An Interview With Antique Sewing Machine Collector Harry Berzack
June 22nd, 2009
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By Maribeth Keane and Jessica Lewis, Collectors Weekly Staff (Copyright 2009)
Harry Berzack is a collector of 19th-century and pre-World War II sewing machines. Unlike many collectors in this field, Harry’s 500-piece collection is international in scope. Recently we spoke with Harry about his collection of antique sewing machines, the history of sewing machines, their uses, and the four major manufacturers. We also discussed toy sewing machines made for children.
I work for a sewing machine distribution company that was started by my late father. We mainly distribute industrial sewing machines. At a very early age, I became interested in sewing machines in a general sense, and I started collecting old machines mainly to see the technology and how it had developed. Then I immigrated to the States—I’m originally from South Africa—and my new life caused about a 20-year hiatus in which I did very little with sewing machines, although the passion never left. Then about eight years ago, I started to have a little more time and I started to get back into it. Now it’s grown to the point where today I have one of the largest and best collections in the States.
We have a museum at our business where I house my collection. We’ve taken a section of our premises here to create a full museum environment where the machines are on display.
I have almost 500 sewing machines in my collection. Initially I brought some machines with me from South Africa, and I picked up one or two here and there over the next few years, but most of the machines—probably 450-plus of them—have been acquired over the last eight years.
Collectors Weekly: Do you have sewing machines from all over the world?
Berzack: Yes. That makes my collection a little different from most. Probably the best collection in the States is owned by a person named Carter Bays. Carter only collects American machines, and he has authored the standard book on antique American sewing machines. On the other hand, I have machines from America, Canada, England, France, Germany, Sweden, and Denmark, so my collection is more a worldwide but it also shows cross-influences.
I decided to collect from across the world intentionally. I just had a wide interest. There’s a great museum in England, but most of the machines there are British. The German museums are a little more mixed. There are probably 10 very good museum collections around the world.
I’m more drawn to the ideas in the machines than the country that made them. I’m drawn to rarity. I’m drawn to condition. I’m drawn to mechanical design and how people thought up different features. Some machines survive to this day and some were inherently no good to start with. It’s a passion of mine to see the way people thought, going back to the 1800s, and the sort of engineering they devised. They didn’t have the machine tools we have today, and yet they did some incredible work.
The earliest machines probably come from the 1840s and they’re very rare. Then you get into the 1850s, and the big names were Singer, Wheeler & Wilson, Grover & Baker, Howe—just a myriad. There were literally hundreds of people who made machines in different countries. Very few of the manufacturers have survived, and that in itself is part of the story. The small companies were gobbled up by Singer and others.
Of course, Singer is still around today and the name is still known. The Jones Company was bought by Brother, and I don’t think they use the Jones name anymore.
It was evolution. It was competition. It’s the old story: Someone’s making sewing machines and other people think they’re making a lot of money, so they say, “Why shouldn’t I?” At that time it was a comparatively easy industry to get into. Sometimes the ideas they had were not that good. Other times they ran into patent infringement problems and they were put out of business. Strangely enough, this was happening all over the world.
In America, there was a demand for household machines and a demand for commercial machines. The same sort of thing happened in Britain. With American machines, you had machines for home use, mainly with treadles because homes were bigger. In Europe, people didn’t have as much room, so most of the machines were hand cranks, which made them more portable. A sewing machine typically has a wheel on the side that’s used to position the needle and operate the machine. A hand crank is a handle that is attached to that wheel. Of course, in the commercial arena, it was all treadle and, later on, line shaft.
Collectors Weekly: So the hand cranks were used when there wasn’t as much space?
Berzack: It’s certainly difficult to make a general rule. Some people just didn’t want a treadle cluttering up the room. They wanted something they could push in a corner or put in the bottom of a cupboard and take out when they needed it. Other people by necessity didn’t have the room to put in a treadle or a cabinet.
To a lot of people, the sewing machine became a status symbol, so a lot of the cabinets are extremely ornate. Today, it’s very often that the more ornate the cabinet, the better the condition of the machine because they were show pieces. They weren’t used. A machine that was really used a lot may sell for $5, and then at the top of the market, you’d have the same machine encrusted with mother of pearl. By and large, those machines are in great condition today because no one wants to use them.
For a while, a sewing machine in the home was a status symbol. A husband would decide that his wife needed a machine, so he’d go out and buy a lovely machine. The sewing machines combined great design with pure utility.
