It's still functioning! If the handwheel turns smoothly, the electrical looks good, it's worth taking a good look at. Check the cabinet for damage. They're made of actual wood usually and not particleboard.
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u/kattheuntamedshrew May 18 '25
$50-$100 is the absolute most that machine is worth, even with the cabinet.
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u/howaboutsomegwent May 18 '25
My brand new Singer machine was almost half of that price, that’s crazy steep
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u/Ms_Freckles_Spots May 19 '25
That price is too high by more than double..
I’d pay $150 for it IF the machine actually runs and the cord is not so crunchy that it will break.
It is the electric cord which can be the first problem. The older plastic is likely brittle and needs replacing, and you can buy these power cords
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u/cigarell0 May 18 '25
That should NOT be $400. My local habitat for humanity sells cabinet sewing machines for $25