I was given this Singer 99K. Honestly, I don't want another sewing machine...I've run out of room. When Peter once remarked about not having the room mentally for more machines, I knew exactly what he meant. No room there either. Yet, the 99 is a nice little machine - but with some flaws on this particular one.
I think this 99 was kept in one of those rickety wooden garages that sits out by itself. Dampness crept in. The enamel on the upper machine is bubbly looking --that's not good from an aesthetic point of view. The bed is undamaged though. Also the enamel has been chipped off in a couple of spots. I gave it a basic cleaning and the light rust came off the plates and other metal parts.
I'm not even bothering with this foot controller. I have some that are in much better shape that will replace it.
I have the 99 in running condition and it sounds nice but I can't sew with it yet because the tension spring is broken. Those are easily available. I probably won't do anything with it until summer though. I found the 99 (and 66's) are unlike other Singers which can be set down on a table and used. The 99's mechanisms underneath have to be up off the table to move; therefore, it must have a case or box.
Despite the flaws and not needing another machine I rather like this little 3/4 size heavyweight. I think if I had more room for the 99 I would put the buttonholer on it and leave it as a buttonhole machine -- maybe someday. At the moment it's sitting on the bottoms shelf in my sewing area with a dust cover on (at least it's not a damp garage).
Here's something interesting:
There is a repossessed tag on the underside edge of this sewing machine. Which leads to all sorts of questions! What happened? Did someone not have the money to pay for their sewing machine? How sad! Was it taken away? Even sadder.
5 comments:
And they put a "repossessed" label on the machine? How rude! It's not the machine's fault. Maybe they didn't know the word refurbished back then....
Vintage singers were very often sold on a hire purchase basis over a number of years. When I bought my featherweight the seller very thoughtfully included the original hire purchase agreement!
So it's looking very likely that the owner couldn't pay, how sad :(
Ahh, financial distress. We forget, sometimes, that we are not the only people who've had to live during hard times. Or, on the bright side, maybe the person who bought the machine originally decided that he/she hated to sew, and just let the payments lapse instead of finishing the buy. (Better than that the machine was not a good investment, and went back to the shop broken or unusable.)
Hi!
I have reand once, that "repossessed" machines were usually given back when the owner wanted to "up grade" them to a more expensive model. So it was not a problem of financial distress, on the contrary! :)
Andrea
hi,i got sameone amaizing model 99K sins 5 pm today.i love it.very good condytion but missing motor,controller and bełt.sewing excellent.haha my first in love machine witchin 33 years tailoring experience my n.r is ET504698 is looking same.Barbara
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