Sewing Machine For Sale

I have this sewing machine...?

it's really old. To my knowledge it still works, but i havent tried to use it, as it is greek to me. To a collector, or avid sewer, would it be worth anything? I'm going to put it in a yard sale- how much should I ask for it?

Public Comments

1. Greek sewing machines are particularly valuable - you could get quite a lot for one in good condition!
2. It might be very collectible. Is it a Singer? You can check on ebay for what they are going for. Some small old Singers are very much sought after - if they work. Could be worth over $200 but can't say without knowing brand, condition, age, etc.
3. Is it an antique? if it is I won`t sell it.You should check if its an antique on line. I have a sewing machine and I got it about 4 years ago and it cost almost $300.00.Your machine would cost more then that.
4. well if your going to put it in A YARD SALE it would be worth mabe 10 15 $
5. Is it electric or manual? What brand? What type? If it's a common brand like Singer, try contacting the company to see when the model was made if you can't find anything on it anywhere. It may very well be worth a handsome amount, but if you sell it at a yard sale, you may not get much for it. People who come to yard sales are looking for bargains, not collectors items. If they are looking for a collectors item, they're looking to get it for cheap from an unsuspecting owner. I would research this one very well before I made my decision.
6. Stop! Before you put it in a yard sale, do your research. Look on the sewing machine and find out the name of the maker. It is usually on the long horizontal portion of the machine. Look also for an identifying number. For instance, right now I'm looking at a green machine from the 1950's. Up on the long horizontal portion, it says "Bernina Favorit" and on the pillar of the machine (that's the part that acts just like a support pillar on a building) it says 540. So I know it is a Bernina 540. I'd do a google on Bernina 540. I'd turn up numerous listings for Bernina, maybe a few for 540. Checking those listings, I'd learn a bit about how desirable it is to a collector. Then I might go to ebay and look for the same, but specify completed auctions in the search. Don't think you can get an ebay price at a yard sale, because those ebay sales are mostly salesmanship with lots of pictures and increasingly professional text. But you can avoid selling a $200 machine for $10.00 and finding out later. After you find out the price, do your best to maximize the appeal of your machine by cleaning it, at least clean the outside. The safest way I've found to do this without harming the decals (decals are the decorations you find on the machine in some circumstances) is by using baby oil on a soft cloth. Put the baby oil on the cloth, rub the machine lightly, then move to a dry portion of the cloth and rub again. This will clean and give it a nice shine and smell. Then consider photographing it and selling it on your local Craig's List. Again, don't expect ebay prices, just present it as best you can, with photos and some of the information you learned in your Google search (you were taking notes, right?) Specify that the seller has to pick it up. That way you can avoid the hazards that await the person who packs a sewing machine for shipment and doesn't know what they're doing. They'll arrive, money will cross palms, and the machine and whatever came with it will go off to the new owner.