SEWING CABINET & TABLE SERIES #2: The Cost of Buying This Table New Today Just Might Surprise You!!

[@patwalker2501]

Just looked at the original purchase receipt for a Singer 201 in a Queen Ann #40 w/ bench, purchased Nov. 1951. The total price paid was $311.95. It seems that this included the price of the sewing machine cabinet, stool, machine, a "buttonhole & template", tax, and carrying charge. I also have part of a brochure that came with that machine, with a pencilled-in price of $251.00 for that model of cabinet (which it seems included the price of that sewing machine, also). I have a stack of receipts for monthly payments of $14.21. You are correct that this was quite an investment.

[@Sharon-pb7so]

Thank you for your comment. As I was watching this video I was wondering how much my 201 in the Queen Ann cabinet with the bench cost and lo and behold the very first post answered my question. My table and bench are in excellent condition. The machine was almost perfect until I tried to polish it and left the polish on too long and too thick. I didn't hurt the decals but I took some of the top coat off during my stupid moment of trying to make an already shiny machine shinier. Lesson learned. It can be fixed but boy was I disgusted with myself. Never try something new on something valuable.

[@patwalker2501]

My 201 belonged to my husband's grandmother, who kept documentation for every purchase she made. She took loving care of her sewing machine, and I cherish it.

[@DexRobinson]

A few days ago, I bought a 1952 Singer 301 with that EXACT Singer table. The funny thing is, I'm relatively new to vintage machines and I wasn't really interested in the table. If it didn't fit in my hatchback, I was going to take the machine and leave the table behind! Thank goodness, it fit in the car and it (and the 301) is in my living room right now.

[@cindyh82]

I just picked up a sewing table like the model 102 in the brochure you showed. I paid $100.00 on Facebook marketplace from the original owners granddaughter. It's lovely!

[@alibabafurball]

I love the look back at the brochure. I have access to all of the Singer sales brochures from UK, Canada and The US. There are also Singer sales found in local papers from the period. The best online available to all is the Smithsonian web site under the trade literature section. They have them sectioned for each sewing machine manufacture. I personally have the july 1866 Singer brochure from Buffalo N.Y and the 1884 sales Brochure for Singer from Batavia N.Y. Fantastic way of showing the importance of the sewing machine in Mid century America. I love that cabinet work as well, and that is a very good example. I have replaced total tops of veneer both the old style and the peel and stick type. I prefer the old glue on veneer. True most don't need to be refinished at all. I never use polymer either, only shellac and french polish them. I am presently conserving a 1883 Singer IM that the veneer has lifted and part has gone. It was coated in white paint and i have taken the paint off down to the shellac still underneath. Most of the paint is now out of the mahogany grain. It is shown in a work presently from the Royal Victorian and Albert Museum in England as an early use of ply wood in industry and sewing machines.
Don't cut yourself short, you are not refinishing or restoring, you are conserving. Conserving is a step up from restoration.

[@jomercer21113]

I have a Kenmore 959 in its original Chippendale desk-style sewing cabinet in cherry finish with three drawers and a knee controller. That combo was listed at $210 in the 1954 Sears Spring-Summer Catalog. The top drawer contains an inkwell and a pencil tray.

[@VintageSewingMachineGarage]

Thanks for sharing the old price point. In today's dollars, that is around $2170.00 before tax!!

[@garyltownley]

Thanks for posting these videos. They are very interesting and informative. I recently purchased a beige Singer 301 (long bed). It came with its original purchase receipt. It was bought October 1, 1954 at a cost of $227.50. It's great to have this extra information/history on a vintage machine.

[@MyQuiltProjects]

Oh my goodness! I have a model cabinet similar to this and did not know the foot pedal bracket was there! Amazing! They really knew now to make mechanical things back in the day!

[@semperfi-1918]

Wow even my low end cabinet was and still build and priced..... brings the meaning of not built like they used to. My singer is from 1941. Got it free and had to haul it to the house by carrying literally. And even my low end would be 2-3k if not more. Cabinet needs good attention. Looks overall in good working order. Taking it to a local shop once i get some extra cash. Good tool for when i need to fix or make something.

[@amysullivan2414]

I preach about the old tables and machines to my sewing students. They are excellent and yet can be picked up for next to nothing. It boggles my mind!

[@CharlotteFairchild]

People think in throw away terms. A $6000.00 machine today is computer and plastic and will not last 20 years, if that. My Necchi machines (2 from the 1950s) will last until 2050+ because metal lasts, unless someone drops the machine. That happened, but thank God it could be fixed.

