Thrift Store Gems - Our Best Machines Yet?
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- Опубліковано 22 лип 2024
- Follow along as we show you guys our latest vintage sewing machines from our local thrift stores, antique dealers, and even one off of FB Marketplace. Enjoy!
#sewingmachine #vintage
Check out our other channels as well:
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Video Chapters
0:00 Intro
1:23 Aldens Zig-Zag
6:41 Dressmaker
12:23 Singer 301A
16:53 3/4 Deluxe
20:00 Pfaff 360
26:08 Singer Touch & Sew
29:49 Singer 99 (twins)
34:30 Free-Westinghouse - Навчання та стиль
One other comment about old sewing machines: one reason so many of them can be found in "perfect" shape is that at the time they were new women often were housewives and spent their days cleaning and keeping things nice at home. Sewing machines often cost so much more in terms of yearly income, so they were cleaned and covered when not in use. The machines were expected to be working for generations and were cared for with that in mind.
So true :) It was a simpler time. Thanks for watching!
Touch and Swear is another nickname for that Singer.
Lol. Sounds about right :)
I call them Touch and Break.
A few months ago I contacted you about a Singer 301A located in Maryland that I saw in a thrift store for $75. Shipping would have cost a small fortune. They ended up reducing the price to $30. I ended up buying it myself. I'm restoring it myself using UA-cam videos. It's beautiful. It's was made in 1954 and black.
Wow, that is awesome! A black 301a for 30 dollars is a really great deal. Congrats!!
Absolute joy seeing I'm not the only one addicted
Lol. No, you are not alone :) Thanks for watching and following along!
You are def not the only one I swear I’m broke from buying everything
@@krystleroy3068 Think of it as investing :)
Heck No! You're not alone! You are among thousands who are afflicted with VSMAD - Vintage Sewing Machine Acquisition (or Addiction) Disorder; an incurable virus!😂
Hi...my name is Joe.
I enjoyed the video. You made me have and relish some very fond memories of my late big brother. One of his hobbies was to find machines at yard sales, get them running, and then re-home them. When he became an organ donor in 2003, I inherited a bunch of machines. It was tempting to keep them all but that was not my brother's way. So as time went on and I encountered people who needed sewing machines, I would gift them with one of my brother's refurbs. A Necchi with ALL its cams went to a young lady who was about to start a dress design major at Rhode Island School of Design. God just put people in my life who needed machines until they all found a home. Then I was sad that I had no more machines "in stock" that related to my brother. So I found a Singer 99 made in his birth year and month. I don't sew with it. I just love knowing it was "born" at the same time as my brother.
You probably weren't expecting a story like that, but thanks for letting me tell it. The world lost a bright light when he died from stroke, but he saved three more people as an organ donor. That's the kind of guy he was.
Does the ISMACS "newsgroup" still exist? I used to be on their email list. I think it stands for something like International Sewing Machine Antique Collector Society. Or that's a close guess. Anyway, if you can find them then you find a treasure trove of information that can help you, and a world of people who want to help you.
Thank you so much! I enjoyed your story very much :) I am honored to have been able to bring back fond memories of your late brother. He sounded like a wonderful person. Great work keeping his spirit alive with your machine(s). Thanks for the info as well. We do use the ISMACS website to look up serial numbers on vintage machines. It is very helpful indeed. Thanks for watching and sharing your story!
@@NeverTooMany2023 🥹 Bitter & sweet
Beautiful story
A great channel to get information.
Thank you so much! Thanks for watching
That singer 700 series golden touch & sew is 1/2 plastic gears and the start of the demiss of singer quality. (my aunt had the 1st year the golden touch & sews were made - 1968!)
I personally own a 1963-1965 600 series touch & sew (top of the line version with the grey panel) which is special to me since I learned to sew on this very model as a child in the 60's (which my mom still owns hers!) I found mine for $100 (in original carry case, all cams, supplies & books) it was my dream to find another like my mom's & I now am happy!😊
That is great! How nice to still have the machine that you learned to sew on :) Thanks for sharing
I recently bought a Free Westinghouse. The manual states that you turn the handwheel "clockwise, away from yourself", which is opposite to all other sewing machines ... Also, in any machine with an inner wheel inside of the larger handwheel that loosens & tightens is related to the bobbin winder feature. The inner wheel us loosened to disengage the needle, preventing it from operating as a bobbin is being wound. Just tighten it back up to re-engage the needle to sew again ... One machine I have is a Montgomery Wards Signature 2000, and it is my favorite of all of the others I own ... Love your channel and your awesome Vintage collection of what I call "Masterpieces that sing while they sew"!!!!!
All great info. Thanks for sharing and thank you for watching!
Hi guys
Love your videos and seeing all your fabulous machines.
I'm so so envious😮
Here in Perth Australia you will virtually never find vintage sewing machines at all in Goodwill (thrift) stores, let alone any in such great condition as your collection.
