I just purchased a Kenmore 158.480 in its original sewing cabinet with the original pedal and power cord. I am wondering about its value, besides personal :). It's a real beauty. I purchased it from its original owner (I believe) for $25 including the cabinet.
I saw one posted on eBay for $100 without the case. You got a good deal on this machine if you only paid $25 for the machine.
Very mid century modern!! Cool!!! When I got my Kenmore years ago, I could not afford a "real" table and got my table with green or yellow stamps. It was flimsy and didn't last long. I coveted the real tables like yours!! Sorry for the little bit of sewing envy here!!
So if you only paid $25! I'd say you got a huge bargain. I found what looks like your exact machine and case being offered for $275:
www.5miles.com/
Now people can ask anything they want and I cannot find an example of it SELLING (SOLD prices = value).
Also, I find people asking in the mid 100 range for the machine alone.
Enjoy your find!! It is a true MCM (mid century modern) classic piece of furniture with a work horse sewing machine that should serve you well!
I love these vintage machines and especially the very simple cabinets.
You did not get a good deal - I think you got a steel!
Your machine looks almost perfect which means it was well loved and hence probably well cared for and this means a lot when discussing value of older machines.
Value is difficult to state because most of these machines would be too difficult to ship so you are looking at what they are selling for in your area - but I can tell you - it would be very difficult to find a really nice machine for $25 anywhere.
I did find a couple listed for sale - location is what you have to look at and these are asking prices - not sold prices (current value) so just as information.
The first link would be a good buy even though it is not in pristine condition - if you lived in the Fort Wayne, Ind area.
www.ebay.com/
This one looks good but no cabinet; but does have the cams - free shipping though.
www.ebay.com/
This one has a cabinet - of sorts.
www.ebay.com/
Manual: pdf download - cheapest one around..
Sites you may want to read sometime or you may need help with a problem or maybe a part.
steelsewing.blogspot.com/
Other sites:
www.youtube.com/
www.singeronline.com/
www.quiltingboard.com/
I hope you will enjoy your machine for many years in the future.
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I have a few vintage Kenmore sewing machines. The one that I recently bought has a stamp on the frame 55x20027. The other ones have a tag 117 - .... This one is a Rotary Deluxe, but I can't find any information on it.
Any help identifying it would be a big help. I am hoping to find out the year and how many were made.
This looks like it was made in the 1920s. I have seen machines like this on eBay in the $200 range.
I cannot find any numbers like this for Kenmore and I believe the Kenmore name originated in 1933 but you can check that out to be sure.
You may be able to contact a Sears Service Center and ask about your Kenmore machines as they generally have access to those records and should be able to tell you when it was made and what company made (might have been White at that time).
You can also join Ismacs and ask your questions on their site. There are members who know everything there is to know about any brand vintage sewing machine.
Note: These are collectors and they will NOT give any information about the value of any machine.
eMail membership is free but becoming a true fledged member does cost money. You only need the free email to ask questions about any of these machines.
You will need better pictures as yours are very dark and cannot be read and you should provide several so they can better answer your question.
If you are a collector you will love this site as they can answer your questions and also provide instructions for any repairs or parts.
Here is a link that tells about Sears and Kenmore history.
I was given this Kenmore 117.560. It works, and seems to have a lot of original parts and accessories. Although the cabinet has a few scratches, it was obviously well cared for.
How would you rate it's condition? I'm not sure if this is a normal or extraordinary amount or original accessories.
This is a machine used for quilting, which may explain some of the accessories which are unfamiliar to you. sewing-machines.blogspot.com/
I'm not sure if you are asking about condition and accessories because you wish to sell it or if you plan to keep it and want to know more about it but it is a well liked model.
Many Kenmore's were actually made by White so this is good as most White parts will fit on this machine.
Research shows this machine was made for Sears in 1955 and originally came with about 12-15 accessories.so this looks like about average number of extras.
You have a manual but just in case someone reading this post needs a manual here is a link to a free pdf copy.
www.singer.com/
I believe some of the accessories are shown in the manual.
I am trying to see what my sewing machine is worth. It is a Kenmore portable machine model number 158.460 serial number 003237.
Thank you.
It was made in 1958, 1959 or 1961. They are asking around $150 on eBay
