In the space of just two or three weeks, I've been able to find three examples of a certain model of sewing machine at rock bottom prices: three Pfaff 130 machines (here, here, and here), three Singer 301A machines (here, here, and a third which I've sold and never wrote up), three Singer 401A machines (here, here, and I haven't yet blogged about this no. 3 either), three Kenmore 158.1503 machines (two of which I didn't buy, the first of which I now deeply regret -- I thought I was being all disciplined and rational and in reality I was being utterly stupid), and now three Kenmore Elite Ergo 3 sewing/embroidery machines, the third of which I haven't purchased (yet). It's odd because once I hit three, the sightings stop. Sure, I've seen Singer 401A machines all over the place but not at the prices I found the three I purchased and not in such rapid succession.
So what's up with the Rule of Three and the Ergo 3? In the case of the most recent purchase, it was the same price as the first: $200. While it didn't include the panoply of accessories as did the first, it came with the complete basic package: manuals, software, standard hoop, all kinds of presser feet, dust cover, memory cards, card reader, etc. The machine was a little dusty but she said her children gave it to her as a gift and she never used it. She was afraid of it. It's big and intimidating and it beeps and snaps to attention when turned on in an almost menacing fashion. She began to read the manual and simply couldn't make sense of it. When I expressed certain interest, she said she was relieved. Once I saw the size of the house she shares with her husband, I can certainly see why she needed the space -- cute as a button but tiny.
So here it is -- another Ergo 3 (Janome MC 9700) that is virtually brand new and unused:
For an extra $100, she threw in a serger that she had used once. I will do a separate blog post and link to it here.
So that's it. Now if I can just get my Janome MC 9500 working properly (it's the sewing/embroidery model that was just prior to the 9700/Ergo 3), I'll have three such animals. Perhaps I don't need that third Ergo 3 after all.
Hmmmm...I saw some embroidered hand towels at a quilt store on Saturday and thought to myself, "Oh, those are cute," which was followed up immediately by, "You don't need another hobby that involves machines with needles and thread." Was I being rational or just stupid? (Love that.)
ReplyDelete:) You're a hoot.
DeleteMy thinking is 1) embroidery is cool -- it adds a personal element to an item; 2) embroidery designs are fun to create; 3) it's cool to watch a machine make a design, even though the one-color-at-a-time machine is slow (were I to get into it, I'd buy a 6- or 10-needle machine); 4) I've been able to find high-end embroidery machines for $200 -- considering the prices charged for used machines (I see used home machines [Baby Lock, Husqvarna, Bernina, etc.] frequently for $6K or more and these machines are often 5 years old or more), the entry fee is so low, if figure why not go for it?; 5) I kick myself when I assume 'rational' mode.
Granted, these are sewing/embroidery combination machines so I can justify having a big, fancy computerized sewing machine for $200 w/out much guilt and the added embroidery unit is just a bonus. Now, is that rational or simply rationalizing?
Because you enjoy knitting, I would think you might be interested in hand embroidery. I'm not sure I'd have the patience for it. However, from what I understand, embroidery software doesn't always translate a design that could more easily (albeit more slowly) accomplished by hand. My grandmother and great grandmother were embroiderers par excellence and I doubt a Janome could ever approach let alone replicate what they could do. I find most of the built-in designs and the catalog design packages are terrible (teddy bears playing accordions, dancing butterflies, and other crap); the ability to come up with my own designs is crucial. This is all new to me, though.
But it's all for fun, right? If you see a machine in great condition for a great price, go for it. You can always resell the machine if you're not feeling it. At least that's the way I look at all of this.