About Vintage Singer Sewing Machines

When it comes to Singer, even avid sewing-machine collectors tend not to mince their words. “They were not great innovators,” says Harry Berzack, who owns about 500 sewing machines of various makes and models. But one thing everyone agrees on was Singer’s unprecedented ability to get its machines into the hands of customers. “They were unbelievable marketers,” Berzack says.

That may be why collectors of antique and vintage sewing machines have so much fun collecting Singers—there are a lot of models to choose from. One of the earliest was the Turtleback from 1856, which was only in production for a few years but paved the way for Singer’s New Family machine, which was introduced in the 1860s before being renamed the Singer Model 12. The machine came in hand-crank and treadle versions, and featured decorative gold details on its jet-black body...

An Improved Family machine followed in 1879. This machine is considered a breakthrough because of its oscillating shuttle, but the next year an even more significant development occurred—Singer put an Edison electric motor in one of its machines, a foreshadowing of things to come.

By 1890, Singer had a staggering 80 percent of the world sewing-machine market, and by 1891, that early Edison prototype was being offered to the public. Other models from this era (there were 40 at the turn of the century) include the Singer 48 K, which was manufactured at the company’s plant in Kilbowie, Scotland (the factory would be renamed Clydebank).

The Singer 66 is also of this vintage. It was introduced in 1900 (its portable cousin, the 99, arrived around 1920) and remained in production until the 1950s, which makes this probably the most ubiquitous Singer model available. Another Singer machine that’s popular with collectors (as well as seamstresses and tailors, for that matter) is the Featherweight, which was introduced in 1933 at the Chicago World’s Fair.

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An Interview With Antique Sewing Machine Collector Harry Berzack