[@nvaranavage]

I'll bet the person was an at home seamstress. My great grandmother on my mother's side did that, and she had a very large sewing cabinet for her machine, I had seen the remnants of it in my grandparents home. They told me that when she was starting out, every penny was saved to upgrade her equipment, while her husband owned and worked the family grocery store.

[@betford2]

Gorgeous table... and a 201! I know you probably have collected many beautiful machines and tables over the years, but it still must hurt to see that one go out the door. What a treasure!

[@VintageSewingMachineGarage]

Oh yes, it sure does. I have had machines in the past that I was just sure I would "Keep that one". But I always have people searching for that exact model and when my inventory is low, they always lobby to buy that "one". Since I am not a full time or even part time sewer, I know the machines are always better off when they are used. And I always have access to some brand or model of machine when I need to sew on a button or mend a damaged garment seam which is normally the extent of the sewing I do.

[@ramonaspackman4384]

Oh man I really want to see your next videos to help restore the cabinets my 201 is in a cabinet with the foot peddle out the bottom. I really stumble on this payed $15.00 for machine and cabinet, replaced the electrical unit the foot control plugged into and a foot control gone through to sew

[@barbarakornacki8599]

Wow! My mother's old sewing machine in the 50s was a Westinghouse in a mahogany cabinet. The front panel swung out and had a storage tray and the machine ran by a knee pedal. The machine may have been from the 40s, I don't really know but I sewed on it in the 60s. I wonder if they bought it new or she inherited it now that I see the price of those cabinets.

[@VintageSewingMachineGarage]

Thanks for sharing!

[@hagenaarsfamily9794]

I have this cabinet. The veneer is peeling and chipped, I just glued the sides on and I chalk painted the top and door/drawer fronts last night. I hadn’t seen any video with this cabinet until now. I only have the knee press though, not the extra speed controller. I guess it was because it was so expensive hardly anyone bought them! It has a stool as well with a top that lifts up for more storage. My machine model is 15-? though. I’d have to go upstairs to look again. I got the book with it plus accessories, plus a zig zag attachment, plus a skirt marker, now that is fascinating. It has the chalk and everything with that. I also got Singer Sewing School books. They were in the bench seat. I have a Singer Featherweight, two Singer child’s sewing machines and a Singer treadle from 1910 also.

[@VintageSewingMachineGarage]

What a great collection. Those school instruction books from Singer were very well written.

[@IngridRollema]

Holy smokes, $3,600!!! Plus the cost of the actual machine! I wonder how many were repossessed over the years. That is such a huge amount of money to spend on a cabinet, even today, but especially considering that the average annual income in the early 50s was around $3,000-$4,000.
That mahogany is beautiful.

[@reginaromsey]

Ingrid R , while my parents were making the average salaries, the people who lived not far from us were making considerably more. It strikes me as the same as people who buy the fanciest computer directed embroidery machine. Even in the 1960s there were the machines that had cams to create stitches and patterns. It was a status thing.

[@CharlotteFairchild]

@@reginaromsey Not to mechanics. My Dad had the best machines because he believed in the best machines. My husband is the same way about quality. I waited 40 years before I bought pots for my kitchen because they cost $3000 and make me a better cook since I am forced to cook on medium and I don't burn things.

[@reginaromsey]

@@CharlotteFairchild you rented pots for fourth years before you actually went ahead and bought some!? 😄😄😄(just joking), but what did you cook with?

[@CharlotteFairchild]

@@reginaromsey 40 years!! I cooked with cast iron, and 2 Revereware pots my parents gave me for Christmas, and not one person gave me a toaster or a pot when I got married. I got 80 lead crystal bowls. . . .

[@reginaromsey]

@@CharlotteFairchild I still cook with my Grandmother’s ) cast iron Chicken fryer and my mother’s 8 inch 😄. Now I cook in cast iron from GoodWill and the waterless cookware inherited from my mother. That certainly doesn’t mean I’m putting you down for buying the cookware of your heart’s desire by any means! We are both happily creating good food and feeding our world and that’s great! 👵🏻👵🏻

[@jvin248]

These cabinet prices are equivalent to US made guitars of that time period (Gibson and Fender) -- many of which are now worth $20k or more.