In America, the four majors were Singer, Howe, Wheeler & Wilson, and Grover & Baker. They basically held all the patents, and they were always suing their competitors for patent infringement. They formed a consortium and pooled all their patents and a royalty was paid to this consortium for every machine made, including by themselves. They had some formula where they divvied up the proceeds each year. They had no hesitation in closing down other companies on patent infringement, so a lot of people sought to do things a different way to overcome the patents. For example, there were machines where the needle, instead of coming from the top down, was linked to the bottom and came up through the plate of the machine like an upside-down machine.
Collectors Weekly: What were some of the earliest designs that were being manufactured?
Berzack: It evolved very early into the form you have today—a base, an arm, the top coming across to hold the needle, and a drive from the underneath with either a bobbin or a shuttle. Those were all pretty early. There were circular-shaped machines, open latticework machines—it’s difficult to explain without having pictures or really working with it.
There are a number of pretty good books, but unfortunately most of them are out of print. There are current books, like Carter Bays’ book or Charles Law’s, that are still in print. Last year, Carter Bays came out with a third edition. A lot of the early books are out of print, but they do come up on eBay.
Then there’s another whole subset, and that’s toy sewing machines. As the mother used to sew, the daughter used to have a little toy machine to make garments for her dolls. Those machines are mainly German by two big companies and a number of smaller companies. There were some British companies like Vulcan, too. It’s a completely different interest, although I’ve got a small toy collection. It’s more the premium toys, though, because those are the more interesting ones to me. I have one toy machine from France from around 1867. I think that’s my earliest toy machine.
The real way for anyone to really get into this is to look at some of the collections. There’s the International Sewing Machine Collectors’ Society, which is ISMACS. Anyone in America who has any real interest in sewing machines should come to the convention in Charlotte, North Carolina.
My collection will be part of the convention’s itinerary. Anyone who comes through my place will get a guided tour. We’re expecting a couple of hundred people and they’ll be able to see machines that they otherwise would never see. For example, there’s an American machine called the Manhattan, and there are only two known Manhattans that have survived. I have one, and Carter Bays has the other. It was made by a New York company that called themselves Manhattan Sewing Machine Company. They made very few machines, probably less than 2,000, and then they disappeared.
Collectors Weekly: What are some of the other known rare machines?
Berzack: There are a number of machines in Carter Bays’ collection that are the only known examples, but you always have to be careful saying that because you never know when another one’s going to come up. For example, I had a machine that was the only known example and now there are three. I have two and Carter has one. So there are machines out there and eventually you’re going to find them. Everyone wants the rare machine. Two weeks ago, I drove 2,300 miles because I found a machine just outside Kansas City and the only other known example of that machine is in the Smithsonian. So now I’ve got the second known one, but until this one appeared, no one knew that it even existed.
To anyone who’s getting serious in toy machines, a good introduction would be the two volumes put out by Glenda Thomas. For American machines there’s Carter Bays’ book, The Encyclopedia of Early American Sewing Machines. It has illustrations and a bit of background on the companies: what they made, who they were, and when they were in business. Then, if you get more interested, you should join ISMACS. They publish a magazine that comes out every three months or so.
They’re the biggest sewing machine club by far. There are two others. There’s a website that’s based in England with a good gallery of machines but it’s more for quilters, and there’s a good website called Dincum.com. He’s a very good friend of mine.
Collectors Weekly: Do you collect modern machines or do you stop at a specific time period?
Berzack: The latest machines I have are from the 1940s. One of them is from the Second World War. Singer came out with a surgical sewing machine used in the field to stitch wounds. There aren’t many of them around, so that’s worthwhile. Another machine I have from the ’40s is still in its original packing case with the label on it where it was railed to a customer in Munster, Indiana. But I would say that probably 90 percent of my machines predate 1900.
Collectors Weekly: Were sewing machines first used in the home?
Berzack: Actually, no. There’s no one inventor of the machine. Different people had different ideas. There was a Frenchman whose first machines went into a factory in Paris—the workers were so upset because they thought that they were going to lose jobs. So the earliest machines were really designed for factories, but it very soon became a household thing.
A lot of the companies didn’t necessarily market under their own name. The department stores had departments selling sewing machines. Sears Roebuck had machines with decals with their name on it. Those machines could’ve been made by one of three or four different factories, and if you’re really into it, you can work out, “Well, this sewing machine was made for Montgomery Ward and this was made for Macy’s.” There are giveaways as to who the actual maker was but there are thousands of names out there.
