Singer Spartan Sewing Machine Review (Price and History)
One thing is for sure. If you love sewing, you can find the machine that makes it all come together for you. One of those brands is Singer. It is a sewing machine company that has been around for quite some time and has a storied history.
Some of the most popular and widely used singer sewing machines are the late 19th and early 20th century treadle models. These non-electric models are still used today even though they are over 100 years old. What makes them so popular besides being a good machine— they are affordable.
To learn more about the Singer sewing machine and the spartan series in particular just continue to read our review. It is filled with good facts about the company and the sewing machine.
What is a Singer Spartan Sewing Machine
It is a great little sewing machine that gets everyone who hears about it excited. When you look at it, the machine doesn’t look like anything special as it is a basic sewing machine built like the99 but with all the bells and whistles the latter machine has.
In the 50s and 60s the machine sold for around $60 as it was a model that was designed to compete with the cheaper imports that began to flood the market in those decades. It came with a plastic base and no cover.
But what you got was a very good sewing machine. In the words of the experts, it is and was a workhorse that did great stitches no matter what fabric you ran past its needle. Another good aspect of this model is that you can turn it into a hand crank with ease and use it just about anywhere.
Spartan Sewing Machine History
The Singer sewing machine company comes with a long and storied history that has helped it stand out as a top sewing machine manufacturer. The Spartan is just another top quality sewing machine in a long line of machines it produced.
The Spartan sewing machine and Singer company can be compared to say the Rolls Royce automobile company. That company is known for producing luxury vehicles that stand up against the test of time. The Singer did the same for its sewing machine.
Now Singer producing the Spartan would be like Rolls Royce producing a Volkswagen bug type automobile. There would be no-frills, no gadgets, not luxury and so on in that new vehicle but to compete with those low-end import vehicles, Rolls Royce had to produce one of their own.
Singer did just that in its industry but they did not produce the Spartan for very long. Yet 60 and 50 years later, people still get excited about owning one as Singer did not make a cheap machine that reflected the cheap price. It’s still a great quality sewing machine that still works well today.
Spartan Sewing Machine 192k
If you go to the dictionary, you will read that the word ‘spartan’ means frugal, simplistic and avoids luxury and comfort. That is what Singer did when it made the Spartan sewing machine.
It is a simple machine, that is not expensive and has no luxury items of comfort to offer its user. What Singer did was take the 99 and removed every non-essential piece on the 999 and called it the Spartan.
The only comparable features Sparta had with the 99 was that it was about the same size, it is a 3/4 machine, and it sews like the 99. Heavy-duty sewing projects are no match for the Spartan.
In other words, the sewing machine lived up to its model name without even trying hard.
Spartan Sewing Machine Price
The cost now will depend on where you bought it and if it is an original or not. If you are lucky, you can get an original at a used store or garage sale for as low as $10, give or take a couple of pennies.
The original price depended on the year it was made and who sold it but you could find a Spartan in 1959 for almost $70. The following year, you could find an original for only about $60.
These were not expensive machines as they were built to counteract the cheap imported machines that invaded western countries at that time. As the years went by you could pick up a model for about $40 at the right store.
Where to Find Spartan Sewing Machines for Sale
That is a good question as from our research we have found that many people who own vintage Singer sewing machines are very hesitant to part with them. Some have held onto their Singer machine for 35 years.
One of the best places to get an old Singer Spartan would be an antique shop. The owners of these shops keep an eye out for top quality products like this one. The only drawback here would be that you would be paying more than $10 to get it.
You could try used furniture stores or thrift stores as well. Every now and then they would be lucky to find a Singer Spartan. Keep in mind that not many were made, one year’s production was around 50,000 units.
Classified ads, garage sales, and even estate sales would probably be your best bet. The sewing machines would be reasonably priced as long as you beat all the dealers to it.
Some Final Words
When you want a good machine that still sews as it should then you may want to get a Singer Spartan. These may be basic machines but they sew great and keep on sewing.
It may have been created to compete with lesser and cheaper models but Singer made sure its reputation was not harmed by the production of this model. It still performs like a champ even though it may be 50 to 60 years old.
Get your hands on before they all disappear into history.