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Singer 221 Crinkle Featherweight, #af387604$560.00 Ends Friday 11 bids 102 watchers
Singer 221k Featherweight Sewing Machine W/case & Extra$360.55 Ends Tuesday 3 bids 15 watchers
White Singer Featherweight 221k Sewing Machine Nr $250.00 Ends in 1 hour 9 bids 38 watchers
Sewing Machine Singer Featherweight 222 K $250.00 Ends Tuesday 1 bid 29 watchers
Singer 221-k Featherweight Red "s" 221 221k Singer$202.50 Ends in 5 hours 2 bids 30 watchers
Singer Portable Sewing Machine 221 Featherweight$202.50 Ends Thursday 11 bids 36 watchers
Singer Centennial 221 Featherweight Sewing Machine 1951$199.00 Ends Wednesday 1 bid 14 watchers
!best! Vintage Singer 221 Featherweight Sewing Machine$188.50 Ends Tuesday 10 bids 61 watchers
Antique Singer Featherweight Sewing Machine $178.00 Ends Tuesday 2 bids 16 watchers
Singer Featherweight 221 W. Case, C. 1940, Exc Cond!$173.24 Ends in 10 hours 31 bids 16 watchers
Vintage Singer 221 Featherweight Sewing Machine W/case$157.50 Ends in 14 hours 3 bids 18 watchers
Singer Featherweight Sewing Machine Scrolled Face Plate$153.63 Ends in 13 hours 13 bids 20 watchers
1964~singer Featherweight Sewing Machine W/case~#221k$153.61 Ends Wednesday 10 bids 35 watchers
Singer Featherweight Sewing Machine Model 221-1$152.50 Ends in 8 mins 11 bids 35 watchers
1950 Singer 221-1 Featherweight Sewing Machine, Extras$151.00 Ends in 7 hours 13 bids 26 watchers
1947 Singer Scroll Featherweight Sewing Machine 221-1$150.00 Ends Wednesday 1 bid 11 watchers
Singer 221 Featherweight Sewing Machine Real Nice$149.99 Ends Thursday 1 bid 13 watchers
Singer 221 1 Featherweight Sewing Machine W Case 1936$146.86 Ends in 9 hours 8 bids 26 watchers
Scroll Front Singer Featherweight Sewing Machine$127.50 Ends Tuesday 21 bids 33 watchers
Singer Featherweight 221 White In Color Very Nice$127.50 Ends Wednesday 23 bids 14 watchers
Singer Sewing Machine Cabinet #42 Mid Modern Eames Deco$125.00 Ends Thursday 1 bid 14 watchers
1934 Singer Featherweight 221 Sewing Machine$123.23 Ends Sunday 4 bids 34 watchers
Antique Singer 221 Featherweight Sewing Machine Rare!$109.50 Ends Friday 7 bids 27 watchers
Antique Singer 221 Featherweight Sewing Machine Super!$107.50 Ends Tuesday 17 bids 50 watchers
Rare Green/white Singer Featherweight 221$104.15 Ends Saturday 2 bids 10 watchers
Singer Featherweight 221 Sewing Machine 1950$102.50 Ends Tuesday 23 bids 32 watchers
Singer 319 Sewing Machine In Cabinet$100.00 Ends Wednesday 1 bid 7 watchers
Singer 403a 403 Sewing Machine+cams Leather+silk$100.00 Ends Wednesday 13 bids 21 watchers
Vintage 1952 Singer 221 Featherweight Sewing Machine$96.00 Ends Wednesday 3 bids 33 watchers
Vintage Singer Featherweight Sewing Machine Running Ex.$95.00 Ends Tuesday 1 bid 19 watchers
1938 Singer Sewing Machine$91.00 Ends in 6 hours 5 bids 6 watchers
Singer Featherweight 221 Sewing Machine$90.00 Ends Tuesday 9 bids 25 watchers
Vintage Singer Sew Handy Sewing Machine Model 20 Iob$87.00 Ends Wednesday 13 bids 27 watchers
1953 Singer Featherweight Sewing Machine$86.00 Ends in 14 hours 6 bids 25 watchers
Singer Featherweight 221k Sewing Machine No Reserve!!!!$77.00 Ends Friday 3 bids 27 watchers
*1927*singer Hand Crank Sewing Machine*model 99*sews Vg$76.05 Ends Sunday 11 bids 32 watchers
Rare Lightweight Aluminum Industrial Singer 301 $75.00 Ends Thursday 1 bid 8 watchers
Vintage Singer Featherweight 221-1 Sewing Machine Case$66.00 Ends Tuesday 10 bids 40 watchers
Antique Singer Model 20 Hand Crank Sewing Machine$62.99 Ends in 15 hours 7 bids 16 watchers
1953 Singer Featherweight 221 Sewing Machine Al571845$61.00 Ends Tuesday 16 bids 27 watchers
Singer 301 301a Heavy Duty Portable Sewing Machine Nice$59.99 Ends Sunday 13 bids 39 watchers
Singer Featherweight 221 Sewing Table All Original$56.00 Ends Thursday 2 bids 15 watchers
1894 Singer 28k "large Rose" Sewing Machine$55.55 Ends Thursday 6 bids 27 watchers
Singer Child's Sewing Machine Model 20-10 + Orig Manual$53.00 Ends Saturday 7 bids 15 watchers
Antique 221 Featherweight Singer Sewing Machine $52.51 Ends Thursday 3 bids 32 watchers
Singer Featherweight Sewing Machine-1957 #221$51.99 Ends Tuesday 2 bids 22 watchers
Vintage Childs Black Metal Toy Singer Sewing Machine$51.09 Ends in 13 hours 6 bids 38 watchers
Singer Featherweight 221k White Sewing Machine W/ Case$51.00 Ends Wednesday 6 bids 6 watchers
Black Singer 301a Sewing Machine Featherweight 301 Nr++$50.99 Ends Wednesday 2 bids 35 watchers
Singer Sewing Machine Great Britian Model 66 Case & Key$50.00 Ends in 3 hours 2 bids 6 watchers
Vintage Singer Sewing Machine 221 Featherweight 1956$50.00 Ends Saturday 14 bids 14 watchers
Vintage Childrens Singer Sewing Machine/original Case $50.00 Ends in 8 hours 1 bid 9 watchers
Old Singer Sewing Machine 306w With Fashion Discs$49.99 Ends Tuesday 1 bid 6 watchers
Vintage 301 Singer Machine Attachments$49.99 Ends Saturday 1 bid 3 watchers
Nice Maple Singer Sewing Machine Cabinet 401a 503a 600s$49.99 Ends in 14 hours 1 bid 7 watchers
Antique Toy Singer Sewing Machine, 1920's $49.99 Ends Tuesday 1 bid 14 watchers
Original Motor For Singer Featherweight Sewing Machine$45.99 Ends Thursday 4 bids 8 watchers
Vintage Singer Sewhandy #20 Toy Sewing Machine In Case$44.99 Ends Tuesday 1 bid 2 watchers

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Recent News: Singer Sewing Machines

Source: Google News

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