Jenny in Florida Posted June 28, 2021 Share Posted June 28, 2021 (edited) We just bought a vintage sewing machine, just because we both loved the look of it. I'm not concerned about its "value" as an antique, other than that I am a big history nerd and would like to know more about it. I'll attach a photo of the machine, but the pertinent details (from my point of view) are: It's labelled "Vanadium," but we found documentation in one of the cabinet drawers indicating it was manufactured by the National Sewing Machine Company. We understand that National routinely manufactured and "badged" machines for assorted retailers who slapped their own branding on them. This one does have a badge, but it does not have a name or recognizable logo. The decals are Egyptian themed. Again, we understand that various companies decorated the same basic sewing machine with different decals in order to differentiate, but we have not found any images of or references to other machines with this design. The warranty certificate we found in the drawer has a serial number and date, which we presume to be the date of manufacture. It was stamped on, and it's a little hard to tell whether the date is 1913 or 1915. Apparently, there is no credible list or registry of serial numbers for the National Sewing Machine Company, possibly because they were mostly in the business of making machines for other companies to sell. However, I did find one collector who has several Nationals, including two with serial numbers close to mine that she dates to 1913-1914. So, that's consistent. Again, I'm not at all worried about its theoretical value. I'm comfortable that we paid a fair price, and we bought it because we love it and want to enjoy looking at it in our living room, not as any kind of investment. But, especially after finding the documentation in the drawer, I'm absolutely fascinated by its status as a historical object and would love to know more. If anyone has thoughts or leads, I'd appreciate hearing them! Edited June 28, 2021 by Jenny in Florida 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Tick Posted June 28, 2021 Share Posted June 28, 2021 That looks so cool! Does it work? I know nothing about historical machines, sorry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenny in Florida Posted June 28, 2021 Author Share Posted June 28, 2021 The treadle is pretty stuck, but can be moved with effort. The belt is missing. (We found one in the drawer, but it is broken.) I see no reason why it couldn't be gotten into working order, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa in Australia Posted June 28, 2021 Share Posted June 28, 2021 Leather Belts can still be purchased for treadle sewing machines Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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