[@trentstaggerly7455]

Found a search someone did on the internet back in 2015.
Copied and Pasted below.
I did some research into the price of a domestic sewing machine from the mid-19th century to the 1950s. In 1856, a treadle machine cost $125, which is around $3,470 in today's dollars.Jun 15, 2015

[@alibabafurball]

Trent , i think i recall that. It was the Singer number 1 sewing machine and could possibly be the last offering of that model on that base. The treadle "cabinet" was actually the shipping container it came in and assembled into the full system with pedal and direct gear driven of of the pitman. The Singer number 1 was Singer's first machine and was sold from 1851-1877, a long lived life for a basic machine. These standard shuttle Singer's were replaced by the Singer Oscillating Shuttle industrial and domestic machines after 1878/9. The number 1 was replaced shortly by the Singer number 4 from 1877-1880's and was a transverse shuttle and looked like a giant Singer 12 or new family domestic machine. The Singer 4 replacement was the Singer Improved Manufacture from 1881 on.
The Singer 2( a slightly larger version of the number 1) was $45 in 1884. Also have to remember this is coming out of a global recession and the US was still recovering from civil war, plus manufacture costs were cheaper.

[@trentstaggerly7455]

@@alibabafurball
I'm kind of blown away by your knowledge on this subject and I
appreciate the History lesson.
I have only one 201-2 and prefer to use it above anything else
although I work with Sail Canvas (Dacron) as well as leather but I also make safety lines (Heavy Webbing) which I have a Commercial Compound Walking Foot Machine for that) as well as every Singer Slant O Matic (400 series thru the 500 series) but don't have a 301 yet.
Also have Singer 66 series and several 15-91's and like them as well.
A Sailrite walking foot for light canvas work and leather work.
Believe it or not I have NEVER done any sewing for a living, it just comes
in handy.
Learned how to sew in the Military (Vietnam Vet) 1966 - 69
I used the machines in the Parachute Shop and they were all the Singer 201 with the knee lift. I needed to make a suit so I could dance with the Base Commander's Daughter. lol

[@alibabafurball]

@@trentstaggerly7455 I do research on Singer. I have only just started to get vintage electric singers, and this channel has been helpful. I recently got a 15-91 and a 115. I don't do any commercial sewing either with over 20 machines. I have a 1863 singer number 2 , 1883 Improved Manufacture, and a 1892 Universal Feed Arm ( UFA) that is a lot like a Singer 29-1. I could only pull off making buggy tops commercially with those. Those Sailrite machines are impressive, my friend sews on one. I would love a singer 431-g. I don't have a free arm machine yet.

[@trentstaggerly7455]

@@alibabafurball
I don't have a free arm either but some projects would be much easier
with one.
You have some impressive machines. Correct me if I am wrong but it
would seem that one of your "youngest" machines is the 15-91?

[@alibabafurball]

@@trentstaggerly7455 The 15-91 would be my newest Singer. I have a kenmore 158.521 from 1964 and two White sewing machines from the 50's

[@CharlotteFairchild]

I am missing the wooden piece to cover the machine when it is in the desk. I am also need to refinish the top only. I don't know how to put the machine into the spring thing in the cabinet so it won't fall to the ground! I don't know where to plug in the cord for the pedal (not the wall end, the pedal end). Can you do a film on that? My Dad said he paid $600 for the Necchi Supernova in 1959 in Guam. It has 2 kinds of power. My first one has cams for different stitches, reverse, fast/slow, light, and weighs a ton. I have 2 tables with Necchi plates on the inside. One table went through a typhoon and has some crackle on the finish, and it means a lot to me since we survived a Category 5 typhoon in 1962 on Guam. I don't want it refinished.

[@tracychavez7914]

I love your channel. Just bought a vintage rocket singer & now I know where to find help if my machine is not running smoothly. I do not know how to sew & will be looking for guidance on You Tube. Thank you so much!

[@VintageSewingMachineGarage]

Great to hear!

[@annblachly8068]

Do you have some instructions on how to wire a machine to the foot in the table. I have a #65 and want to put a 15-90 in it. Well, it's in, but not hooked up to the pedal inside the machine.
Or is it self-evident?

[@burnts1enna]

Great video. I just purchased a Singer 201K in a cabinet very similar to the smaller one you showed in your video. It has a small flip out compartment and the legs are in the Queen Anne style. It has the knee operated speed control. The cabinet is in very good condition but the finish could use some sprucing up. The sewing machine works perfectly. I paid $50 (Can) for it and the cabinet. The value of it in today’s dollars really shocked me! I’m looking forward to your videos on putting the shine back on the cabinet. Thanks so much!