Maybe in the big cities like Sydney and Melbourne you might come across the odd one or two. I have three vintage Singers, including a gorgeous mint condition 99K hand crank, plus an 80s Janome, bought off EBay. Two Singers were from FB Marketplace and the 99K (from Kilbowie, Scotland) bought online from a Cash Converters store, which was the most expensive of my machines at AUS$350.00, but worth it. Machine and bentwood case both absolutely mint condition and Singer box with heaps of accessories.
You have a fabulous collection❤. Will be keeping an eye out for your new additions. 🙂👍👏
Thank you so much! Wow, sounds like you have some really cool machines as well :) Very nice to hear from you all the way from Perth. Thank you so much for watching and good luck finding more machines in your area!
I have several Dressmakers ranging from early 1960-1989. They are all made in Japan. I’ve been able to find manuals for all through their serial and model numbers. I have a Rocketeer and he is amazing. I was going to teach a sewing class at my kids’ middle school years ago and ended up with a huge collection. I’m currently doing maintenance on everybody. I was given a White treadle machine 1913 (?).
Nice! Wow, they made the dressmaker for a while huh? I just picked up a new controller and power cable for my Rocketeer and I can't wait to try it out :) Thanks for watching!
An eBay seller says brand is De Luxe
I have recently got a dressmaker sewing machine. After World War II U.S government gave the Singer
sewing machine design to Japanese companies. The dressmaker's were based on Singer sewing machine designs. The US government gave Singer Sewing machine design to Japan to help them rebuild the Japanese sewing machine industry after World War II. Singer sewing machine company was very very upset! The dressmaker's were made by various Japanese companies and companies in Taiwan. They usually come with cams to make decorative stitches.
❤
I have a 301a also. I love it for piecing. the all gear drive without any belts is wonderful! Andytube has some great youtube videos on maintaining a 301.
That is great! Thanks for the tip. I can't wait to play around with ours :) Thanks for watching!
Love my 301A, black short bed. It purrs along, always. Great video, thx.
Thank you so much! That is great. I can't wait to get ours stitching :) Thanks for watching!
That variable zig-zag was used for manual embroidery in the early days ! Bernina was famous for teaching the technique of variable width embroidery. As you stitched down the edge of an applique or a monogram you could change the widths of the stitch gradually. It would give the impression of calligraphy lines. AFTER a lot of practice.
Oh wow, that is so cool! That would add an entire artistic aspect to the process. Thanks for the info. There is too much information in the world for anyone to know it all. That is why it is so nice to be a part of a community as great as the vintage machine one. Thanks!
I would like to give you a great top. Always use Tri-Flow lubricant. The Viking rep told us at the sewing machine sales and service shop I worked at, to only use this on sewing machines. Tri-Flow also makes a nice grease too. Oh and, look under the needle plate for fluff on the feeddogs. Another of it can keep the feeddogs from feeding the fabric through.
All great tips. Thank you so much!
Thank you for sharing your wonderful collection. I LOVE the Singer 99 Twins. The older the better, for me anyways. 😊
Thank you so much! I am glad you enjoyed :) We love the 99s as well. Can't wait to get them up and running well. Thanks for watching!
The zig zag dial on the dressmaker allows us to tailor our stitches to exact mm and not be limited by a few choices. There is another dial that holds the width in place (It'll make more sense once you open it up).
Also, the dressmaker foot pedal can be used to adjust the speed of any machine plugged into the "motor" outlet, so it was very useful for a range of appliances for which you'd want to temper the speed; hence, the cord can be used for other purposes and may have been adjusted to run something across the room.
The button you called a light switch, doesn't run the light wiring; it's a spring mechanism released by pressing down just on the outer metal cylinder. It is twisted to increase pressure on the pressure foot to hold material for the machine as it feeds it through. The light switch is usually on the right.
It's often prudent not to flick knobs and switches until you take a look inside. My grandma would have sent me for a switch if I touched her machine like that, but i absolutely love your delight in these little machines.
Wow, that is a lot of really great information. Thank you so much for sharing!
I did not know alot of what you said. So the zig zag adjusts the stitch length ? How does that work. The foot pedal you can adjust the speed on other "Appliances" ? Or other sewing machines if it will plug into it. Thanks
@@lindamorgan2678 both features are unique to this particular machine and do not make sense if you're referencing current machines.
I know absolutely nothing about new machines, but still wondering how the zig zag width can adjust the stitch length. I am sure that I misunderstood all the vintage machines that I have used and worked on they all could tailor the width and stitch length with the dials or sliders @@hz3701
I have a 301 A it sews well actually better than my featherweight It was owned by one person before me. It will sew through leather. But it's very heavy and I'm older. Hard to transport for me. It's so great that you love those older wonderful machines. Thanks for video
Thank you so much! That is great that you have both a featherweight and a 301a :) Indeed, we absolutely love the old machines. They all have a story to tell and it is our personal quest to tell those stories. Thanks for watching!
