On a recent road trip we got to see part of Cindy Peters’ collection of antique sewing machines. Clearly this woman had a passion for these old machines and we wish we had been able to get to know her before she died.

These are some of the very first electric sewing machines.

Most of the machines were stacked on shelves in a large storage space. Since Cindy’s family does not share her passion for these antiques they welcomed any offers for her machines.

Notice the Sears box in the background of this picture. Back in the day seamstresses would order a their machines from the Sears catalogue.

On today’s machines you just don’t see the same kind of exquisite detailing that these old machines have. The value of these machines depends a lot on the condition of this detailing.

Before sewing machines were electrified power was provided by the operator’s feet as these treadle bases show. Some folks find very creative ways to reuse these sturdy frames.

Bonus images of the collection.

This sale was part of the annual 100 Mile Garage Sale in the Lake Pepin, MN area.