Hi Elizabeth,

Thank you for contacting Mearto with your appraisal inquiry.

Singer began making sewing machines in 1850, with just 100 made that first year, by makers all around the world. By 1900, nearly 17 million machines had been made and the firm started to use two alphabet letters in their serial numbers, which also helped denote where the machines were made (NYC and Elizabeth, NJ, and Glasgow, Scotland, primarily). It was - and still is - considered the gold standard among hobbyist and professional seamstresses.

The Featherweight series (beginning with the 221) was among the first truly portable domestic electric sewing machines produced by Singer. The design uses lightweight aluminum rather than heavy steel castings, making it far more mobile than earlier machines.

Despite its small size and portability, the machine usually retains very strong mechanical construction — metal gears, a well‑engineered hook mechanism and parts built to last. Many users and collectors report that it still “sews like new” decades after manufacture.

The “221J” model designation indicates machines manufactured in Canada (St. John’s / Québec) by Singer. The “J” suffix is often used for Canadian production; “K” often for Scotland. The 221J (and late‑variants) often came in different colors (for example the “tan/­­beige” version noted in collector literature) compared to the classic black models.

The market for vintage and antique sewing machines is quite soft at present and most models - regardless of age, area of manufacture or how many original accessories it has - rarely sell at auction for more than $100 and usually between $50-75 if still in working order (note this may be different than refurbished machines sold by retailers, or by private sellers posting their models on EBay.)

Please let us know if you have additional items to appraise, or questions/concerns, and thank you again for using Mearto.
~ Delia