My "daily driver" is that same Alden and it brings me so much joy every time I use it. So excited to see it pop up here, and getting some extra love.
Oh that's great! I am glad to hear from someone that has one and uses it :) Haven't had the chance yet to dig into it but looking forward to playing around with it. Thanks for watching!
I have a machine that is the exact same as that blue Japanese one. Mine is labelled 'Raleigh' and is a class 15 singer copy. It's black but the same design. I'm just having tension issues at the moment. Great video❤
Great info. Thanks! Thank you for watching :)
Hi Really enjoyed your video! I believe the blue, unmarked machine is a "Homemark". Our government gave Japan money after World War II to rebuild and 1 of these industries was Homemark Sewing Machines. I have a black one that was to be scrapped that did not have a motor so I attached a handcrank and it is my "go to" machine. I can sew through anything easily with it. Hope this helps. Anne L.
Thank you so much! I am glad you enjoyed the video. We enjoyed making it as well :) Thanks also for the info on the blue machine. Sounds like we have a similar setup. I appreciate the help! Thanks for watching and following along!
I have the exact machine only with a SEWMOR label on it. Product of Japan as Anne stated. What a beautiful, simple - always works the first time - machine. Keep on saving these beauties for our human race.
I have a 1956 99K made in great Britain, she sews like a dream. You will enjoy sew with her.
That's great! Thank you so much. I can't wait to try her out :) Thanks for watching!
I catch so much flac from my family for having so many machines! Love watching your video
Thank you so much! Ya, we have been accused of being hoarders a time or two as well :)
You can see the Free-Westinghouse machine in old episodes of I Love Lucy.
Oh wow. That is so cool! I will have to look out for that. Thanks!
I just picked up a machine like your green Alden for $20. Exact same case, tan paint, no name but it does have the same small black and red crest. Gear driven, appears to be brand new. Handwheel not turning. Got it home to find it was completely dry. Lubed and it runs as free as can be. Found a little tag in the side compartment, made in Korea. Cream of my stable is a matched pair of pink Atlas machines.
That is great! Good work getting her up and running well :) Matching pink Atlas machines...so cool. Well done. Thanks for watching
Love All your machines!❤
Thank you so much! Thanks for watching!
I’m up to 35 now. Love seeing all the different machines. They are all so cool and unique!
Wow! That is great. What is your favorite in your collection? How long did it take you to get to 35? Thanks for watching and following along!
@@NeverTooMany2023I got most of them in the last couple of months. I just finished my 301a. I took almost everything apart, cleaned, oiled, and put it all back together. It was so rewarding to get it running so well after all that work. And, I’m learning a lot in the process! I think my favorite so far is my Jones hand crank with a coffin case but it is really hard to choose because I love them all!
@@colleenacourtney That's great! It happens really fast right? We have only been collecting for less than a year and we are super out of room :) That's great that you took apart your 301 and got it all up and running. Super rewarding right?
35? Those are rookie numbers, you got to pump those numbers up!!
Great video! I would have bought the first one you showed too. Love that colour green!
Thank you so much! Ya, that one was a no brainer. Stacey loves anything green...especially if it makes stitches :) Thanks for watching and following along!
Many of the store brands, such as Alden's , Montgomery Wards, etc, were made by Brother if they say made in Japan. On of the exceptions is Sears Kenmore, Sears sourced from many different vendors over the years. The first three digits of the serial number indicate the source or manufacturer. Three of the most common serial numbers are 117, 158, and 385. Serials that start with 117 was made by White, 158 was made by Maruzen/Jaguar, and 385 was made by Janome
All great info. Thanks for sharing!
That was fun to watch. Thanks for the tour!
Thank you so much! I am glad you enjoyed it. We had fun making the video :) Thanks for watching and following along!
I love that you two enjoy this hobby together. Several years ago (early 2000's), there would be periodic truckload sales of Dressmaker Sewing Machines advertised in the local paper. I think the fancier ones sold for around $300.
Thank you so much! Ya, we are best friends and we pretty much do everything together :) I am super lucky! I wish we had started collecting in the early 2000s, the prices back then were awesome! Thanks for watching and following along!
Thanks for including grandma's machine ❤ also my new nickname is "The Dressmaker"
You are very welcome! You have always been "the dressmaker" BTW :)
Wow, nice collection. Wonderful.
Thank you so much! Thanks for watching!
I hope you two finally get a featherweight and find for yourselves a pfaff 130. My favorite latest machine I got is a singer 24-80 chainstitch machine
Thanks! I am sure we will. I agree the next Pfaff should be a 130 :) Wow, the 24-80 looks super cool! Congrats :) Thanks for watching!
Chain stitch - like for doing decorative embroidery on the surface? Or for closing burlap bags?
Great Video of all the Machines! thanks for sharing!!
Thank you so much! I am glad you enjoyed it. We had fun making it as well :) Thanks for watching and following along!