Collectors Weekly: How did Singer become so well-known?
Berzack: Because of marketing, not invention. They were not great innovators, but they were unbelievable marketers. They bought people out. If you’re making a million machines a year and you have a factory in the States and a factory in England and you control your own distribution, you get into a very strong position and it’s not easy for people to fight you or dislodge you.
A lot of people copied them. The classic Singer machine in the early days, the mass-market machine, was the Singer Model 12, and there were literally hundreds of people who knocked it off in one way or another. There was a tremendous amount of copying. There was some licensing, but most of it was illegal copying. In fact, there were even people who copied the Singer emblem, the “S” emblem. People tried to jump on the bandwagon.
Singer owned its own companies all over the world. They have never badged a machine, which is putting someone else’s name on, and they control their own distribution. They have their own subsidiary companies and factories in probably 20 to 30 countries, like Italy, Brazil, Scotland, Australia, South Africa, Taiwan. They had a big presence in Russia, too, prior to the revolution.You can take out an atlas and wherever your finger falls, Singer probably had a factory there.
Collectors Weekly: How did the machine evolve from the 1800s to the 1900s?
Berzack: The early machines tried to replicate the movement of a hand pulling a needle all the way through a piece of fabric and then pushing it back the other side, like you would hand stitch today. Then came the advent of the chain stitch machine and everything depended on the needle forming a loop and either catching the loop or having a shuttle go between the needle and the outer thread through the loop to capture the thread. Then the needle comes up and goes through the top of the fabric again. That became the basis of sewing. It became a matter of, “How does that loop get formed?”
The next thing was, as I said, the shuttle moving through the loop. You had what was called a round bobbin, which is basically the way lock stitches form today. The earliest bobbins were Wheeler & Wilson and that goes back to the 1860s. Today you don’t have shuttles at all because everything is either bobbin or loop or chain-stitch machines.
Collectors Weekly: How many different parts are there to a sewing machine?
Berzack: That’s like asking how long is a road. There are some very simple machines that aren’t very effective and don’t have many parts. A modern industrial sewing machine could have 1,500 to 2,000 parts in it, but you could also find a machine with 20 parts. They’re not very effective, but they exist.
In the early machines, which were invariably made out of cast iron, one turn of the handle gave you one stitch. One of the first innovations was to gear it so that one turn of the handle gave you two stitches so you’d get double the production. Today you have diecast, aluminum, and plastic machines that are capable of doing 9,000 stitches a minute.
Collectors Weekly: Are repair parts still available for older machines?
Berzack: No. People who are really into it have to know a little engineering and make their own parts. If you use an antique machine, then you’re basically using one of the mass-produced machines and their parts are easier to find. Singer made a million machines a year of the class 12, so they probably made about 10 million machines total and there could well be half a million of them that are still running. It’s comparatively easy to pick up an old machine for parts to adapt or modify. But the very old stuff? If you’re missing something, that’s it.
Collectors Weekly: When you collect sewing machines, are there specific things you look for?
Berzack: I look for rarity, condition, technical differences, and what would have been an innovation at the time. I try to fill holes in my collection with rarer machines. There are rare machines that come up every now and again on eBay. Sometimes I get them and sometimes someone’s more generous than I am. It’s very difficult today to find machines in antique shops or flea markets. Odd ones still pitch up but not as much as they used to.
A lot of the antique shops have no idea how to value these things. Say there was a Singer that was patented in 1860. Because it’s old, it would be marked at, say, 300 bucks, but the value of it is probably closer to $25 because Singer made half a million of them that year so they’re not rare. They assume that because it’s old, it must be valuable.
Every sewing machine collector I know has a machine that they overpaid for and a machine that they’re sorry they sold. As soon as you go beyond the basic machines from the 1900s, what are called the quilters’ machines, you have to start educating yourself or you’re going to hit the poor house before you know where it is, and you’ll have nothing to show for it. Anyone who doesn’t come to the shows is going to miss a great opportunity to educate themselves.
Collectors Weekly: Is it possible to find the actual patents?
Berzack: There’s a lot of patent information out there. Some people collect a lot of the paperwork. You can’t collect everything, though. Some sewing machine collectors also collect oil bottles. Some collect old needles. I’ve got a pretty good collection of oil bottles. I probably have around 150.
