What to Practice With an Sometime Sewing Machine

Sewing machine

As yous go deeper into sewing, your needs and investment level may change with time. Maybe you started sewing on a family hand-me-down, and the machine finally flake the dust. Or possibly you lot learned to sew on a basic model, but now you're set up to upgrade to something higher-quality and you lot demand to know what to exercise with your onetime sewing automobile.

Whatever the reason, you're likely going to demand to discard your dearest car at some point or another.Here are a few ideas to point you in the right direction of what to do.

i. Keep It

Obviously, the easiest affair to exercise with an old automobile is to just keep it. But to practise that out of pure laziness isn't a dandy idea; it's a quick way to end up with a house total of random things y'all never use. Here are some considerations to make before keeping your old sewing machine:

Do You Have Storage Infinite?

If you live in a studio apartment, this is likely a resounding "no," unless you lot take storage space elsewhere. If you live in a larger home and have a separate room dedicated to sewing, then maybe you lot can store the machine in a corner or the cupboard.

Will You lot Demand a Backup?

If you need to have a machine bachelor at all times (like, even when your main car is getting serviced), it's smart to accept a backup. After all, the thought of going without a sewing machine for a calendar week can be a little nerve-wracking.

Will Anyone Else Utilise It?

If you plan to sew with a friend or family member, it'south dandy to have a machine ready for them. And if you're didactics a true newbie, it might be best to let them use ane you lot're not equally emotionally invested in.

Is Information technology a Family Heirloom?

Maybe you desire to keep the sewing automobile for sentimental purposes — this is a totally valid reason. Instead of storing information technology away, put it on display in your craft room.

Someone using a sewing machine

2. Sell It

If you're going to sell, y'all can't go wrong with listing it on eBay or Craigslist. You lot're probable to get the nearly money there, but it'll besides require a fleck of piece of work on your part. Here'due south what to consider:

Make Sure Your Machine Works

And not but work — it needs to exist in perfect working lodge. If y'all haven't had the machine serviced in a while, this is the time to do so. Certain, you'll have to pay for it, but then you tin can bump up the cost when you lot list it. A machine that'due south in perfect shape will as well be eye-catching to a new buyer, because then they can apply information technology right away.

Research the Value

Don't just randomly pick a price — y'all can end up selling manner under what you should. Practice some online research to see what machines of the aforementioned make and model are selling for. This can besides vary based on where y'all live, so expect at comparable locations to brand sure you're pricing your machine right.

Sell It With the Photos

Even if your machine is in tip-acme shape, if your photos expect wearisome and blurry you'll take a harder fourth dimension catching someone'due south attention. Be sure to shoot quality, well-lit photos, and possibly even edit them to look pristine. (You can check out some tips on this in our form Product Photography at Home.) Also, make sure your production description is clear and accurate, so buyers know exactly what they would go.

Don't Forget Shipping Costs

If you lot need to ship, don't undercut yourself on the costs. Sewing machines are heavy and volition price a pretty penny to postal service. Plus, yous'll demand to parcel your machine well to prevent whatsoever damage from occurring en route. Get quotes on all those elements prior to listing the automobile, or marking it equally "pick-up only" so buyers know you can't send it to them.

Look at Off-Line Options

If you don't want to take the online route, go directly to a dealer. It's a lot like selling a used motorcar: y'all'll probably get more money selling directly to a person, but you'll probable have to bear witness it to many buyers before someone purchases it. Whereas when you sell to a dealer, y'all'll earn less but deal with less hassle. It's entirely based on the amount of time you desire to invest in making money off the machine.

3. Donate It

This is i of the easiest routes for dealing with an former sewing machine. You could drop it off at a charity reseller, such as Goodwill or the Conservancy Ground forces, or you could run across if your community has any local charities or organizations that could do good from a sewing auto. A few ideas:

  • Women's shelters that teach sewing
  • Rehabilitation centers that provide clothing for people getting back on their feet
  • Artistic reuse stores
  • Schools in need of a machine for their home economic or art department
  • International charities assisting lower income families or those hit by natural disasters
  • Homeless shelters that offering sewing to residents

Keep in mind that some charities won't take a auto that doesn't work, so before hauling it to the drop-off, call alee and ask if they'll take an out-of-order machine.