Thank you! I had a touch and sew but it was not fixable. It takes a thin plastic bobbins. I had the whole box of do- dads. I too have found a Pfaff 360, no case and it had several issues but I got all of the bugs worked out. One of the things was, the motor had to be started by hand. The brushes were worn down to nothing. I found replacement brushes on line, fit perfectly and they were under $10. I found the number 68 on several parts on this machine leading me to believed that was the year.
I also picked up a beautiful Montgomery Ward's from the 1950s, it was about the same color blue as your orphan and it was made in Japan by the Happy company. It has "Happy" in the casting of the base. I hope this helps.
Thank you so much! Great info. So many people had the touch & sew. They may not have lasted very long but a lot of people really liked them :) Can't wait to get our Pfaff sorted out as well. I really like sewing on our 230. I am hoping that the 360 will be just as fun. Thanks for watching and following along!
I had a similar Aldens in 1970. It was my first. It was from the Alden’s catalogue.
That is so cool! Catalogues were the first internet it seems :) Thanks for watching!
It is so great to know that I’m not alone in buying up old sewing machines! I really enjoy your videos and seeing what great finds you get! While I have several wonderful treadle machines, a couple of Featherweights, and numerous 66s, I am now focusing on the ones I can get a bargain on and put in my car by myself. I just picked up a 1949 128K ($12) and a 1950 99K ($35) at an online estate sale. So excited to have machines built in Kilbowie! They are in fantastic shape and sew like a dream! They both have the “rocket lantern” style light which is a first for me so I was able to replace the bulbs with LEDs (5/8” screw-in). It’s nice to have the 128k so I can keep up my long bobbin skills!! I already have a 1941 99 and it is fantastic as well. I make a lot of Quilts of Valor on that machine and I love sharing with the WWII vets about it. They really appreciate the history. Thanks for the great videos, keep up your awesome collection!
Thank you so much! Sounds like you have a wonderful collection as well. It is great to hear about other people's passion for these awesome pieces of history. Ya, we are in the same boat. We have a house full of machines now so we are trying to find ones that we either really want, or ones that are just too good of a deal to pass up. We are definitely learning so much about the market and are starting to formulate a "unicorn" list of machines. Happy hunting, thanks for watching, and thanks for following along!
Love Stacey’s 301a😉
I have featherweights, I love them
Love your channel🎉🎉🎉
Lol. Ya she loves it too :) Thank you so much for the kind words. Thanks for watching and following along!
How cool!!! The singer drop in bobbins machines were the coolest ever in home economics. High school about 1969!
Good times :) Thanks for watching!
I got 2 of em It's a Japanese Knockoff. 1 with a White company riveted badge and 1 with Packard decal on it. same metalic blue color. They are amazingly running smooth.
That is great info. Thanks!
My dressmaker precision made in Japan like the Singer love my workhorse
That's great! The dressmaker is a cool line of machines. Thanks for sharing!
I love my Singer 201-2. She's a dream to sew on and a real workhorse.
That's great! We love our 201-2 as well. It is a top notch machine all around :) Thanks for watching and following along!
Great, thank you.
Thank you so much!
I was looking for a singer 40 cabinet like my mother's, I found one with a 310A in it. I love the machine. I like how it can pop out of the cabinet and be a portable. My understanding is the short extension bed was for the cabinet versions the one in the trapezoid case would be long extension beds.
That's great! I can't wait to play around with ours :) Thanks for sharing! Thanks for watching!
The 301 sews much better than the featherweight, IMO. I sold my featherweight but you'd be hard pressed to get me to part with my 301.
I could not agree more :) Thanks for watching!
From the quick research I did, the Dressmaker was the Singer 201. After world war two, Japan massed produced the dressmaker since it was a good little machine.
Oh wow, that's cool :) Thanks for the info and thank you for watching!
So sorry, but I'm afraid this is... well, not quite accurate.
Singer never made any machines for badging. The Singer name was the Singer name, and even if they could have-- and they definitely could have-- they wouldn't.
"Dressmaker" was like Morse, in that it was a name-only importer and retailer of sewing machines. If you search the underside of the machine, you'll almost certainly find a "J" or "JA" stamped in, followed by one or two numbers. "JA-16," or what-have-you. This was the Import Code imposed by the US Government on Japanese industry for quite a long time.
So find that number, then dig about online for info; there are a few databases that will tell you who the manufacturer is.
My money's on Brother-- it just kind of has that design language.
Really enjoy looking at your collection. I only have room for one more machine which is coming my way. I do use them all for different sewing projects. I would really like to see the inside of your blue orphan
Thank you so much! That is great that you are making use of your machines. I am sure you can find room for more :) Ya, I will need to tear apart the blue machine for sure. Thanks for watching!
