The Antique Wizard Sewing Machine (History, Models, Value)
Finding old sewing machines is like finding a time tunnel. it lets you go back in time and see what a simpler era was all about. While the old vintage and antique sewing machines were simple in construction, they were real workhorses and built to last
It seems that the old Wizard sewing machine was an early Brother model. We wrote about dating old Brother sewing machines and looked on the discontinued list but that list carried more recent models than ones made 60 years ago.
To learn more about the Wizard sewing machine just continue to read our article. be forewarned there is not a lot of information available to describe this sewing machine even though many models still survive to this day. The people that own them also do not know much about its history, etc.
Wizard Sewing Machines 101
Who Made Wizard Sewing Machines?
From what we have been able to find out, the Wizard sewing machine was made by the Brother sewing machine company. This model may have been a product of the post-war American strategy to help rebuild the Japanese industrial complex.
According to what records we were able to uncover, the Wizard was built somewhere in the middle of the 20th century with some of the machines dating to the late 1950s and early 1960s.
In checking old sewing machine companies, there is no business listed as Wizard sewing machine company which tells us that this was a generic product given a brand name that would appeal to the American buying public.
Then in trying to verify the information that Brother made this model we could not find anyone that had the right records to prove Brother made it. A search at the brother website turned up nothing.
The best conclusion that we can provide is that the Wizard sewing machine was one of the thousands of generic sewing machines made by different Japanese companies right after the war ended.
This machine is not talked about that much simply because it was not a standout sewing machine that was ahead of its time. If the serial number has a JA on it, then you know it was made in Japan.
Wizard Sewing Machine History
The best information we could come up with on this sewing machine was that it was made in Japan by the Brother sewing machine company. Who they sold through is not totally known as only one company has been associated with selling this model of sewing machine.
The Western Auto hardware store chain is credited with selling the Wizard. A quick look at their history shows no mention of the Wizard sewing machine but it had a track record of selling the products of other companies.
Also, this company used the name Wizard on the tools they sold as well as outdoor equipment. The latter included lawn mowers, tillers, outboard boat motors, and so on. Thus it is reasonable to conclude that the Wizard sewing machine was sold by that company.
Other than that brief mention there is no real history of the Wizard sewing machine. We put that down to the fact that over the years records have been lost, destroyed, or misplaced. In those really manufacturing years, the Japanese were not that great at keeping accurate records.
The Brother sewing machine company could have easily sold the sewing machine under another name then changed the badge at some point to Wizard. Or Western Auto had a license to change the badge.
It is hard to say as Western Auto Hardware stores do not exist anymore.
Antique Wizard Sewing Machine Value
Despite all the negative news so far there is a little good news. There are still Wizard sewing machine models still in existence and they still work. At least the majority on sale do. That means we can report there is some value to these old machines.
The best source for value though is coming from eBay as that outlet has several different Wizards on sale right now. Unfortunately, all but one sold for under $100. The zig-zag model is the only one that is selling at $139.
Private sales outside of these online marketplaces will bring even a lower value. Some owners have reported paying as little as $5 and $15 for their models. Those prices will tell you you won’t make a lot of money if you are trying to sell yours. But, the silver lining is you won’t spend a lot if you want to buy one and add it to your collection.
Most likely, you will find motivated sellers who simply just want it out of their basement, attic, or garage as it is taking up too much space. Non-motivated sellers may be harder to deal with due to the sentimental value attached to their machine.
Their grandmother owned it and taught their mother how to sew on it is one scenario you may run into. Those sellers would like a little more money than $20 for the machine.
What that means is that the actual value is low but the price you pay will depend on the mood you are in and the budget you have set aside to purchase one.
Wizard Sewing Machine Models
We were only able to find 2 models that were on sale at the time of this writing. There are a zig-zag model and a non-zig-zag model. That is the best we could come up with. The photos we saw of different Wizard sewing machines did not have a model name to them except the badge saying Wizard.
The one model name we could find was for the zig-zag sewing machine and it was called the Premier. There are no other records that talk about the Wizard sewing machine and that is probably due to the reason we already gave.
It just was not a great machine that was ahead of its time. It was a generic sewing machine, probably a clone of a Singer model, and sold to the American public to help bolster the Japanese industrial complex.
Even our go-to vintage sewing machine websites have not talked about the Wizard and the reason for that is most likely it is the same machine as was marketed by all the generic Japanese sewing machine companies during that era.
Even the sewing discussion forums did not have much information and the different posts did not mention any model names. The pictures they did post only showed the badge name- Wizard.
We wish we could report more details but this is not a famous sewing machine nor one that was full of innovative sewing tools that would make it popular or an ideal machine to own. The best that can be said about it is that it was made from metal parts and built to last.
Brother Wizard Citation Sewing Machine
What we have been able to find out is that Brother may have cloned some of its own sewing machine models and gave them a different badge name. The Brother Citation is actually a copy of the Brother festival series.
