Why I spent $120 on a vintage sewing machine and don't regret it

Picked up a 1960s Singer from a thrift store in Portland last month for $120. It's built like a tank, sews through denim like butter, and I've already finished two dresses that I'd have paid triple for at the mall. Has anyone else had luck with older machines over new ones?

3 comments

3 Comments

john_singh22d ago

Oh my buddy Mike picked up an old 1950s Singer at a garage sale for like 40 bucks and he swears it chews through leather no problem... he even made a wallet out of some thick hide and said the machine didn't even slow down. His new machine kept jamming on the same leather though and he practically threw it in the trash. So yeah, these old ones really are built different.

blair62626d ago

The old Singers are literally tanks. My grandma had one from the 50s and it still works like new. New machines are mostly plastic junk that breaks if you look at them wrong. You got a good deal at $120, those things are way better than anything you can buy at a regular store now. Denim through a modern machine is a nightmare but vintage ones just laugh at it. People seriously sleep on how good older sewing machines are.

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parkerh3825d ago

Man, have you actually tried sewing through leather on one of those old Singers? I've heard people say they can handle it but I'm curious if they really punch through like that without any struggle or if you gotta baby it a bit. Seems like everyone talks about denim but leather is a whole different beast that really tests the motor.