32:56 "...an example of you get what you pay for..." I know, we get accustomed to our $20 thrift store finds, but $90 for a machine that has run (or, been able to run) for over 80 years and will continue to operate for more than 80 additional years means no complaints. Even at $90, it's a heck of a deal. Congratulations.
Don't forget Craig's List and garage sales. Some great finds out there.
Great points made :) Thanks for watching!
Dress makers are a Japanese machine. Singer may have one called a dress maker! Japanese were in completion with other makers made very good machines.
That is great. Thanks for the info :) Thanks for watching!
The ‘badged’ machines with different names often department stores were usually made in Japan. After World War II Singer gave them the blueprint for the 66 or 99 to help the nation recover.
I see. Thank you so much for the information! That makes sense :) Thanks for watching!
It was the Singer 15 they gave them the blueprint for, I believe. I have one. They’re 15 clones
I too have heard that the Japanese made machine's were based on the Singer 15 platform.
That's a very popular myth, but there is absolutely no truth to it. (And it's the 15, not the 66/99.) Hell, Singer sued the Japanese government for the recovery of funds and materials seized during the war and fought hard to keep Japan from becoming a major manufacturer of sewing machines. (Why would they help the competition?) And, it should be noted that Brother was making a 15 "clone" in the 1930's.
My niece has a dessmaker sewing machine. They have trouble with the plastic gear breaking on the zig zag function. Cannot find replacements to fix that part,but it still has a great straight stitch that works.
Ya, seems like some of these machines that have hard to find parts would do well to have a parts machine that you can steal parts off of. If we see a machine that we know we want, but it doesn't work, we will usually buy it so that when we do get a good machine later we have parts for it. Thanks for sharing!
I grew up with a Pfaff 260 and it was fantastic ! The 360 is free arm is the o of difference. Ours was bought in 1965.
That's awesome! I can't wait to play with ours :) Thanks for watching!
Ever heard of a Nustitch MG-1? Looks identical to White House machine. My mom (98) gave it to me, probably her third or fourth machine. My older sister got her Singer.
I think I have heard of Nustitch, but haven't come across one yet. Thanks for sharing and thank you for watching!
My mother's wedding dress came from an Aldens catalog.
That's cool. Thanks for sharing.
I remember getting Aldens’ catalogs as a kid. Very much like the big Sears catalog, but not quite and slightly thinner.
That's cool :) Thanks for watching!
The 3/4 machine looks like a green one I have badged "Visetti". When i purchased it for $5, I thought "an Italian machine?". No. It's Japanese. It doesn't use standard sewing machine needles but shorter ones. I'll try to find the code/size for you.
I believe Dressmaker are Janome or New Home. If you find a J under neath it is is. Both Singer and Janome/New Home made what is called ghost machines.
That is great info. Thanks!
I have one very similar to your first one with the wood panelling it is badged Woodwards a Canadian dept store it is mint also hardly used comes with fashion disks and still has the stitches available from the factory on a piece of cloth.
Never went through a spool of thread I am sure. Thanks for your display of machines and hope your Pfaff knobs are not seized as they usually are can take alot of work to get them unseized in my experience anyhow and some may have to be removed
Thank you so much for sharing. That's cool that you have the same machine from a different department store. Such a great looking machine :) The Pfaff ended up working out great! We got lucky and none of the knobs were in need of repair. Really enjoy using that one :) Thanks for the comment and thank you for watching!
So I looked it up again... And found some similar. Interesting nothing came up before.
Re: 1881 Florence.
Interesting. Thanks!
My son found a Bernina 730 Record for me at a thrift shop. It's in great shape with all the attachments and feet. So excited to learn all about it and use it. Oh, he paid $2 for it! Love those thrift shops! I just found your channel today and subscribed. I'll look forward to seeing all the fun machines you find. I have 5 Singer 221's and one 301 with the longer bed. This Bernina will allow me to do more than straight stitch.
Oh WOW! The 730 Record is on our bucket list. I can't believe you found one at a thrift shop. Great work! Also, the long bed 301? Much envy :) Thanks for watching and following along!
@@NeverTooMany2023 you have a lot of very cool machines. These others will show up for you before long...
@@SerialSpinner-ss Thank you so much. I hope so :)
I bought a 730 Bernina Record with cabinet second hand a few years ago. It has some parts that don’t work, the fancy stitches. However, it works very well as a straight stitch & zig zag. The cabinet is brilliant, lots of storage for sewing notions.
Use a Cricut to badge the DeLuxe any way you want to. Name the machine whatever you want, or put your last name on it.
Genius! Great Idea. We happen to have a Cricut machine. I am definitely going to do that. Thanks for the tip, thanks for watching and thanks for following along!
That Singer Touch and Sew was the “ooh and ah” of my generation! Everyone wanted one, however it didn’t have the same quality as the older Singer machines as you pointed out. Neat to see the old Pfaffs, I had a computerized 7550 that was a gem for over 20 years, still miss that machine. Ever see any Elnas?