[@Sharon-pb7so]

You know the knee control is also a foot control. Just slide it out of the holder and put it on the floor if you prefer using your foot instead of your knee. I learned to sew with a knee control and liked it a lot but discovered that it was convertible to a foot control. It's funny what you learn when you crawl under a machine.

[@burnts1enna]

I have a 99K and a 306K both with foot speed controllers. But having now tried the knee controller, I like it better than the foot controller. Thanks for your reply! Gordon.

[@nvaranavage]

I spy a gorgeous foot pedal in the back there!

[@corinabluland6355]

Thank you for the terrific information. Looking forward to looking at your other videos.

[@ntIsme]

Well now I can't complain about the cost of the kangaroo sewing/craft cabinets of today.. 😅

[@instrumentfixer35yearsexp90]

WOW !!
Singer Cabinet 43 !! This is the first time that I have seen any reference to it. I sorta like collect Singer cabinets, one a Queen Anne, three of the model 65. MOST Singer cabinets could be disassembled and shipped like to South America. The only one of that vintage that could not be disassembled is the model 42

[@carmencolon3520]

I think I have a Nicky cabinet model 102 . Of course no sewing machine on it and wonder if I should put my singer Red Eye model 66 in it. Did that model was build for a treadle.?

[@annas.5894]

So lovely!

[@buffyharris5163]

My receipt for my Singer 201-2 in a model 42 cabinet with built in foot pedal was priced at $258.05 in March of 1951 from Culpeper, Va. The receipt has “damaged” written on it so I assume this was a discounted price.

[@teresitafaure4230]

Hello. I own a Singer 1946 15-90 in a Singer Cabinet 47. The left door has a shelf with two swing door that uses grab catch pull to open. It is missing one part of that catch. I’m hoping you can tell me where I might find this catch. All, it has an oil can holder. What oil can would it hold and what it looks like? I would love to hear all about the Cabinet 47. Thank you.

[@VintageSewingMachineGarage]

Try sites such as Bonanza.com and Ebay or Etsy. They 'sometimes' will be found there.

[@rodbeck9254]

Hard to hear You speak, need to be closer to the Mic. But I still really enjoyed this video! Great Information! My Wife's a quilter, and I have gotten into finding OLD sewing machines, cleaning and minor repairs. We have at least 5 old machines. One has a super deluxe cabinet. One has a cabinet that has fallen apart and needs re-gluing. "BUT" the machine that comes with it is an Eldredge Rotury Model A. made about 1910. A later model "B" I found to be worth $2000.00. I wish there were more people out there that have just as much knowledge and info to give as I got from this video. Peace, the North West Coast!

[@lillianchampagne6717]

I am looking for the value of a White Sewing machine cabinet with hidden chair. It had a knee lever, and the chair had 2 or 3 drawers in the back of it.

[@lillianchampagne6717]

It was a 1960s cabinet, I unfortunately lost it in a home fire.

[@lynelalonde2827]

I have the exact same machine and cabinet, but with the knee pedal.

[@patstrong547]

I wish someone would show a repair of the automatic cable lift mechanisms.

[@creativitybycarilyn6634]

A friend gave me a sewing cabinet that didn't have the machine any longer. I modified it to fit the Singer 301A cradle. The keyhole style hinges fit in the right spots, but the opening needed to be modified for the cradle. It appears it was made for a smaller machine with a wood flap covering the opening to the right side. When doing this I found the number 200 stamped inside. It has a oval shaped storage cubby inside a front door and 3 spool pins for thread. It has nipped corners that I have never seen before. Is there any tell tell signs to know that it is a Singer table vs. Necchi or something else?

[@toniwilson8212]

I just bought a sewing machine with a similar cabinet like the one above , the brand of the sewing machine is Stylecrest , a brand which I never heard of , it has vintage stereo cabinet legs on it , it has a knee pedal control

[@VintageSewingMachineGarage]

Hi Toni. It is very likely that your Stylecrest was a private label brand for either a department store or a sewing center/distributor. Most of these would have been made in Japan after WW II.

[@toniwilson8212]

@@VintageSewingMachineGarage , yes , it is a Japanese made cabinet , is it worth anything ? , not sure what year , would you know the year it was made ? , its in very good condition

[@idledreameress]

It's got me beat why these tables were so expensive compared to other household furniture.

[@nvaranavage]

My table is very similar to the upper left corner table but mine has a tilt out door.