Collectors Weekly: Thank you Harry for taking the time to talk with us about antique sewing machines.
(All images in this article courtesy Harry Berzack)
This is a very interesting and informative article, even if you don’t collect sewing machine, but just use them for your sewing projects. I hadn’t a clue that there were so many different types of sewing machine. Thank you so much for sharing.
I am so happy to find this page , I was not looking for it! However I have a 1889 Singer no table , It was well used . t needs to be cleaned up but I am not sure how and what to use to make it look a little better. It makes a very sweet chain stitch.
Any information , value, and help on cleaning it would be so grateful .
Vie Lewis
I have a Manhattan Treadle Sewing Machine. I would like to know more about it. It is beautiful and works just fine. How can I learn more?
We have a Singer that was my great,great grand mother,she brought it to US from England befor 1884 It belong to her mother I t is a hand carved
large consoul with four doors with carving that cover the whole front two fold in two fold out ,so you can put your feet on the trudel and five drewers on left side,right side has a false drewer at top and a long door so you can get to belt The # is 02370275 I think the first # is hard to read but the rest I can see. Its in very good condition but my mother just died at 92 and I got it would like to learn more about it. Any help would be appriciated
Golria
I just purchased an 1902 treadle singer model 27 from my sister. i’m looking for a place that might have the decals to go back on this beautiful machine. i do know that singer used 2 different decals that year. One was the phasant decal an not sure of the other. The phasant one was rare. Any help locating a place that I can get them. Thanks Barbara Young
I have a 1938 Singer Model 128 that was my Mothers. It runs perfectly. I have used it many years for altering my clothes. I am now moving and downsizing in space. I need to sell this machine but don’t have any idea how. Any suggestions?
Harry,
I`m sure you can help me.
I have just repaird a Singer Machine belonging to a friend of mine,it is now mechanicaly OK,but having no handbook and not being conversant with Sewing Machines cannot find the right seqence to thread the M/C .
Managed to sort the bobbin that seems OK but have tried every permentation I can think of with no success.
Is it possible to send me a pencil diagram by email ? I would be most obliged.
The Machine is a Singer No 132 K 6.
Yours Faithfully
Roy Excell
Gloria Scroggins: Singer’s lists of serial numbers
indicate that your machine was probably made in 1877.
I have an old tredle sewing machine that belonged to my grandfather’s mother. The sewing machine is a Falls City and the bottom part is a New Home. The sewing machine does not fold down into the bottom. Can you give me a ballpark idea of how much it may be worth, without seeing it of course.
My mother has a old Howe sewing machine that she played with as a young girl its been in a shed for many years and she is wanting to restore it. The machine is a treadel and and has a box that covers the machine. My Mom believes she has found a belt for it but the needles are hard to find. Could you please direct me as to where we could find parts?
Would you also happen to have an idea if restored how much this machine would be worth? Or should we leave it alone and ejoy the beauty of its age? It seems to be all there other than the belt and the needle, It also has the gold leaf on it if that makes a difference. If you would like pictures I would be more than happy to send them to you. I just want to help my mother out as she has talked about doing this for a long time.
Could you please tell me something about this Singer portable – G5237859 cat BZ 10-8 S.S. AU52-16-5 Thank you
Sir,
I have a Mid-State sewing machine from the 1950’s and/or 1960’s I think my dad get it from Sears. Can you tell me anything about Mid-State?
Ken
I am in possession of a Smith and wesson sewing machine. Are they rare?
I have a 1866 Florence Sewing machine in its cabinet with instruction booklet. How can I find its value?
It needs to be cleaned but I am not sure what to use. I don’t want to damage the finish.
Hi. I have a Waltham A treadle sewing machine in a Montgomery Ward cabinet, coffin lid. I’m wondering if Waltham was made for montgomery ward or if someone has just put it in this cabinet. I cannot find any information about this machine. It sewing very nicely. Someone has used this machine a lot as the gold decoration shows a lot of wear. I would really like to know more about this machine. I don’t want to sell it….its a treasure. thank you
i have my great grandmothers machine model # G 949 488 in original cabinet. What would the value be and what year was this model first sold. There is a marking on the needle plate with a year 1894. The patton number is marked MAy 1st 1894, also 1896 April 7th, and 1899 Feb 21st.
any info you might have about this machine please let me know.
thankyou Joanne..
