To celebrate, I stopped by the Italian bakery nearby and bought biscotti, a Black Forest cake, lemon cream puffs, and sausage cannelloni with a house marinara sauce and a wedge of Reggiano for grating. So much for being thrifty, right?
Thursday, September 11, 2014
Pfaff 130 no. 2
I admit that I've overpaid for a few machines. And I admit that I've underpaid for others -- many others. Today, I was in a thrift store not looking for anything in particular and I just happened to walk by the furniture area where sewing tables can sometimes be found. Look what I found:
The price? $9.99. This 130 looks like it's been used maybe 10 times. The thing is absolutely beautiful and came with a metal Pfaff box full of feet and attachments, the original 1952 sales receipt, and a few other odds and ends. The cabinet is probably going to have to be destroyed -- I think it's too far gone. No power cord but the knee pedal and cord are very much intact. It was even clean, requiring just the usual wiping down, a little vacuuming in the crevices, and buffing of the chrome. I'm amazed no one else saw the value in this, as I was told it had been sitting there for a while.
To celebrate, I stopped by the Italian bakery nearby and bought biscotti, a Black Forest cake, lemon cream puffs, and sausage cannelloni with a house marinara sauce and a wedge of Reggiano for grating. So much for being thrifty, right?
To celebrate, I stopped by the Italian bakery nearby and bought biscotti, a Black Forest cake, lemon cream puffs, and sausage cannelloni with a house marinara sauce and a wedge of Reggiano for grating. So much for being thrifty, right?
Does this Pfaff run smooth and quiet? I have seen them only online. I would like to have one. I have two newer Pfaffs(20 and 30 years old) which are amazing.
ReplyDeleteThe 130 is one of the smoothest, quietest machines you'll ever own. They're heavy duty -- so much so that some consider this model a semi-industrial machine and you'll sometimes find them mounted to industrial sewing tables, even with industrial Servo or clutch motors. The tolerances on the 130 are tight, though. This makes them smooth but it also causes frequent freezing from gunk and oil, so they need steady maintenance from the owner. The stitch quality ranges from excellent to perfect. My only criticisms are the cleated nylon belt (very hard to replace) and a large nylon gear. But if you can find one at a great price, grab it. You'll love sewing on it and even if you don't, they're beautiful to look at.
ReplyDeleteCan you tell me how much the receipt was for the original purchase in 1952? I saw a complete machine at an estate sale and thought it was remarkable.
ReplyDeletePaul, I put the receipt somewhere and I have no idea where! For some reason, I remember a $347 figure -- a huge amount of cash back then. I'm in the process of doing a thorough house cleaning and if and when I stumble across the receipt, I'll respond again with the exact figure.
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