Singer 401 for sale: with everything but the kitchen sink

 

 

I'm continuing to sell sewing machines on Craigslist and now we are approaching the Christmas season.  In keeping with my pandemic sales plan, all machines will be shown contact-free on my front porch, as long as the weather holds.  In North Carolina we have some nice days throughout the entire year, but we do have some winter type weather from time to time as well.  

You can see the CraigsList ad for the machine here

As usual, I never ship machines.  So why show them here on my blog (with international readership!)?  Because followers of this blog love to see photos of cool vintage sewing machines and accessories.   And the blog gives me a platform to provide more information to potential buyers than a simple Craigslist ad.

The end of the Golden Age of Sewing Machines, when they were made entirely of metal parts and built to last a lifetime, came in the 1960s, and the last two top-of-the-line great Singer models were the 500 and the 401.  I have read (on reputable sites) that these are almost identical mechanically, and this is a good time to remind my readers:

I AM NOT AN EXPERT, JUST AN OBSESSED HOBBYIST WITH A BLOG.

Up for sale today is a 1960 Singer 401 in a case.  I have had probably a dozen 401, 404, 500, and 503 models go through my hands, and I saved the best of the lot for myself.  This is that machine.  The finish on machines in this series of models can turn chalky over the years but this one still has a nice glossy finish.

I need to downsize and I have dozens of different machines that I have saved over the years for my own personal use.  And I can't sew on all of them at once!

I have put together an amazing package of extras and accessories to go with this machine.  The "I want it ALL and I want it NOW" package.

• A set of top hat cams for this machine, all in their own box (a repurposed makeup box).  The machine has several of these stitches built in, and the manual provides clear directions for using them.  But if you want to leave the machine on one setting and just pop the cams in and out, you've got them all.

 

• Two small parts cabinets containing presser feet and other attachments, all in labeled drawers.  This is the way I like to organize my presser feet because you can find the one you want at a glance.  And if you don't have to wonder "what foot is this and what does it do?"  Please note that the Singer 401 is a slant shank machine and all of these presser feet and attachments are specifically for slant shanks. 
  
• binder foot
  
• blind hem foot
• blind hem guide
• button holder
• buttonhole attachment
• buttonhole foot
• cording foot
• edge stitcher
• free motion/embroidery foot
• fringe foot
• hemmer, adjustable
• hemmer, narrow
• overcasting foot
• quilting foot
• quilting guide bar
• roller foot
• ruffler
  
• shirring foot
• satin stitch foot
• seam guide
  
• special purpose foot
• straight stitch foot
• walking foot
  
• zipper feet:  narrow, wide, invisible
• zigzag foot 
• and an assortment of needles in various sizes and of various types
•  4 each of size 9, Dritz brand
  
• 10 each of sizes 12, 14, 16, and 18, Organ brand
• 4 each of sizes 9, 11, and 14 ballpoint needles for knits, Dritz brand
• and one Schmetz twin needle, 2 mm width, size 12
  
• 2 each of size 11 and 14 quilting needles, Schmetz brand 

 

• Not one but two buttonholers:  The one with 9 metal templates in the retro pink "Jetsons" box, and the Singer Professional buttonholer with 20 plastic templates.  Why two buttonholers?  Why not?  The Singer Pro does more, but who wouldn't want that Jetsons model?  The Jetson one was designed for straight stitch machines, but you can use it on the 401 if you have the stitch width set to zero, no problem. Both buttonholers come with an original manual and include the test samples I stitched out.

 

• A monogrammer with a template for every letter of the alphabet.  It makes fairly small letters, suitable for a label inside a shirt facing or on the top of a pocket. Includes the test samples I stitched out.

 

• A circular stitching attachment (see YouTube for tutorials).  Use the decorative stitches on the machine to make circular designs.

• A vintage scissors/thread/pin holder shaped like a duck! 

• a large vintage-style sewing box containing
• a pair of nice sharp vintage Wiss scissors (shown in the duck)
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• a pair of vintage Wiss pinking shears, not only in the original box but with the original packaging too
• a few vintage Singer instructional pamphlets, showcasing the 401.
• a bottle of sewing machine oil (new)
  
• a lint brush (new)
  
• a pair of snips (new)
  

If you bought the machine and all of the accessories separately, you would easily spend twice what I am asking and probably much more.  The whole package includes a few mystery extras, not revealed here, and nice ones too.  I'm not a business, just a hobbyist with a passion for vintage sewing machines.  I get my fun from cleaning them, servicing them, and sometimes repairing them (although this one didn't need any repairs).  It is a thrill to restore a machine to full working condition, even if all it needs is cleaning and oiling.  When I have finished most of them need to find good homes.  

Another part of the fun is scouring thrift shops for vintage sewing tools and accessories.  And this lets me include extra goodies with the machines when I do sell them.  In this case I have included absolutely every extra that I have found that fits this model. 

If your parent, offspring, other relative, domestic partner, or best friend has expressed a desire for a good vintage sewing machine, you could not do better than this top-of-the-line Singer with all these bells and whistles!  Check out the CraigsList ad if you are anywhere near Hillsborough NC.