More specifically it is the Wizard Citation "Ten Lightweight" that is the clone and it was badged differently to be sold by the Western Auto hardware chain. Also, it seems that the Citation is a close relative to the Bradford model 7068 which was made for the WT Grants outlet at that time.
You can find this model of Wizard sewing machine on sale at eBay but the price range is about the same as a standard Wizard sewing machine with one machine selling for $149 and one for $199 while the rest are under $100.
Like one Citation owner’s complaint, we are also having difficulty finding any information about this Wizard model. Other than that all the pictures we saw of this model make it seem like a fine sewing machine when it is in running condition.
There are people online looking for information on their old Wizard machines but very few providing any answers. The good thing about the Citation is that the Festival series sewing machine parts should fit it.
Other Brother sewing machine parts may also fit the Citation and the other Wizard sewing machines but you would have to get expert advice before buying them.
Download Wizard Sewing Machine Manual
This is not going to be the easiest of tasks nor the most difficult. Most of our go-to manual outlets that are found on the internet do not have any listed on their websites. But we were able to find a couple of places that do still stock them.
The first place to try would be Brother. You never know what manuals they still have and it never hurts to ask. Then you can try this link and it only lists 1. The outlet is located in the UK so expect to convert from British Pounds to American dollars to know how much you need to pay.
Then there is this link and it may have one or two. There is one for the citation sewing machine and one for a Model C which was also connected to Wizard. Then there is this link. The company at that location has about 7 different manuals you can look through to see if one matches your Wizard sewing machine.
If you want a hard copy, then you can go over to eBay as we saw one or two on sale there. Also, some people had success going to repair shops and antique dealers for hard copies of the manual.
Your search may be a bit difficult as these machines were never as popular as the real Singer sewing machines and other brands they were cloned from.
Buying Wizard Sewing Machine Parts
The first stop will be your local sewing machine repair shops. They seem to have a catalog that is for professionals only that listed all the parts they could get. You can check with them to see if that is true and if they can still get the right part for your Wizard sewing machine.
Or they may be able to put in a Brother spare part as the Wizard was made by that company and the word is a few of the parts are interchangeable. Most likely, the Brother festival would be the model series to find those parts.
Then if you do not live in a city that has a sewing machine repair shop there are a few places online that will carry the parts you may need. The first company is found at this link. This outlet is also located in the UK so expect to pay shipping and other costs in British Pounds.
Another source may be this company- A1 Sewing Machine Specialists. They say on their web page that they have over 60,000 spare parts covering a host of different brand names including the Brother sewing machines. Click on this link to get to their website.
The company found at this link, says that they have all sewing machine parts. While the name Wizard is not listed on their brand name page those parts may be found under the brother label.
If you have not had any luck at those places, you can still try eBay. While we were searching for sewing machine value on that web page we saw a few parts listed for sale. Not many but they just might be the part that you need.
It may take some effort to find the exact part you need if those locations do not have them. This is a generic sewing machine that is not made anymore so spare parts may be hard to come by. When all else fails, check yard sales, garage sales, and estate sales along with flea markets to find the parts or a machine you can use for parts.
Finding a Wizard Sewing Machine for Sale
The first place to look will be eBay. Not the most economical marketplace but we did see about 3-5 different Wizard sewing machine models on sale under different model names. These machines should be in good working order so you shouldn’t have to worry about finding spare parts to get them working.
Then you can try your local sewing machine repair shops or antique dealers. These places may have some they want to get rid of. They like to make room for other items that sell faster. But don’t expect to get a bargain unless they are really motivated.
Other places to look will be yard sales, etc. These sales are like going on a treasure hunt and you never know when you will strike gold. Also, the prices will be a lot cheaper than the previously mentioned outlets. The sellers may be motivated or influenced by sentimental attachments.
Next, you can check the classified ads, both in your local community and online at places like Craigslist. This will take some regular checking as you never know when someone wants to sell a vintage sewing machine.
The good news is that there are a lot more places to look for a Wizard sewing machine for sale than there are for manuals, spare parts, and so on.
How to Thread a Vintage Wizard Sewing Machine
Here are some instructions that may work for the Wizard sewing machine. First, pull the thread through the first thread guide and over to the second thread guide near the front of the machine.
Go down to the tension dial and go right to left under the bottom of the dial and then up through the tension discs and over to the wire loop. After that pull the thread through the top hook. Then release the presser foot and pull the thread up through the opposite side of the second thread guide.
Next, go through the take-up lever and back down through the thread guide again. Then go through the final thread guide and the needle bar guide before threading the eye of the needle.
We must warn you that these are generic instructions and if you need a diagram just click this link. No one is publishing the exact instructions for Wizard models and our go-to manual outlet that lets us see the threading instructions does not carry Wizard manuals.
Some Final Words
You won’t find much information about the Wizard sewing machine because too much time has passed between their original manufacture date and now. Plus, that badge name is just one of a thousand similar machines that were produced after the war.
Yet, that does not make them bad sewing machines. They were made with metal parts so you know if you get one in good working condition it should still last you for some time. Check with Brother to see if they can be of any help.
