Vintage & Antique
Travel & Child Size Toy Sewing Machines
We can help you
sell your antique or collectible TSM's or
Toy Sewing Machines!
We are active, knowledgeable, experienced, and
specialized dealers in rare and
historically important American patented sewing machines. We
deal in both full size and child size travel sewing machines, or early toy sewing
machines as well.
We are always interested in
helping you sell sewing machines through
the Consignment Program we offer.
Please see the FAQ page and the other
informational pages at this site for further info if you have questions,
or
Contact Us
You are currently at
www.Antibuyer.com, our antique buying and general information website
about antique sewing machines and other antiques. We conduct our antique
TSM Toy Sewing machine sales, and those for
antique and vintage sewing machines, including Singer Featherweight 221
and 222 sewing machines, from our sister website
www.Patented-Antiques.com.
Toy Sewing
Machine
Consignment Sales
Below are
a series of pictures that graphically illustrate some of the types and vintag
e of antique
toy sewing machines
(TSMs) we actively deal in. To get more information
and see other examples of
desirable and collectible early patented sewing machines, please visit
our sister website
www.patented-antiques.com,
where we conduct most of our Internet sewing machine sales.
There are also numerous past sales results and more information about
these types of sewing machines there.
Many small antique sewing machines were marketed as machines for travel or
mending, while at other times they were sold as children's machines. A few
of these small antique sewing machines utilized a shuttle and made a
lockstitch, but most of these
"child size" antique sewing machines were designed to
make a simple single thread chain stitch. This would indicate that
their true market was as toys, and this stitch is really not suitable for
everyday usage.
Marketing these as toy sewing machines in addition to their dubious marketing
as useful sewing devices for the mender, seamstress or traveling user
was a marketing ploy in an attempt to sell more of them to the general consumer. The simple observation of how many have
survived in near mint condition, stored away in the corner of many
closets, is a testament to how infrequently most of them were actually
used.
Marketing at its finest!
American
Hand Patented 1868 Sewing Machine
This is a prime example of the
type of antique sewing machine that we are actively seek and can help you
sell.
It resembles a pair of scissors, and you operate it by squeezing the arms
together like you would a scissors. It is commonly referred to as a "sewing shears-style machine".
Another example of this style machine carries the name Goodbody and was
made in Bridgeport, CT. A third one was patented by a fellow named
Hendricks. These were generally marketed as travel machines and
are very hard to find. Note that similar things are still being
marketed today in novelty catalogs and on late night TV for the American
consumer withy insomnia.
Patented
Hancock Patent Sewing Machine
We are always interested in small antique sewing machines
with built-in or integral clamps such as the one pictured on the left. There are a whole
series of early patented sewing machines commonly referred to as "Hancocks"
after the inventor. The original patent for this style machine was
granted in the 1860's. These
sewing machines were sometimes marketed under other names, such as the
"Household Pet", Lake Patent, and others that were similar in design
that have subtle
differences. They are almost always missing their needle which was
an odd design in itself.
We know of three or four different variations of these sewing
machines with different tables or thread positions or body styles.
All are of interest and very collectible. Other names of "integral clamp" sewing machines machines that
we are looking for have names such as Bartlett, Novelty, Cute,
Beckwith, Boynton, Hook, and others. All of these early patented American
small handcrank sewing machines as well as many others
are sought for addition to our sales pages.
The
Hook Sewing Machine
This wonderful small cast iron sewing machine measures just 4"
tall and was
patented in the early
1860's. It was only manufactured for a very short period of time. It is referred to as the
Hook and is very similar to the Hardie, another early patented
sewing machine which is slightly larger.
This machine also has a built-in clamping mechanism and is another example
of a desirable antique sewing machine from the mid 1800's
that we are seeking.
We are always interested in any
early patented antique sewing machines
that date from this era (pre-1870), whether large or small, and would love to discuss
selling your antique sewing machines with you. This particular example
is so small that I doubt it served much of a utilitarian purpose and I
imagine was not all that popular or well received, thus partially explaining its
rarity and desirability today. It has a
very complicated mechanism to drive it, and incorporated a small and very
fragile spring that goes from the top of the machine down
through
the body to activate part of the looper below that. It is clear that this design could never have stood up to
regular use. It is a pretty rare machine, but because of its size
and lack of graphic appeal is not as in demand as some others from the
same time period.
Smith &
Egge
Little Comfort Chain Drive Sewing Machine
This is an example of a mass produced cast iron child size toy sewing
machine
that dates from near the turn of the 20th century.
This is the type that can often be found in near mint condition in their
original boxes. We are
interested in other similar super condition cast iron toy or children's sewing machines from this era
as well. These early sewing machines originally sold for
a dollar or two, and were sold as both toys / child-size machines and as
travel / mending machines through large distributors like Sears & Montgomery Wards.
Basically this was a marketing ploy to sell as many as possible, and I
doubt that many were put to actual use by seamstresses or travelers of the day. They are relatively
common and in todays market on eBay generally sell for under 200 unless
mint in the box or a unusual variation. Other similar TSM sewing machines carry names like
Spenser, Universal, Pony, Triumph, Gem, Tourist, F & W Automatic, American
Gem, and more.
Singer
Toy Sewing Machines Singer made a line of toy or
child-size sewing machines starting in the 'teens and continuing through
today. These sewing machines are often mistakenly called
"salesman sample sewing machines".
All of the different Singer Model
20 small sewing machines were marketed solely as real sewing machines or
toys for girls, and often given away to help implant the Singer name in
the mind of the future sewing machine buyer or junior seamstress of
tomorrow.
The Singer toy machines we are interested in are the
metal-bodied ones produced from the 1900's through the 1950's. In
general, the values for most of these small toy Singer sewing machines
runs from under $100 to close to $500 or more for a few of the rare
variations / colors that have surfaced, with most falling into the lower
end of that range. We always have a decent selction of these
for sale on our sister sales site
www.Patented-Antiques.com
The next era for
collectible
toy sewing machines, which generally dates a bit later and spans up into the
1960's or so,
are the toy machines which are usually referred to as "tinnies" or sheet steel
models. There are examples of this style machine from all over the
world, and while some of them were produced in great numbers others were
not and are considered quite rare and desirable.
Please contact us
with any miniature or child-size cast iron or sheet steel sewing machines in great
condition that you may have that are for sale.
We are not interested in plastic
or battery operated styles of these toy sewing machines that generally
date from a completely different and later era.
Select Antique Sewing
Machines Wanted
*****Click the
Links Below*****
The above sewing machines are examples of the
caliber, condition and quality of antique sewing machines that we are primarily interested in.
If you have quality antique sewing
machines similar to those that you see
on this page that you want to sell, please contact us at
LCM@AntiqBuyer.com
If you have additional questions about
our consignment sales program please see the FAQ
page
To see examples of antique sewing machines that
we currently have for sale, please go to our sister site
at www.Patented-Antiques.com.and
visit the sewing machine sale pages you will find there.
Thank You!
