Buying guides
Read one of these before you buy. They cover checking a used machine from the handwheel to the bobbin case, dating a Singer by its serial number, telling the Featherweight versions apart, buying a Bernina, Pfaff, Elna, Necchi or Viking, buying an industrial, and choosing your first vintage machine. New to old machines? Start with how to check a used sewing machine.
How to check a used sewing machine before you buy
What to check in the photos and video before you buy an old sewing machine, from the handwheel and wiring to the bobbin case, needle, feet and packing.
Read the guide →How to date a Singer sewing machine by its serial number
How to read a Singer serial number, with the letter prefixes for Elizabethport, Kilbowie, St. Johns and Anderson and why the dates are close.
Read the guide →Singer Featherweight 221, 221K, 221J and 222K: which is which
The black US 221, the Scottish 221K and white 221K-7, the tan Canadian 221J and the free-arm 222K, and what to check on each.
Read the guide →Buying a used Bernina, Pfaff, Elna, Necchi or Husqvarna Viking
What to know before buying a European machine, from Bernina feet and knee lifters to Pfaff dual feed, Elna discs, Necchi needles and Viking gears.
Read the guide →Buying a used industrial sewing machine
Clutch vs servo motors, 220V and 3-phase power, oil pans, needles and freight, plus when a semi-pro machine is the better buy.
Read the guide →Which vintage sewing machine to buy first
How to choose your first vintage sewing machine, from straight stitch or zigzag to parts you can still buy and the listings to skip.
Read the guide →