[@toniwilson8212]

Nice 😊👍💞

[@toniwilson8212]

My side 3 drawer has vintage stereo cabinet type legs on it underneath

[@VintageSewingMachineGarage]

Not surprising given the popular furniture styling of that time.

[@MusicAnime4Life]

Where would one get that little metal protrusion at the bottom that attaches the foot pedal? Mine is missing 😅

[@k-michael8014]

I have a Necchi machine the cabinet # 100 it cost that then wow!

[@dogwalkfinds9899]

I have the same combo (1953 Necchi BU Nova and the model 100 cabinet) - the machine is amazingly good. I kind of took the cabinet for granted, but it is a beautiful piece of furniture.

[@June51212]

Hello, love your videos! This is great! I picked up a singer table came with a 404 in it. That day I also got a nice smaller mahogany free with a older brother in it. The question I have is, can I put any of my older singers in that brother table? Are any universal. I see they have the peg in back.
What goes in what table are any universal? I appreciate the answers.
👍🏻

[@VintageSewingMachineGarage]

Hi June. Many if not most brands who marketed machines in N. America often would adapt Singer's footprint for machine bed dimensions so that they could sell machines to former Singer customers who balked at having to buy a new table. If your Brother table is from before 1970, (give or take), if the table opening has rounded corners and is 14.5 inches in length by 7 inches in depth, it should fit provided the hinge pins line up with the holes in the rear of the Singer machine bed.

[@sunshinedancer5509]

I have the one on the top left of the catalog, and I need to find parts. I google and it just comes back with more tables or sewing machines, and not parts (such as the knee lever- the part that comes down and gets contact with the knee). Also, mine has the tip down/tip out drawer front. What is the metal thing on the right for?
Thanks in advance for those who help with answers and leads. I appreciate it.

[@VintageSewingMachineGarage]

You might try searching under a more general search term such as, "Singer knee", "Singer table lever" etc. Most sellers who have one will not know which table or model number to list. Cast your net a bit more broadly and something should turn up. Singer produced A LOT of these!!

[@christinegardner3630]

My Moms sewing machine looks like this one but it has wood pulls. I have most of the paperwork. Sadly as a 20 year old I tried to strip and stain it. Now as a old fart i need to undo this damage. It had a beautiful finish i belive called blonde? Is it possible to re-strip and re-apply that color?

[@99peppermint]

I have a #42 art deco cabinet, and the foot controller is attached to the cabinet. I'm trying to figure out how to remove the machine from the cabinet. It looks like I'm going to have to remove the wire for the foot controll from the machine. Any help would be appreciated

[@VintageSewingMachineGarage]

Hello Patti. Singer offered this 'Builtin" foot pedal as an upgrade (mostly for aesthetics). And this mattered to some consumers because homes were so small then that sewing machines were often kept in a family room or den space. In some of these setups, the foot controller was wired directly to the plug terminal and not via the cord plug. Another point to mention is that getting to the actually speed controller is done by turning the table on its back side (CAREFUL TO EITHER REMOVE OR STABILIZE YOUR MACHINE) so as not to damage it or the cabinet. I may have a video where I discuss this and the controller is essential the internals of the common Singer button style foot pedal, but without the plastic shell. Once you get under there, and your machine is UNPLUGGED, you can access the controller for cleaning/inspection.

[@99peppermint]

Thanks for getting back to me. I would love to see your video, may I ask we're find the video .

[@DebDDigger]

After you refurbish a cabinet, how do you ship it to your customer? Do you take it apart and pack it, or do you ship it whole on a pallet?

[@VintageSewingMachineGarage]

Actually, I don't ship cabinets or machines as the risk of damage is too severe. I sell locally only. Those out there that ship furniture would likely be a better source of info for you. Good luck.

[@ktc24601]

Is there an in depth tour of this table?

[@loisgibbs-reid6400]

Thanks for your videos!!

[@VintageSewingMachineGarage]

My pleasure!

[@nvaranavage]

My mom has a table like the one on the bottom left.

[@TealCheetah]

Someone had money to spend!

[@Roshan-cr9wg]

Hello! Thanks for a very informative video. I recently purchased a real one with the cabinet in this video number 43. I have the original receipt from singer. You have an email address that I could send it to you. I think it would be an interesting read. Greetings from Canada!

[@aztecahernandez6539]

Its still the same today. People can be stupid brainwashed. People pay a truck load of money for a brand new truck but once you drive it off the dealer that truck has lost about 60% of it imaginary value. Have a laugh.