HI
I HAVE AQUIRED A BIG STITCHER BY THE NAME OF
THE BRITISH UNITED SHOE MACHINE COMPANY PTY LTD No 509
I REQUIRE A FIEW PARTS OR A MANUAL. IT IS A LARGE MACHINE AND ANY HELP WITH ITS ORIGIN WOULD BE APPRECIATED.
PLEASE EMAIL ME IF YOU HAVE ANY INFO.
Well I was wrong. MY 1889 Singer is not.. It is a 1883 Wellcox& Gibbs sewing machine .I had to get a magnifier to see what it was.Now I don’t know what to do with it,
I have recently became the owner of a “DOMESTIC” S.M. CO. sewing machine and case it has a metal plate that has PAT. MAY 19 1863 NOV. 15 1864.
JAN. 31 1871. this is one of the prettiest machines I have seen it has mother of pearl inlay on body and base of machine. I have researched every possible avenue that I know, but I am not a collector. So I was wandering if this is a rare machine, and if you could share with me any facts and possibly its worth?? I would greatly appreciate any information that you might have… Thank you for your time.
Harry,
I have a singer sewing machine that came with our house when we bought it. It looks very old and is in a wooden cabinet. The number on the plate of the base is G7928701. Do you any idea how old it might be or how much I might be able to sell it for?
All of you people looking for info about your old machines should go to http://www.ismacs.net, http://www.treadleon.net, and/or http://www.needlebar.org. Those sites are gold mines of information. No one is going to tell you how much your machine is worth, though. To find that out, go to eBay and look at past auctions.
Harry,
I have a 1863 Florence with the fancy cast iron legs and the rose and green and gold leafing. The machine and cabinet have their orginal finish and is in quite good codition. I am looking for a curved needle for this model, there was only a broken needle with it when I got it. On this model the fabric feeds from side to side rather than front to back. I am a collector of old sewing machines also, mainly pre-1900. My goal with my old machines is to clean and restore and get them to sew. The only thing preventing me from getting the Florence to sew is not having a curved needle, do you know where or of anyone that I could purchase a needle for this machine?
Thank you,
Ruth Scott
I have a german sewing machine that was in my family for a long time. My mother told me that it belonged to her grandfather who was a german taylor. I have no idea on the value of this machine but it is complete the only thing missing is the drivebelt. The name of the sewing machine is “MIFA”. It has a beutiful wooden metric measure inlay on top of the machine table. It recesses into a lower compartment. If you need pictures I can send them to you. Can you help me. I would be willing to sell it.
My mother shipped it to me from germany6 to Ada, Oklahoma
Thanks
Herbert Zehender
Harry, I have an antique singer sewing machine from my grandmother… The name of the machine is AMERIKA… it has a painting with an American flag on the box and the machine has a logo with an eagle and inscription HBW on it and Jewish six-side stars on it, the panel of the machine is designed with mother of pearls… We have searched for the analogue of the machine, but we were told even from the Singer Company that they haven’t seen another machine exactly like ours and suggested us to send them in order to display it in their exhibition room. It has been already certified to us many times, that this is the only copy in the world, and nothing like it couldn’t be found in any of the catalogues or auctions in the world… We didn’t agree to send them the machine because it’s too precious… some people even doesn’t believe the above-mentioned description of the machine unless we showed the photos…
I have a Singer International Portable Sewing machine in its original green wooden box. #H1231254. Could you please tell me something about it, and its value. I know it dates back to late 1800’s or early 1900. Thank you!
Harry… I have a rather old sewing machine (handdriven) which is in a fabulous condition.I use it mostly for altering our clothes.The unusual thing is the colour Blue and Pale Gold matalic!!! on the bar is printed The Modern Sewing Machine Co. The trade mark says MODERN Delux. There is also a logo with a globe like trophy and a lion on either side.under the machine there ia number J-A22 and on a little metal plate H6130865SR
Looks alot like an old Singer except for the colour.Any info you have on this machine…plz let met know
Thanx
Shashi
Hi, I have a GLORIA Sewing Machine which dates back to 1800’s Serial No 644641, its hand driven and in its own wooden box.
Could you tell me is this worth anything and where to sell?
Please be patient with me and I will try to get back with answers to all queries raised. For any enthuiest a must is the October ISMACS convention in Charlotte, which will include tours to both Carter Bays collection and to mine. Helping organise this has taken most of my spare time this Summer. For details and registration, go to the ISMACS site.