Thank you so much! Ya, the Touch and Sew is a cool old machine. I am sure that they were super desired when they dropped on the market. I think they are all awesome in their own way :) Love our Pfaff machines. It is just fun to collect different machines from other parts of the world. We have not come across any Elnas yet. Stacey REALLY wants an Elna Grasshopper. I think it is a 3/4 machine in green. She loves the little ones :) Thanks for watching and following along!
About the Dressmaker, I seem to remember having read that if, just like the one before, was a Japanese machine. Japan got some Singer patents (maybe class 15) as a means to restore their economy after the war and they made many variations of colour and features. Especially colour was a new thing. A lot of stores had their own name on the front, but the bobbin will reveal what it is underneath the varnish.
Great info! Thanks for sharing! Never thought of looking under the bobbin compartment for clues. Good stuff :)
My guess is the Aldens and Dressmaker machines are very early 60s. They were still using shiny bobbin cover plates. Eventually these became satin finished. The Singer 301 is an ok machine but the Featherweight bobbin is very small on thread capacity. Don't expect much from the Touch and Sew, lots of plastic inside-not known for longevity. Pfaff is an excellent machine but hard to find parts for and expensive. Singer 99s are built like tanks, basically a 3/4 Singer 66. Dressmaker wasn't a Singer product, but possibly a White product. Singer did own The Pine Sewing Machine Company of Japan. For export to the USA, originally badged MERRITT, Isaac Singer's middle name. Once they were satisfied with the quality, the Singer badge went on.
Wow, that is all really great information. Thank you so much! I really appreciate your time and effort. Thanks for watching!
The confusion I think is that the monicker for the 201 was The Dressmaker but the Japanese had one branded that way
@@alicearmen5601
You're right. The 201-2 was called the dressmaker's machine because of its perfect top stitch. The 15-91 was known as the farmer's wife's machine because of its ability to sew nearly anything, including burlap bags.
This is complicated bu the fact that White was out of the manufacturing (of sewing machines; they still made trucks and other heavy equient) game by 1951 or so. The name continued, but it was placed on imported machines. I have a White made by Juki (with a rotary take-up, not the familiar bobbing lever) and one made by Vigorelli (with the entire center section of the bed that slides side-to-side for a wider zig-zag). They were all still largely designed by White engineers who supplied the specs, and bought from whomever could meet the specs at the lowest price.
just picked up a black 301 a such a stylish beast.. hope you find yours!
Congratulations! That is so exciting. I am sure you will love it . I agree, what a stylish piece of history. They don't make them like they used to for sure. Thank you for the kind thoughts. I am sure we will come across one someday :) Thanks for watching and following along!
Your badgless 15 clone most likely just has a twisted presser foot. Something probably hit it. Open the nose. See if you can figure how to loosen that rod. If not now probably. Oil everything up and after a good soak take a rubber mallet and a wrench. Clamp it on. If you can get a grip with something under it so it doesn't leave teeth marks its best. Gently tap it in a spinning motion until its straight. That should put it back where it was. I havecseem some feet that can clamp on and could actually be whats turned so just check that first. Should be easy either way
Thank you so much for the tips! I appreciate your advice. I will definitely give that a try :) Thanks for watching
I have many of the same machines you have and then some... I have sold many of mine to free up space!
That's cool. Sounds like you have good taste in machines :) Thanks for watching!
Early bernina machines are brilliant also.
Great! Now we have to get some early Bernina machines :) Definitely on the list. Thanks for the input and thank you for watching!
The Dressmaker is a Japanese made machine, made by Brother.
Good to know. Thank you so much!
I believe White made dressmaker, domestic and kenmore.
That's great. Thanks!
that 1st one you showed is alot like 1 of the White brand machines i have , a couple of differences but same body shape, you got a nice one there, #2 the Dressmaker is cool, know Fabricmate is Singer, Dressmaker could be pre- Fabricmate ?, Could Dressmaker be another store brand from Macy's or Arye's? 301A- sweet find, featherweights big brother lol. Blue machine, run the number that's stamped under it, see what might pop up , if anything lol. nice Phaff. Singer Golden SWEET, if i'm not mistaken andytube done video of work on 1 of these. The 99's are gorgeous. Such lovely adds to your collection.
Thank you so much! Great info here, thank you. We are really lucky to be so close to so many thrift stores in our area. Thanks for watching!
I have a pfaff 260 and 360 and bith are auper smooth, awesome machines. Ive never seen a plastic case for the 360. Usually the cases i see are like littlr cloth suitcases. The dial a stich is different than the ine for the 230 (which i also have along with a 130 and a 139 😮). There is an extension that can go on the end of the lift up table if you dont want to use the free arm. Im anxious to see your reviews of this and your other new machines.
Thank you so much! Very interesting about the cloth cases. That is great that you also have a 130. We need to add one of those to our collection for sure. Thanks for watching and following along!
