Selling Singer, 1953

Not much sewing this week, so instead here is a new to me Singer sales brochure from May 1953.

"May I help you?"

Unlike earlier brochures, this one is in colour, and features the Singer Girl in her ever-so-slightly-migraine-inducing dress.

Excellent stripe matching

My eyes!

By this time the model 66 was no longer being made in Britain, so the choices were the 15k or 201k for a full-size machine, or the 99k for something smaller.

The machine options available

The larger machines could be fitted into a 'library table' or a more traditional cabinet, although I'm not sure if the latter was only suitable for treadle machines.

I'm guessing that this was the top of the range

Like my 1930s cabinet, this model has a "commodious" drawer which looks to be straining the meaning of the word!

Similar to my cabinet model, but with two doors

The 'contemporary' style table is the only one which has a version for the 99k. My guess is that this leaflet was given to its original owner in a Singer shop, as she has jotted down a few prices on these two pages. As with the 1930s sales, the cash price was lower than the price spread over 11 or 17 months. Mum's 99k with a carry case, bought cash price in April 1953, cost £30.8s.6d - which gives an idea of the price of the cabinet.

I think that the cash price of the 99k in this cabinet was £56.4s.6d

Even in 1953, clearly enough customers still wanted a plain treadle machine to make Singer include a double page spread of the options, although these were mostly the same base in different woods. The leaflet implies that the use of wooden legs rather than an iron stand is a recent development, even though they had been the available for at least 20 years!

Treadle options available (click to enlarge)

All three models are available on small wooden bases, although I would argue that describing a full size machine as "mobile" is pushing it a bit! Again, a non-electric option is available.

And 'portable' options

Definitely portable was the 221k, the 'Featherweight'.

The Featherweight is almost an afterthought in this leaflet

I love the quote that "a Singer is built to give years of trouble-free service". Whether Singer quite meant that to be the 70 years of my treadles, or the 100-plus years of Maud I’m not sure.

Mum remembers that the price of her machine included free lessons, and that the saleswoman was keen to ensure that she took them. A machine was a big investment, and personal recommendation was good (and free) advertising for Singer, so it made sense for them to ensure that their customers were happy with their purchase and could get the most out of it.

Why you should buy a Singer

Getting customers to understand and use all of the attachments which came as standard seems to have been an ongoing struggle, however.

Those funny metal bits in the cardboard box? Use them!

So that's what they do!

The 'typical' Singer shop on the back cover, with all its goods and services, looks marvellous.

Sewing heaven

I wonder which, if any, model the owner of this leaflet eventually bought?