Please note that I cannot give values on machines. There are just too many variables, and the market sets prices, sometimes high and sometimes low!
I have a Vibrating Shuttle No. 2 Singer sewing machine with the drop cabinet. Serial No. 8717862 (1889). It is in excellent physical and working condition. Where does one find values on machines like this?
Dear Harry,
Very interesting article on old sewing machines. Just so happens I found
tucked away in the back of our airplane hangar is a Howe 1863 in pretty
nice condition except for some dust and dirt it still was threaded and I
tried the peddle and it worked! Any idea about worth? It is in a coffin
top type cabinet the unfolds in a pretty cool manner. I never saw anything
like it. How many did Howe make of these? There is a # 113009 on it near
the needle and the last listed pat. # is 1863. Even the thread looks old.
Let me know what she’s worth. No one around here seems to have a clue.
Thanks alot. Marilee
What an interesting write up on Sewing machines. I hadn’t realised that so many people were interested in them and still have them.
I have a singer hand sewing machine which still works. It is black and gold with the Singer crest on it.It belonged to my Great,great grandmother.
I’m not sure of its age but I am 76 years old.I had thought of giving it to a museum or handing it down to my children. Is it worth anything and would I be able to sell it?
I would be glad of your advice,
Sincerely, Mrs Anne Smith,
Derbyshire, U.K
Hello,
I was given what I thought was a old Singer sewing machine in a cabinet.
Upon further review I have found that it is a Westinghouse Apartment sewing machine. Any idea of the years this machine might have been manufactured? I am lost because I can not find anything on it. It is black cast iron with ornate design, the only number I can find on it is a style# of 577800. It does say it was manufactured in Springfield Mass.
Thanks
Almedia
I have a little information for ‘anthony July 21st. 2009.
The machine made by British United Shoe Machine Company, as the name says was used in the manufacture of shoes. They were a very large company in Leicester-England. Their large factory/headquarters still stands in Leicester, although the company closed around 20 years ago. I worked in their office in 1960 & machines were exported worldwide. They also had a tannery, and made all necessary parts required for footwear including the glue (Bostik) eyelets & thread. For 3 centuries Leics. & surrounding counties employed 40% of the population in shoe factories. the success of BUSM brought the demise of this, as their machines helped to boost 3rd world shoe imports to Britain. They were an enormous company & treated employees like family. They even provided a company Dr. bus service to work, Theater, sports, photo clubs etc.
I have a Singer 201K works with electricity and foot, but I am not able to tell if it has a gear or belt. Could you help please?
I have a Compac Precision Sewing Machine. Electric. I cant find out who made this machine. I need a bobbin cover plate for it.
We have begun the daunting task of cleaning out our family farm barn. We have found 4 sewing machines and cabinets. We’d love to find out more on their history, specifically on one marked “Surprise”. It is in a beautiful cabinet with a gateleg, swing extension and has a very Dutch personna with geometric lines carved into the drawer fronts. It is completely manual, has a coffin top, six-drawer carved cabinet with a middle drawer and seems to be made of maple or other hardwood. The plate is engraved with the numbers 400320. The bobbin seems to be located by the wheel and not under the needle. The drawers are filled with foot attachements, bobbin(?)spools, two tins of attachments, some old instructions (no date), and several wooden thread spools. I have been unable to find any info on the suggested auction sites or search engines. Can you give us some advice? Thank you.
Fascinating interview.
I love old sewing machines, have several, but am a user rather than a collector. Unfortunately, I have been unable to find needles for my beloved Wilcox & Gibbs chainstitcher. The stitch it makes is the most beautiful one of any machine I’ve seen. Is there a modern needle that will fit the old machine? I’m down to the last 2 needles. Thanks
Hope someone can help me please. I have just purchased a treadle sewing machine and wish to restore the wrought iron back to what it should be but I cannot seem to find what finish the iron should be. Was it black gloss or dull?
Thanks
i have a grimme natalis treadle machine n0 t304327 the cast legs have 2 dragons on each side the same as the g.n symbal i have no idea of its age or price any info would be graetful
Hello
I have just acquired and new to this a 1950’s model 55 zigzag-Made in Japan–lime green lots of bells and whistles and would love to find a manual–i did get a tutorial in the old singer shop by me but lots of info and…they did not know all the operating adjustments
Thanks
Mike
I just inhereted my Nona’s 1880-1900 standard Seing machine with wooden cabinet everything still works and I have needles and all kinds of parts including the book that went with it. The satand is cast black iron with a push peddle. Do you have any idea of its worth. Thank You; Louisa
I have an 1860s Florence treadle sewing machine in the original cabinet. It also includes the accessories and the instruction book. It is all original except the leather belt which my father replaced sometime in the 50s. Can anyone estimate its value and where can I find needles? My Bernina Artista 200 is a far cry from this, but I display it under a baptismal gown I made for my grandaughter.
