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Collectible Antique & Vintage Sewing MachinesMore Sellers than Buyers for Old Sewing Machines
Since everyone wears clothes, the sewing machine may have been one of the most important inventions ever, yet surprisingly few antique models are valuable. Here's why.
Brief History of the Sewing MachineThere is some disagreement about the first sewing machine It may have been patented in 1755 by a German inventor or in 1790 in England, in the form of a machine designed to make footwear. Balthaser Krems patented a machine in 1810, an Austrian tailor in 1814, and Americans John Dodge and John Knowles in 1818. The thing these early sewing machines had in common was that none of them actually worked. It wasn’t until 1830 that a French tailor, Barthelemy Thimonner, developed a viable sewing machine that affected the way clothing was made. Thimonner had a shop full of sewing machines which he used successfully to manufacture uniforms for the French Army. Unfortunately for Thimonner, his profitable enterprise excited the wrath of fellow tailors who, fearing for their livelihoods, ransacked his shop and destroyed his machines. Early Sewing Machines by Elias Howe & Isaac SingerIn America, Walter Hunt developed a machine, but Elias Howe, Jr. was first with a workable, although prohibitively expensive model. Howe’s sewing machine worked well, but had to be crafted entirely by hand, which put it outside the economic reach of most of its potential customers. Isaac Merrit Singer made the sewing machine viable by offering an improved version of an existing model that was affordable but subject to regular breakdowns. American Sewing Machine ManufacturersBy the mid 1850s, there were dozens of companies in the U.S. making and selling sewing machines, including Grover & Baker Co, the Florence Sewing Machine Co, The American Buttonhole, Overseaming & Sewing Machine Co, Wheeler & Wilson, National, New Home, Graybar, Wilcox & Gibbs, Merrow Machine Co, Davis, and Singer Collectible Sewing MachinesFor collectors, the value in old sewing machines has most to do with rarity and condition. As the most successful models were produced in factories by the thousands, only the oldest, hard to find, most esthetically pleasing models, or those that represent important technological advances are eagerly sought after, and command high prices. While Singer is the most widely recognized manufacturer, its products are the least collectible except for the earliest examples such as the model #1, the Turtleback, (which are hard to find), and popular models of the Featherweight. Singer sewing machines, regardless of age and aesthetics, are with a few exceptions, rarely worth more than a few hundred dollars at best. A wide variety of manufacturers made mini-versions of their sewing machines and, while collectors enjoy them, they seldom sell for more than $100, and usually bring less. Source:
The copyright of the article Collectible Antique & Vintage Sewing Machines in Antiques & Collectibles is owned by Susan Cramer. Permission to republish Collectible Antique & Vintage Sewing Machines in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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