The blue one is called a Bryson delux I will see if I can find the rest of the info but they are like a singer 15-90 they are made in Japan
Oh ok. Thanks for the info. I appreciate it. I need to get that one up and running. We are getting back logged with machines :) Good problem to have. Thanks again!
I think your Dressmaker may be a Kenmore.
Thank you so much!
I have a Dressmaker Deluxe machine model #SAM-3B, from the 1960’s. It has a Dynamic 1.0 amp motor. I bought it from the original owners daughter who couldn’t give an exact year but remembers it was the 1960’s when it came home. It was made in Japan and from what I’ve read it’s a Singer knock off.
That's great! All good info. Thanks for sharing and thank you for watching!
Hi, I just stumbled onto your site and noticed the "dressmaker" sewing machine. It is very similar to my Nelco machine. It has the very same buttons, the pushbutton for reverse, the circular dial for selecting stitch length, the lever for the zigzag, and even the snapback lever for instant zig zag. I don't know if yours has a pair of buttons on the bed, one for sew, the other for darn.They raise and lower the feed dogs. I love that machine and have had it since my college days. I am in my late 60's now and I love it and it has done ALOT of work for me. It is a real workhorse. Have you ever seen or heard of Nelco? I researched it and the man who started the company was very interesting. He escaped from one of Hitler's concentration camps, later to be caught again and was freed by the Allies as they came through in WW2. He started the company and named it after the mergence of the two names of the companies he used to work for as a tribute to all he had learned from them. The two companies sued him for copyright infringement as their thanks for his tribute....big thanks, huh!? I found the company to be interesting but it is sad that there is not more said of them or that more people don't have these machines.
Thank you so much for the information! I have not run across a Nelco machine yet. Very interesting story behind the name though. We do have an Alco machine from the late 70 or early 80s. After researching the machine we found it to be a Necchi- Alco, but badged simply "Alco" Are these the two companies that you reference in your story? Thanks for watching!
I believe it was Necci and Alco that were used in the name. Apparently the design of the Nelco was Italian and the manufacturer was in Japan. From what I understand it was after world war two that these machines were manufactured in Japan.Sibgerveven gave the Japanese some, if not all their patents to Japan as it was during the US it Allies occupation of Japan and the rebuilding of their country under the Marshal Plan. The Marshal Plan was set up so that what happened after WW one would not happen again. They would not end up severely in debt, have economic problems and resentment would not develop against the former Allies. The manufacture of sewing machines would be a good peaceful profitable means to support and rebuild a damaged economy. What they produced was if high quality and a product American women would want, as well as being attractive world wide.
@@abigailhowes5944 Great info. Thanks!
To get an idea of the Free's year of manufacture, check the round badge on the motor. Near the bottom, in tiny numbers, there should be a year stamped into it. It would be the very late 40's or very early 50's. As there was a little thing called World War II going on, there were no domestic sewing machines being manufactured in 1944. And you really should have snagged the cabinet. The Free has a unique bed that won't fit in Singer-type/sized bases/cabinets. Also, the Free requires a shorter needle. They are hard to come by. (Great machine, though. I own three.)
All great info. Thanks!
I wish you could give more details on your cost at Thrift Store and online buys to give us a idea where the cost could be. Thanks
We have Pfaff 130- 1953, we love her.
Sure. In our area (SW Idaho), the average price of thrift store vintage machines ranges from 20 dollars to 90 dollars. Most of the machines that we bring home are about 60. The same machines in our area that are offered on Facebook Marketplace are usually listed at about 30 percent more. Hope this helps :)
That is so cool that you have a Pfaff 130. We currently have a 230 and a 360. We really want to add a 130 to our collection but haven't come across one yet. Thanks!
Have you ever heard of yhe JCPenney Nelco model 6520? I got one at a garage sale gor $25. I have questions about the operation, like how to position the needle in the middle because it is on the left. That amoung others.
I am sorry, we have not run across one of those yet. From a quick search it looks like it might be an early 90's machine? We had a Viking machine from the 90's that had the needle stuck on the left. We were able to just kind of nudge it over with our fingers and now it sews in the middle. It might just be gummed up from the zig zag function positioning (unless there is a lever that controls the needle position). Sorry I cannot be more of a help. Hope it works out for you :) Thanks for watching!
I can't believe you are twirling the tension dials and flicking the levers.
I know, right? :) Thanks for watching!
Have a Singer 401g trying so hard to find out whether I can get the attachments for treddle.. SA
That's cool. Hope you find what you are looking for. Thanks for watching!
Your $90 99 was most likely more expensive because of the bentwood case. Those are highly sought-after and hard to find in good condition😊.
Thank you so much for the input. These bentwood cases are super nice indeed. We are really lucky to have found both of them. Can't wait to get them both up and running :) Thanks for watching!
Worth it!
I'd name your dressmaker Marfan.
Lol. Will do.
What brand and model is the green sewing machine in the bottom left corner?!