I have old singer 29-4 leather stitching machine. Like to find more info on it.
I have an old New National treddle sewing machine. It has a wood case that covers the top of the sewing machine. It is in the original case with the original finish and has many of the original parts. I can’t find any information about it. The only number I can find on the machine is on the bobin slide and it is 864256. Any information you could lend would be appreciated. Thanks!
I have a singer sewing machine dated 1909 (v501414), it has the bullet shaped bobbin case. When I got the machine the bobbin case was missing, I have managed to get a replacement but am finding it difficult to fit, any ideas.
Thanks!
I have a P.R. Quillen, treadle sewing machine,#651817, in a five drawer cabinet. I have searched the internet for information and have come up empty handed. Does anyone have any knowledge of this machine?
I have a 1948 w2/02 little betty toy sewing machine,do anyone have any information on this machine?
I have a very old sewing machine seemingly Singer Saxonia type having number 212369.
The manufacturer’s plate is perfectly preserved.
I wonder if it is actually Singer as it has two dragons and scripture:
G.N & C.caA on it.
what could be the value of it? It stills works very good. All main parts have number 212369 on then.
Does anyone have any information on this machine?
Hi, I was given my Great Grandmothers sewing machine. It has Kenmore stamped on it and a manufacturer’s plate that says Mid-State sewing machine co. Model A Type 15. It also has a serial # H262995. The machine is mounted in a wooden table. I cannot find any information on this machine and I am looking for a manual.
Can anyone help me?
Harry,
I have a Singer AK series 1951 sewing machine. I believe it is an industrial sewing machine that was used on the ships during the war.
I have a sheet from the Singer Co, AK-123321 to 123820 that says there were only 500 made. Could you help me locate some more information on this machine. I do have a number of 7-57.
Thank you for your help.
Yvonne
My mother has a very old sewing machine still working in good conditions.
The manufacturer’s plate has G.N. and the two dragons Peter said above.
I wonder if it is actually an old Singer…
Does anyone have any information on this machine?
ana your machine is agrimme natalis german made
I came across your Article while searching for vintage sewing machine collectors. My father purchased a White-Westinghouse Sewing machine in the cabinet for my mother to sew baby clothes for my expected baby brother. 1947, he was born Feb, 1948. The housing is all brass(I was told). I have the machine accessories kit, the optional accessories and the optional buttonhole attachments. There are extra bobbins, extra needles, the Hand Book and a Tag. I used the machine until recently when it shorted out and I am afraid to take it to be repaired.I don’t want to leave it anywhere. Everything is original and in very good condition. I haven’t a clue where to offer this vintage collection or how to arrive at a value. Do you have any ideas, any information would be appreciated. I want to see it with someone who would appreciate it and maybe even use it. I love the accessories, they made sewing gathers, pleats, buttonholes and hems so easy.I like it much better than my newer Singer and that is saying a lot. Thank you. P.S. White-Westinghouse no longer exists, it is Westinghouse now and no longer makes appliances for the home.
Almedia Baker – We have a Westinghouse sewing machine in a cabinet with the style #577800 on a metal tag attached to the motor. Underneath the “W” there appears to be a date – 10 35. Did you ever find any more information about yours. What’s your email address? Ours in middlesexmuseum@va.metrocast.net. Can we send you a picture? Does anyone else know more about this model?
I have a McClung ‘D’ treadle sewing machine. The patent sticker says mid
1800’s. It is in it’s own cabinet and in very good condition. I live in
the Royal Oak, MI area and would like to communicate with you about this
antique. I await your response. THX.
Hello from austria / europe !!
I will help all sewingmachines-collectors, i have a lot of needles for early sewing-machines:
Wheeler & wilson 1/2/3/4, curved, and bobbins
Grover & baker 8, curved
Howe B + C
Weed 3 + 8
Singer Kl. 2 + Titania
I don´t need these needles, maybe i can exchange with sewing-machines!
