Hi Blake – Your video clip very interesting – do you know anything about The Peerless sewing machine White – Ohio dated 1881 – for example how many were produced – I recently purchased one and its just adorable. Years ago I found a Featherweight sewing machine and can understand why they hold their value. This Peerless machine seems special – do you regard it as a special machine? Thanks

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN: One of the finest people you’ll ever meet! Blake…so good to see you on youtube.

Great info on sewing machines but, remember, the old ones were made with all metal gears and parts, thus, built to outlast anything made currently.

Still making Featherweights…old sewing ladies never pass away, they just keep you in stitches.

Hope you and yours are well and please say Hi to everyone for me! Angie

The audio is weak.

what is the name of the sowing machine used in your video, i have the same one recently given to me from my Grandmother.

Dear Pileofiron I have a Willcox & Gibbs Treadle Machine and I also have A frame the same one that is in the pictured in the postage stamp for the video it is the one on the extreme right or the sewing books.
Could any one tell Me the name and maker of this machine,or would you be so kind to ask the lady who owns the sewing machines,I can not find one like it anywhere else.Thank you God Bless

my grandma has one

I got a Willcox and Gibbs! it sure does fly! pitty they don’t make the proper needles for it anymore.

In good condition, $0-50 unless it’s a 221 or 222 or 99 or other highly sought vintage model currently. Quilters will pay (imo) insane prices for a 221, while other straight stitchers that work as well or better go for a song.

Call 1 800 4 singer with the serial number (it’ll probably start with two letters) and they can generally tell you the model.

toughened glass,with some detail on it. simple

No, not really… It’ll depend on the exact type (very few are worth more than the price of a service – AFTER the service!)

MOST models were made in the tens of millions. Some in the hundreds of millions, all over the world. Hundreds of thousands of them still exist and are still in good working order!

A centenary year badge on a sought-after model such as a 401, a 221 or 222 (the Featherweight), a ‘Rocketeer’ (some of the 500 series) will enhance the value of an example in already excellent condition. Refurbished models with modern replacement parts or repainted models are not so valuable to the cognoscenti.

As with all vintage and antique items, good provenance and an interesting history enhance the value. Damage, missing attachments that WOULD have come with it originally, lack of original user manual, and over-exuberant ‘restoration’ will harm the value.

To find out if the machine is worth more than pocket money*, you need to know the model. If you don’t know this, send the serial number (in an oval cartouche at the base of the pillar on the right hand side on most black models) to Singer’s HQ, and they will be able to tell you exactly which model it is and where and when it was built.

*My own collection of vintage Singer and other machines, to give you some idea, includes:

1956 221 Featherweight: good condition, smell free case, no original attachments**, original manual: valued for insurance at £300, but was a freebie from a friend…

1923 Singer 66 Handcrank: good head condition, originally with back ***** foot, has original manual: bought for £10 in 1976. I could probably get £20 for it on a good day.

1936 Singer 15-88 (treadle): excellent condition, free gift! Might go for as much as £50 if |I spent that restoring the table…

1930′s Singer 28 hand crank: freebie!

You can pick up excellent examples of most 30′s to 60′s models of Singer for under £40 on ebay, (a decent service is about £45 for a mechanical machine), or free from Freecycle. I’ve had several from Freecycle…

**Beware of folk advertising things as ‘Featherweight attachments’. Other than VERY few bits made especially for this very small machine, most Singer short shank attachments for mechanical straight stitch machines will fit it and were common to all short shank Singer machines.. You need to be careful with modern walking feet, as some don’t fit as well as others…