It is an Alden's Zigzag machine. It is the first one shown in the video.
Which pfadd series is the best how does the 130 conpare to 139
I prefer the Pfaff 230. Not sure how the 130 and 139 compare.
The 3/4 Deluxe machine might be a Singer 15-90 copy
Thanks for the tip! You might be right :) Thanks for watching!
@@NeverTooMany2023 The hint was the tension apparatus on the left instead off up front. If it would have had a potted (gear-driven direct drive motor) it would have possibly been a 15-91. I have a 15-91 and a 15J which is the same thing only it was manufactured in St John, New Brunswick in Canada. These are great little heavy duty workhorses. Can sew canvas / leather.
@@Ellie.12866 Great info. Thanks!
The free westinghouse is made of magnesium .
Wow. That is very interesting. Thanks for the info! Thanks for watching
You're thinking of the White 77MG. The Free is made of aluminum.
Oh my goodness, do ALL your machines work?
That is a great question. I would say that 90 percent work so far. I haven't gotten around to testing all of our latest machines that we have picked up, but they mostly seem to be solid. We do have a couple 80's machines that we gave up on and turned into parts machines, but for the most part, we really try to save them :) Thanks for watching!
Do you know the information about the HZL 906 juki machine?
Sorry no I have no info on that machine. Thanks for watching!
When are you going to get a Singer 319?
That sounds awesome. Those don't appear in the thrift stores too often. Definitely on our wish list though :)
I just got a Lady Kenmore 89. It’s completely seized and it needs a new belt. I’ve been trying to to remove the motor so that I can oil it up better without getting the oil
All
Over the motor. I’m wondering if you have any knowledge of this machine. I needy to know if anyone can show me how to remove the motor and also which belt I should buy for it. Thanks
That is great! Congrats. Just looked up that machine. It looks really nice. It looks like a pretty complex machine with the horizontal camstack on top. There are several reasons that it could be seized up but more than likely it is just thread jamming up the bobbin and hook assembly. (hopefully). Not sure about the motor. But if it is hidden inside the machine then you can probably access it from the bottom. Just start taking out screws on the base and it will probably be fairly clear how to access it. As for as the belt goes, you can wrap a string around the motor and the drive pulley and measure its length. Then you can buy a universal belt that is the same approximate length. Hope this helps :)
@@NeverTooMany2023 Thank you so much. I really appreciate your help. 😀
Quick question: what sewing machine make/model is featured in the intro? I have one that looks exactly the same, but it was produced in Soviet Union so I’m guessing they cloned some western model :)
The machine I used in my logo at the beginning is a Podolsk 142. I do believe that it is a Soviet model. Thanks for watching!
@@NeverTooMany2023 thanks! Mine is Chaika 142M, basically the same as Podolsk 142 apart from the badge :) Cool choice for the logo!
@@user-ez1lf7sd2i Thanks a lot! That is very cool :)
How long did it take you to accumulate all these you just showed? Do you contact stores in advance and ask if they have any?
Great questions :) We took about 2 weeks to gather all the 9 we just showed. We don't call the stores before we go, although you certainly could. We have a "loop" that takes us about 1 hour to hit 6 thrift stores and 2 antique 2nd hand shops in our area. We just make a date of it every few days. They go quick so we try to stop in whenever we can :) Thanks for watching!
@@NeverTooMany2023 very nice! We have a lot of antique stores near us, but I don't have the space for a collection even if I were to find some. I'll just watch your channel instead. 😊
@@karin0963 Deal :)
I have a couple of dressmakers but they look very different
That's cool. I wonder if they are of different eras, or just different models. Thanks!
@@NeverTooMany2023my dressmakers look a lot like the blue one you have with no badge. I don’t know much about them either. Love that you got the pfaff 360. PLEASE do a video taking the pfaff apart and working on it! I have that one and it is only doing a really small zigzag. I REALLY want to get that one working right.
@@colleenacourtney That's cool. I definitely want to make a video of the 360. That's great that you have one as well :) I will see what I can do. Thanks again!
Singer 188 and 301a whats better
I would pick the 301a
Also, where are you located?
We are located in SW Idaho :)
Where is the foot on the dressmaker machine?
That's funny. I didn't notice it was missing. I am pretty sure it had one when I brought it home. Thanks for the heads up!
Did you teach yourselves to repair them?
Yes, we just started unscrewing stuff and figured out how things worked until we got familiar with how they operated. As long as you keep track of all the pieces you really can't go wrong :) Thanks!
verdigris bronze Westinghouse lol
Ahhh. That sounds about right :) Thanks!
How much will u pay for a 301
Great question. Depending on rarity, condition, model, and what comes with it (case and doo-dads). In my opinion, if it is a basic 301a in good working condition with the carry case I would try to pay 150 to 200. If you found one that is brand new looking and the case is in incredible shape and it comes with all the doo-dads, I would even go as high as 300. Thanks for watching!