Write to pfandler@gmx.at
HI,I purchase my sewing machine couple days ago I love it.
Question:can you give more details on the machine or may help me with a web site.
When and where was built the exact or close year of the machine.
Singer sewing machine serial # G8291016
The original books says Singer electric sewing machine 128-18 vibrating shuttle lock stitch, for family use.
Thank you
i am looking for the date for my machine.its an industral singer with table,its very old the seril number is w614478.i think.i was told it was used in the world war era.can some one please help me ,i need needles for it.
Hello, I have a old electric bell sewing machine made in Germany, it is in a stand and in very good condition. I can not find any info on this machine. Any info. you can give would be helpful.
Thankyou
Hi! unfortunately I do not have an antique sewing machine, but I do have a charming wooden “accessory” box {3″ X 8 3/4″). Some very interesting scroll work covers the top and in the center there is a circle with Wheeler&Wilson around the perimeter and W&W in the middle. the side has a metal push button to open the top and the overall finish is quite good. The corners are dovetailed with nine each at each of the four corners. I had never heard of Wheeler&Wilson, as I am only 78 yrs old (ha!) and always had a Singer. This came to me from my mother’s family, and I am curious about it . Can anyone help?
Hi Mr. Harry,
I was just given an old sewing machine as a gift, in a wooden cabinet. I expected it to be a Singer but when I took the machine out, it said Manhattan across it. Your article said that there are only 2 known ones, yours and carters. What year were they manufactured and how do I find out the year that mine was made? Do you know an approximate value?
Also, when is the next convention?
Thanks so much for your info,
Edie in Florida
hi i have a sewing machine cabnite that no one any where has ever seen before
it opens on a pully and chaine like a bike chaine
i would love to no somthing about it if any one no’s
i had the machine to but someone took it when it was in the barn
please e mail me if you no this machine
i put it a shop to be worked on but it has no name on it any where
now they said that it was worth fixixg because it is so old
but they want 800 or 1.000 to fix the machine cabnite
i dont want to do it unless it is worth the money
the shop sad it was well worth fixing
Hello. I have a Jones Hand Sewing machine serial 421989. I live in the UK and I am finding it impossible to get a value for this machine. It is in excellent working condition with original accessories..so far I have learnt that it was built around 1924. Any help would be very appreciated. Thank you.
I have a tredle Honeymoon sewing machine. It was one of two owned by my mother (I am 63). One was bought when I was a baby and the other was bought when my father was a baby. How do I find the age of the one I have? I have a model or serial number that was found on the slide out bobbin drop slot. Thanks for any help you can give me. Mary
Hello,
I have an old sewing machine and the brand name is “Silent.”
It is from the early 1800’s and was handed down for 6+ generations. Last know place was Tallapoosa,Alabama. Our family came from Ireland origionally.
I want to sell this item but have no luck in getting info with my searches. Can you tell me anything about it and it’s estimated value? It’s in the origional cabinet with cast iron base/foot tredle and is very pretty. The origional items are in the drawers.
Thank you,
gayle Tumlin ( please e-mail me this info)
I am looking for any information on an Harness Leather Singer Machine Model 9710. We are wanting to purchase it and need to find out if parts are still made for it. Thanks for the any help that you may be able to give me, for i have been ssearching with no results. Lea
I have a German Singer (Tredle)machine. It is in a wooden cabinet and it is all in great condition. My husband bought it from the family of a deceased German lady. It still has her belongings in the drawers. The serial number is C2855870. I would love to know the year it was made. Can you help me?
I have a Singer Sewing Machine. The info under the machine is
Cat. No.RFJ8-8
V.110-120 AO.8.AC&Dc
It says that is Made in Canada.On the stitch regulator it has the #185 K.
Could you please give me some info about this Sewing Machine.
Thank You
I have a Muller toy sewing machine, I belive it is a No 1 model. There is a
# 72459 stamped on the base. Does anyone know if this is a rare machine as I cannot find any information on this particular model. Any info welcomed.
Thank You, Sue,
Lancashire, U.K.
I am baffled by the machine I have had since childhood. It was very old even then. Trying to ID the electric machine if can help it would be very much appreciated.
On upper body:
Gold lettering and design reading: “Republic”
On thread area a plaque reads:
MEREX Sewing Machine, Inc. Distributors. Made in Japan
On motor it reads:
Dynamic Universal Motors, Model 73
Made in U.S.A.
Thanks so much!